Organize For Creativity

OK, well, I know organization isn't really decorating,
now is it? But, let's face it, what good is all the effort
to create a nice home when it's hidden behind the mess
and the clutter? So in order to help us all prevail over
the chaos, here are some great hints for putting everything
in its place! (On a budget, of course!)

The number one way to reduce clutter and mess? Deal with
things as they occur, don't save it for later! File the
mail (or throw it away) as soon as it comes out of the
mailbox! Don't step over a small mess thinking you'll do
the whole room later. Get the idea?

File your paperwork. Make a file/correspondence box with
file folders. I just covered a sturdy cardboard box with
some contact paper, turned it on its side, and glued a
piece of miniature picket fence (cut out of leftover foam
core) onto the front to hold in the bills! You could save
lightweight cardboard for dividers, make a "to pay" file
and a "to keep" file, and perhaps a school file for the
kids, and whatever else fits your household!

Hide stuff! Yes, there are times when we don't want our
living room to look like Disneyland! Floor length cloths
on the end tables are a great place to shove a toy box
or unusually shaped toys when not needed. If you have open
shelving or a pantry area, consider sewing a gathered curtain
panel to cover clutter. Install it with a spring-tension
curtain rod, tie it on with ribbon, or try my favorite,
velcro stick-on tabs!

Organize your kitchen logically, and not only will you
reduce clutter, you'll save time and energy! Place items
in cupboards near the area where you normally use them.
For instance, spices near the stove, everyday dishes near
the dishwasher, cutting board and knives near the sink
- you get the idea! Use small boxes turned upside-down
to make higher "shelves" in the back of your spice cabinet.


You don't have to buy expensive storage cubes for your
kids' rooms! Covered boxes, sewn drawstring bags from extra
material, even an old suitcase under the bed make good
storage. A wall of simple metal-strip utility shelving
(they sell it in white, as well) can accommodate a large
amount of stuff, especially for the older kids, and is
relatively cheap at home improvement stores. I save old
baby-wipe containers to store crayons, hot wheels, and
that endless supply of useless toys from the fast food
joints! You can cover them with contact paper. Try labeling
what goes where, even for the older kids, so there is no
arguing about what "putting it away" really means!

Finally, attack one area at a time. Try to fit in a little
re-organizing each day, and you'll be recognizing that
creative décor you lost in the clutter again soon!

Copyright 2002 K. Wilson