4 DIY Storage Hacks to Blow Your Mind

Maybe you live in a small home/apartment, or maybe you live in a giant house but just have a ton of stuff. No matter what your situation, knowing how to make the most of your storage area is vital. From closet organization ideas to bathroom storage ideas, we have four storage hacks that will blow your mind.

1. Put it on the wall.

Whether it’s a bike, a yoga mat, an ironing board, a fold-down desk, or even a bed, the things that currently take up space on your floor might look just as good on the wall. Well, here's a storage hack for you: Large hooks drilled securely into a wall will hold a bike by the tire. Two screws are enough to hold up an ironing board. Stores like Costco sell wall beds and fold-down desks that you can assemble yourself. The point is — if it’s big and on the floor, consider whether it could just as easily take up some unused wall space. As a plus: This can make it easier to redecorate and implement Feng Shui to your home.

2. Get smart about clothes with these closet ideas.

Many of us own more clothes than we can wear in a month, but the key to not letting clothes take over your life is to store them smartly. Pegs on the back of a door can hold several pairs of shoes, or you can build a simple set of shelves of varying heights to hold your sandals (they only need about an inch of height), tennis shoes (maybe four inches), high heels, and more. Tank tops, camisoles, neckties, or scarves can be hung along a single hanger with shower rings or strong clothespins. If your closet has a lot of empty vertical space — usually because you don’t have a lot of dresses or other longer clothing — a useful storage hack is to build a second shelf to hang some clothes below others.

3. Find the unused space.

Look around your house and figure out which areas aren’t being used as effectively as they should be. Common areas include:

• Under your bed: Can you find or build boxes that slide under there, or drawers that will look attractive and slide out easily? If you really need more space, a great storage idea is to put your bed on stilts/risers and ditch your box spring. You’d be surprised how much you can fit under there!
• Above your doors: Again, great places to put simple shelves or cabinets.
• Above your refrigerator: A great place for an extra shelf or cabinet. This is also a good place to store larger kitchen appliances that you use rarely.
• Anywhere higher up: A simple shelf around the soffit of your kitchen looks elegant and creates a nice place for extra storage.

4. Baskets hide a multitude of organizing sins.

You have a pile of magazines you’re intending to read on your coffee table. A stack of socks that won’t fit inside your toddler’s dresser. Oversized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, and more that won’t fit inside your bathroom drawers or cupboards. Buy a decorative basket (or make one, if you’re into basket weaving!), put those items inside, and poof! Your mess suddenly looks intentional. Your stack of magazines is now a tidy collection of future reading material. The toddler’s socks are neatly put away (and wow, the basket you chose matches the wallpaper). The basket in your bathroom looks homey and warm. See what you did there? If it’s a mess, grab a basket and suddenly it’s a contained, cute mess. Seriously.

Just when you think the seams of your home are about to burst, there’s more room — promise! Take a look around and implement some of our storage ideas, put a little work into building the right storage solution, and you’ll have plenty of space to work with. And if not, we can always help you move to a bigger place …