Good Ideas - Organizing Tips Part 1

Today I spent time helping a teacher at my school organize her classroom closet. It was so much fun! It got me thinking of organizing tips. Here are a few that help me:

• A place for everything, and everything in its place. I think this saying comes from Martha Stewart. Designate a spot for your things, and always return them accordingly. You'll save copious amounts of time avoiding the hunt.

Image via Country Living

• Know what you've got. It may seem counterintuitive, but often the best way to organize a space is to take everything out of it, see what you have, then carefully put it back. If you don't know what you have, it's harder to sort it all out in a way that makes sense.

Image via House of Brinson

• Purge. Then purge again. The less you have, the easier it is to access the important stuff. Go through your things. Expired? Broken? Never used? Just plain ugly? Toss it, donate it, repair it, or repurpose it. There's no good reason to store things you don't/can't use.

If you're having trouble letting go of an item, try a "temporary purge." Put all the items you're unsure of in a bag somewhere. (I put mine in the bottom of my linen closet.) After a month or so, if you haven't fished it our of the bag, let it go.

Image via Martha Stewart

• Group things by purpose. Baking supplies go best with baking supplies. Whenever you're baking, you'll know exactly where to look. The same goes for just about anything, be it cleaning, gift-wrapping, gardening, mending, healing... the list goes on.

Image via Martha Stewart

• Box/basket it up. If it's small, funny shaped or less attractive, the right space might be in a box or basket. Boxes and baskets are great for grouping items together and giving a space a uniform look.

Image via  Kolo

• Uniformity pleases the eye. If you're shopping for organization, consider buying multiples of the same containers, or containers that coordinate. If you're working with pre-existing containers, try painting, papering, or otherwise covering them so they work together. Your space will look even more organized if your boxes, baskets, etc match. 

Image via Elle Decor

• Contain yourself. Cups, bowls, jars, and small boxes do wonders for keeping small items together. If they're pretty enough, you can even keep your things out! This is a double-whammy. It'll beautify your space while simultaneously keeping the things you need close by.

Image via Brooklyn Limestone

• Label it. When using boxes or baskets that aren't clear, it's imperative that you label. If all your boxes look the same, you'll have to pull everything out every time you need something! Labels are also great when a space is shared. If the spot for the batteries is labeled, (hopefully) everyone will know where to find them and where to put them away. For pre-reading kids, pictures make great labels.

Image via Poppytalk

Here are a few free and fabulous prinatble labels that you could use to label your space. Creature Comforts has these and these. iDiy has these. Little Sightings has these. Orange Beautiful has these. Poppytalk has the ones pictured above, plus these and these. Enjoy!

Believe it or not, I've got more tips to share! Stay tuned for another installment.