Organization

No Mudroom, No Problem! {How to Create a Fake Mudroom in Your Home}

June 10, 2016 by Bre 6 Comments

In the house of my dreams, I would have three things that I don’t have in my current home: (1) a screened-in porch; (2) a transom window or two; and (3) a mudroom. Dreamer Bre would pick numbers 1 or 2; realist Bre would pick number 3.

A mudroom would be so practical and fabulous; a perfect little spot for my family to stash all belongings as soon as they come in the door. And of course it would be hidden from plain sight so that nobody would have to see the mounds of shoes, backpacks, purses, jackets, winter gear, etc. that accumulate all too quickly.

Since a mudroom like this just isn’t in the cards for my home, I’ve figured out a way to create a fake mudroom of sorts in my foyer and also at my back door.

Neither spot is the perfect mudroom of my dreams, but they function well and help keep my family (and our stuff) relatively organized. Because of that, I thought I’d share these “no mudroom ideas” to hopefully help you, too!

Because of several key components in each of these spaces, my home’s lack of a mudroom is a non-issue. All of my family’s things have a place to go, which keeps clutter and disorganization at bay.

No Mudroom Ideas: Elements of a Faux Mudroom

So what do you need to create a fake mudroom? Here’s where to start! (P.S. this is an old photo! I updated the pictures in this post after I originally wrote it!)

The product images in this post contain affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Faux Mudroom Idea No. 1 Wall Hooks

Wall hooks are so important in any fake mudroom! You must have a place for your family and visitors to your home to hang their bags and jackets, especially if your coat closet is small.

Hooks also give small children a place to hang their belongings instead of throwing them on the floor.

Check out these stylish and affordable wall hook options for your home. Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

Fake Mudroom Idea No. 2 Bench

A sitting place is essential in a fake mudroom. It gives people a place to sit when they need to take their shoes off or put them on, and it serves as another drop zone, too.

My bench is an old piano bench with storage inside the seat, which is a total bonus! Benches with built in storage are a great way to get more functionality out of the piece.

Here are some of my favorite benches in stores now. Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

No Mudroom Idea No. 3 Drop Zone Area

Having a place to drop your keys, bag, sunglasses, or whatever else is in your hands when you walk in the door is so important to maintaining order at the entry! A little console table in a fake mudroom is perfect for this job. You can find them in just about any shape or size, so no matter how small your space, you can make something work!

Here are some affordable entryway tables that I love! Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

Create an Organized Entryway Idea No. 4 Baskets / Trays

I cannot stress the importance of baskets in a fake mudroom! I use one under the bench as a shoe tray, and it’s great because my kids know exactly where to put their shoes when they come in the door.

I also have one under my table to put umbrellas in, and in the winter I stick a small one next to the bench for a place to deposit scarves, hats, and gloves (which I then put into my super small but super Organized Coat Closet!).

You can never have too many baskets, so take a look at these pretty and reasonably priced options that I think are perfect for any entryway! Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

No Mudroom Idea No. 5 Hall Tree

If you have the space for it, a hall tree is an amazing all-in-one solution to the no mudroom problem. It combines storage and seating into one piece, and there are so many ready made options available in stores these days! I love the piece we have next to our back door!

Here are some other awesome hall trees that I found for you! Click any of the photos to shop or for more info!

I bet you have a lot of these things in your home already! If you struggle with containing clutter and maintaining organization at the entry points to your home, try and set up a fake mudroom. These no mudroom ideas will have your entryway organized in no time!

Dollar Store-ganization: Binder Ring Organization Ideas

October 30, 2015 by Bre 4 Comments

Welcome to Part 3 of my series, Dollar Store-ganization, where I share tips and tricks for getting organized with products from the dollar store. The goal of this series is to show that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get your life (or stuff!), in order!
Last month I shared ideas for getting organized with mesh laundry bags, and previously it was all about plastic bins. This post is all about the mighty binder ring – the often overlooked but oh-so-valuable binder ring. Seriously.
[Read more…] about Dollar Store-ganization: Binder Ring Organization Ideas

Dollar Store-ganization: Mesh Laundry Bag Organization Ideas

September 3, 2015 by Bre 9 Comments

Hello and welcome to Part 2 of my new series, Dollar Store-ganization, where I share tips and tricks for getting organized with products from the dollar store. The goal of this series is to show that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get your life in order!
Last month I showed you how I whipped my closets into shape with dollar store plastic bins, and this month I’ve got some great ideas on how to get organized with dollar store mesh laundry bags!
My dollar store currently has three packs of mesh laundry bags for $1. That’s incredible! A couple of summers ago they had different shapes and sizes of bags, so you never know what you’ll find.

I ADORE these bags for organizing because: (a) they’re cheap; (b) they’re washable if they get dirty (obviously); and (c) they’re see-through so you can easily see the contents within.

I’m sure there are about a million things you can use them for, but here are some of my favorite mesh laundry bag organization ideas!

Puzzle Storage

Keep puzzle pieces together and easily accessible in mesh laundry bags! This system has been working for my family for years!

Winter Gear “Packets”

This is a new idea I’m going to test out this winter with my kids. I plan to have them put their hats, mittens, scarves, etc. into a mesh laundry bag when they get home, and then put it in their designated drop zone area. I hope this will keep their things together in one place, so that the next time they go to put them on they aren’t hunting for a missing glove or hat, and costing me precious time!

Bath Toy Storage

If mesh laundry bags aren’t PERFECT for bath toys, I don’t know what is! Pop the bag on a 3M Command Hook in the tub and let the toys dry off in there when bath time is over. If the bag starts to get slimy or gross, just toss it in the washing machine! (And yes, real life – we have hideous yellow tile in my kids’ bathroom.)

Socks (or Unmentionables)

If your socks share drawer space with anything else, things can get out of hand pretty quickly. Especially if it’s a small drawer. Segregating them with a mesh bag is an easy way to keep things tidy!

Food Packets

I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly “losing” food packets (like onion soup mix, Italian dressing mix, taco seasoning), in my pantry. They fall down to a different shelf or something – I don’t know. Putting them in their own special container helps mitigate this problem!

Purse Items

If you are like me, you carry 12 million things around in your purse. Little pouches are great for corralling things like lipstick, mints, sunglasses, etc., but they’re not see-through! Tiny mesh laundry bags are perfect for inside a dark purse because you can easily spot what’s in there and grab your necessities in a hurry!

Reusable Food Container Lid Storage

When I’m trying to clean up the kitchen, there’s nothing I hate more than being unable to quickly find the lids to my reusable food containers. Inevitably the lids are nowhere to be found, or are not with their proper containers, and I spend a ton of time trying to find them. Keeping them in their own mesh laundry bags will keep them together and eliminate the “where is the lid?!?” problem!

I’m sure there are lots of other wonderful organization uses for mesh laundry bags. If you can think of any, please tell me about them in the comments below! I may update this post to include your idea – giving you credit, of course!

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to come back for future Dollar Store-ganization ideas! And if you enjoyed this post, please “pin it” to help share these ideas!

-Bre

Dollar Store-ganization: Hall Closet Organization Ideas

August 7, 2015 by Bre Leave a Comment

Friends!

I am so excited to launch a new series on the blog today – Dollar Store-ganization. What is Dollar Store-ganization, you ask? Well, it’s lots of AWESOME ideas for organizing your home and life with products from the dollar store! The goal of this series is to show that there’s no need to break the bank to get your life in order, and each month I will give you a new organization idea to try!

Although this is the first post in this series, I am no stranger to using items from the dollar store to get organized. You may remember my Splatter Screen Earring Organizer, Chip Clip Organizer, and Spinning Art Supply Caddy – ALL created with dollar store items!

This month I’m tackling something a little bigger, though – the hall closet! From the outside, this closet looked fine, but the inside was a WHOLE different story.

How to Prevent Wire Baskets From Scratching Your Surfaces

July 10, 2015 by Bre 12 Comments

Wire baskets are EVERYWHERE! Step into any store that sells home decor or crafting items and you’re bound to find a million wire baskets that you love.

It makes sense because these fabulously utilitarian objects look just a little bit prettier with their interesting metal finishes and/or lovely liners. Plus, they work with just about any style of decor.

But you know what – left to their own devices, wire baskets will scratch the h-e-double-hockeysticks out of whatever surface you set them on. I’m talking mean, ugly scratches that will make you want to throw your once beloved wire baskets out the window.

But luckily I figured out a SUPER SIMPLE SOLUTION to this problem, so I had to share my method of how to prevent wire baskets from scratching your surfaces.

So back when I did my son’s Vintage Aviation Room Makeover, I purchased some cute wire baskets from Homegoods to use in his newly-painted bookshelf.

They looked super cool, and then I realized that they were totally scratching the shelves that I’d JUST painted. To say I was annoyed is an understatement. I contemplated getting rid of them, but then I decided to see if I could fix it. And I did!

Supplies Needed to Prevent Wire Baskets from Scratching Surfaces

To keep your wire baskets from scratching your furniture or floors, here’s what you need:

Felt (the kind you buy at the craft store works great!)
Yarn
Large needle with a large eye to thread the yarn through

How to Keep Wire Baskets from Scratching Surfaces

First up, cut the felt to be slightly larger than the bottom of the wire basket.

Next, thread the needle with a long piece of yarn, and knot the end of the yarn. Start at one end of the basket and weave your way through the felt and the bars in the bottom of the wire basket.

Make your way around the entire basket. Once you’ve gotten back to your starting point, remove the needle and tie off the other end of the yarn. Trim any excess yarn.

Once you’ve finished, the bottom of the basket will look like this:

But once the basket’s actually in use and filled with all-the-things, you’ll never even notice the felt on the bottom (or any scratches on your furniture)! This is especially true if the felt color matches or coordinates with the surface on which you’re placing the wire basket.

Trust me, if you don’t do anything to prevent wire baskets from scratching your surfaces, you will regret ever having purchased them for your home. This simple fix makes all the difference and will last SO much longer than stick-on furniture pads!
– Bre

DIY Kids Art Supply Storage Caddy

January 14, 2015 by Bre 20 Comments

Keeping art supplies on hand for whenever your kids are feeling creative is the best way to keep them busy.

But, if you don’t have a good way to store and organize their art supplies, it can lead to more headaches than not. So, why not make this DIY Kids Art Supply Storage Caddy?

It was super easy to transform some inexpensive dollar store containers into this fabulous craft supply storage solution!

Supplies Used to Create a DIY Kids Art Supply Storage Caddy

Here are the supplies I used to create this DIY art storage caddy. Some of these links are affiliate links. To learn more, please read my disclosure policy.

Wide base plastic bucket
Small plastic buckets
Lazy Susan
Velcro or hook and loop dots
Optional: glitter tape and circle craft punch

How to Make a Spinning Art Supply Caddy

I started with a circular plastic container and small plastic buckets that I found at Dollar Tree.
I thought about painting the container and buckets because this shocking green color is not my favorite, but decided against it because my kids will likely draw all over this caddy anyway.

So instead of painting, I opted for a quicker method of beautification with some super sparkly glitter tape that I found at Michaels.
I took my large circle craft punch and punched semi-circles out of the glitter tape.

I then placed the semi-circles around the plastic bin to give a glittery scallop effect.

After the beautification was complete, I grabbed a turntable or lazy susan that I found at Target.

I stuck some Velcro around the top of the turntable so that I could affix it to the bottom of the plastic bin.

I wanted to be able to remove the turntable if necessary, so that’s why I chose to use Velcro instead of glue.

That’s it. So easy.

And no joke, this thing has made afternoon craft time so much easier for my kids! Instead of launching supplies at one another from across the table, they just spin their art supply storage caddy to get what they want.

It also makes for a fun toy in and of itself. 🙂

I love this simple little art supply storage idea! If you do, too, please pin it to share! And then, visit my post on how to create a DIY Pegboard for Kids Creation Station!