Free Storage from Repurposed Food Packaging

When the fresh start to organizing frenzy began at the turn of the year, I gazed longingly at the beautiful storage solutions in ads, then back at the pile of toys on the floor, then back to the glossy pages muddled by many dollar signs.  {sigh}  Well, you get the picture.  Please tell me I'm not the only one out there with a secret love for Elfa.  It even sounds magical...

The Container Store

Do we have to spend a fortune for organized homes? I submit that we do not! Enter my recycling bin!

Oh, not so pretty or organized, but full of buried treasure, maties!

I spy a new magazine file for holding paperback early reader books.  Now squint a little...can you see it?

There it is!

 This project was quick, easy and cheap - my favorite qualities in an organization project.  Although it cost very little bucks, we got a lot of bang from this makeover as now my son's books are not spread all over the floor.  I used scissors to cut the cereal box to the correct shape then slapped some wrapping paper on with a glue stick.

The biggest challenge for me was wrapping the box.  If you ask anyone who has ever received a gift from me, they will reveal that I am not known for my mad gift-wrapping skills; fortunately, this little cereal box turned magazine file turned out  just fine!

The next area in need of a revamp in our home is our pencil storage.  They seem to multiply somehow in the drawer, resulting in a cascade of pencils on a regular basis.  Despite the plethora of pretty pencils, we can never seem to find one when needed for homework time.

Fortunately this plastic parmesan cheese shaker bottle has the perfect size holes for providing some lonely pencils a home, where they are easily accessible.  Add a little scrapbook paper, and the container is as pretty as the pencils.

You may remember from my post on making chores fun with kids that we instituted a system for allowance.  No need for fancy piggy banks that may break or lose their "plug"; I'm speaking from experience as we have buried two piggy banks for those reasons.  Just use a razor blade to cut a hole in the plastic lid of an oatmeal canister, cover the canister with pretty paper, and you're on your way!

Hopefully my little projects have inspired you to turn trash into treasure (or at least something to hold your treasures).  Just remember, before you go rooting around in your neighbor's trash or recycling at the curb, maybe you should ask their permission first (or at least go do it at night!).

You never know what fate might await the next unsuspecting food storage container!

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