A little clutter goes a long way towards spoiling the beauty of your living space. So why not decorate your rooms while hiding away the mess? Here are eight charming storage container ideas that will solve your clutter problems, large and small.
Hand-Painted Wooden Chests
Ideal for storing clothes, shoes, toys and blankets, wooden chests are easy to find in craft stores, garage sales and flea markets. You can decorate a plain chest yourself using craft store stencils, which come in floral and curlicue patterns. Or write a child's name on his storage chest using an alphabet stencil.
Galvanized Buckets
You'll find cheap galvanized buckets at container and craft stores in a range of sizes. Store your garden tools to keep your shed tidy. Tuck away toys in a child's room. Keep rolled towels stacked upright in your bathroom. And in your kitchen use galvanized buckets to store onions, potatoes, or apples.
Wicker Baskets
You'll find a wide range of wicker basket styles and sizes at craft stores or flea markets. Replace your bedside table with an extra-large lidded basket in which you can store blankets and pillows. Stack magazines in a flat basket atop your toilet. Collect dirty laundry in a lidded bathroom basket. Or store your office supplies, bills and paperwork in a row of colorful baskets.
Old-Fashioned Suitcases
Home stores sell reproduction suitcases in a stack of three. Use the suitcases to store old magazines, books or school work. Or store your winter clothes away in summer and vice versa. If you have too many shoes to fit in your closet, store them in your decorative suitcases, which you can easily open when needed.
Umbrella Stand
Of course, you can store umbrellas in them, but umbrella stands will eliminate clutter in other ways too. Store rolls of wrapping paper or cellophane paper in the corner of your office. Store walking sticks by your front door. And keep pool toys, tennis rackets, or baseball bats safely tucked away.
Decorative Boxes
Cheap and charming, decorative cardboard boxes are easy to find at craft stores and online. Store small office supplies in small boxes and printer paper in identical but larger boxes. Tuck away the clutter on your desk into a single box. Keep your TV remotes in a decorative box atop your coffee table or your mail atop your kitchen counter.
Decorative Book Boxes
Book boxes are stylish and ideal for storing small items on a desk or table. Use a faux leather book boxes to hide away your notebooks, pens and paper on an elegant desk. Conceal video games in a charming floral book box. Keep your keys, garage remote and alarm remote in a book box on your entryway table.
Hat Stand
Why not add a little pizzazz to your kitchen decor while organizing it? Place a hat stand in a corner and hang your apron and kitchen towels from the pegs. Or display a hat stand by your front door and hang all your colorful summer hats. A hat stand will even look charming in a corner of your bathroom, where you can hang your bathrobes.
