The Best Home Organizing Hacks for Free
Boxes are the best home organizing hacks
One of the best home organizing hacks that you probably already own and have plenty of in your home is a box. Yes! A simple box can be the best solution when it comes to keeping your items together and organized. This simple solution to many of your clutter problems in your home is both free and readily accessible. Reusing and repurposing containers that already exist in your home will not only help your wallet, it will also encourage you to be resourceful with items you already have as well and be creative and think outside the box (pun intended) with how you use your items. Read on if you want to know which types of boxes I recommend that are up to the task!
Shoe Boxes
I tell my clients not to throw away their shoe boxes when we are working through a tidying session. Shoe boxes generally are a great size and the boxes tend to be well constructed and sturdy. Repurposing both the top and bottom of the box for different uses further extends the usefulness of the box. I like to use the bottom box for clothing items or small towels. The shoe box tops can be used in a wide variety of spaces in your home. Some ideas include drawers that are shallow in depth like kitchen or desk drawers.
Cosmetics Boxes
Cosmetics boxes are especially sturdy and generally these boxes come in really nice finishes that are beautiful on their own. Using both the top and bottoms of the box give you ample containers and compartments to store any number of items. I particularly love using these types of boxes for undergarments and underwear. Often times our socks and underwear get lost in a big shoe box, but when folded nicely these clothing items look lovely in a repurposed cosmetics box.
Electronics Boxes
One of my favorite types of boxes to use and repurpose are electronics boxes. I especially love the boxes from Apple because the boxes are extremely well constructed and the outer paper finish is soft and nice to the touch. These types of boxes tend to be higher in quality and the durability make these boxes an excellent choice for free organizational solutions. I purchased a computer last year and the box it came in was well made and sturdy so I have since used it to hold many of my crafting supplies.
Candy Boxes
Candy boxes are an excellent choice to repurpose because these tend to be beautiful and the packaging already sparks joy. Just remove the inner lining and any remaining bits of candy and it’s a perfect box to contain your smaller items. These types of boxes can be used for housing your office supplies and will probably fit nicely in any desk drawer because they are not too deep in depth.
Jewelry Boxes
Please don’t throw away your beautiful jewelry boxes. These types of boxes are great for housing smaller items. Not only are these boxes extremely well made, combining many of them together will help you create a bento box with mini compartments that can be filled with all your spark joy items. I personally have used my jewelry boxes, both the tops and bottoms to create a jewelry box of my very own. Look at this gorgeous display. Repurposing can look beautiful and still be functional. This simple hack can be found here.
Elevate the joy factor in your boxes
Joy is a definite priority when it comes to storing your loved household items. Even though you are using repurposed boxes for storage, you can do a little DIY (do-it-yourself) project to elevate the boxes for added joy. I like to line my chosen boxes with pretty papers that match my color scheme or spark joy for me. Adding this easy and simple extra touch makes a huge difference in my joy factor. It’s worth taking the time to make your boxes extra special to house your spark joy items.
Check out this DIY video of how I created my own jewelry organizer by repurposing my jewelry boxes and pouches.
Hikidashi Boxes
If none of these options sound good to you, there are a large variety of beautiful and well crafted boxes for purchase. This is also a good option especially if you desire a cohesive and uniform look with your storage solutions. The boxes are often made and lined with beautiful papers with a pretty design that speaks to your heart. Some of my favorites include the three-box set from Happiboxshop. There are three different colors to choose from lined with the most beautiful patterned paper.
The two options currently available are:
Take a look here.
Marie Kondo also recently collaborated with The Container Store in January 2021 to showcase over 100 products including three unique patterned designs in varying sizes for her signature hikidashi boxes. Boxes are either made from recycled paper or are available in a dark bamboo material. Click on the options below:
Whether you use boxes that you already have in your home or you make the choice to purchase beautiful boxes, the plain and simple box can truly be the best home organizing hack to solve many organizational challenges. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a choice based on joy!
Tidy on and tidy strong, my friends!
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