2 things to never throw out...

National Storage Month?

If I had to guess, I would say it must be our nation's month to celebrate different styles and techniques for storing things. If there isn't already a National Storage Month, January should be it...

I know, I know, it's a marketing thing. All the big corporate guys sitting at long mahogany tables have figured out that us homemakers go organization CRAZY after the new year. Thus, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha's Site, Micheal's email newsletters, and anything else Home have gone completely into storage mode. I'll happily play a long, I've got the bug just like everyone else.

My best finding since moving into the new house (and arguably the discovery that may have inspired this blog) was my two favorite storage mediums; Baskets & Mason Jars.

It's true, I have now solemnly sworn to never ever throw away mason jars or baskets unless they are beyond cleaning up, broken, or just plain hideous. Every time I'm not sure where to put something, I solve the problem with either a mason jar or a basket.

Example 1

We like to burn incense around the house from time to time and needed a better way to store all the incense sticks than to just have the boxes lying around all over the place. I didn't want to commit drawer space to it, since we just plain don't have that many drawers, so I cleaned up an old jar we had gotten from someone cleaning out a garage (always keep your eyes open for this stuff!), took all the sticks out of their boxes, and voila! incense holder. Yeah, we're never really sure which scent it is we're burning, but I think they all smell nice so it doesn't matter to me :-)

Example 2

I had a kitchen catastrophe (yes, I will keep that alliterative term on file for later) on my hands when I started unpacking our thermoses and water bottles. It's not like the caps stack neatly or anything, so I grabbed a smaller basket and just threw it in the cabinet right next to where their counterparts stand. Definitely cuts down on the time spent fishing for the right cap. Also looks nice when you open the cabinet! My kitchen is in plain view from the rest of the house, so making storage attractive is essential!



In the back of our kitchen closet I have a box that I put jars in as I come across them. I try to make sure they're nice looking, so I'll actually use them, but mostly any old jars will do the trick. When I finally get to put together my craft area in the office (when we actually finish the office, that is), I'll be using a lot of the jars for jewelry making, needlework, and sewing supplies. There's also a lot of fun refurbishing ideas for mason jars online.

Check out this blog's ideas at Craft Haven

Upstairs, I have a corner of the attic where I throw any and all baskets (mostly leftover from gift baskets) to be used later. I've used them in cabinets, on my dresser, underneath sinks (cleaning supplies caddy), and by the door (hats and mittens), just to name a few.




  So next time you think to yourself, "I need a place to put these," think Mason Jars and Baskets! Not your style? Mix it up a bit! What about tin pails and wooden crates? Ceramic bowls and glass vases? Tons of possibilities...