Once you start to declutter your house, you will find that you have less stuff around the house that needs to be stored. That’s good? You will also find some items that you need to store. You can run around and by storage units, shelves, and cabinets with drawers. But one of your new principles is not to bring new stuff into the house.

The good news is that, while decluttering, you probably found some items that you can use as storage. Some of these potential storage items can be decorative. Others you might want to use behinds closed doors or drawers. Then once you have used all your potential recycled storage, you can buy more shelves and drawer storage if you really need to.  Use what you already have first, however.

Here, in no particular order, are some ideas for reusing stuff you found while decluttering and can reuse as storage containers.

Shoeboxes

Shoe boxes are great for storing many items. Several shoe boxes stack very well. But don’t just save shoe boxes in case you need them for storage someday. That is when they become clutter. If you need shoeboxes for storage where people will see them, decorate them with wrapping paper or fabric to make them decorative. Photographs and recipes can be stored in shoeboxes. Just be sure that you label the contents of each box. Small bits and parts of crafts or art supplies can be stored in shoeboxes, as well. Sewing patterns fit well in shoeboxes. And shoeboxes fit nicely on those small shelves above your clothes in the closet.

Old Jewelry

Plastic or metal bangle bracelets or other types of metal or plastic rings make good napkin holders.

Saucers, Small Bowls, Butter Plates

Saucers, small bowls and butter plates can be used as the base for houseplants. These pieces of dishware are decorative and protect your furniture from the water rings that can occur when houseplants are overwatered. Don’t go out and buy saucers for this purpose. Use odds and ends of dishes and bowls that you already have. In this way you will prevent potential clutter from entering your home. Some of the plastic lids from containers work well for this purpose, too.

Saucers and bowls are also decorative ways of storing soap and keys.

Clutter as Furniture

Many different recycled pieces of clutter can become furniture. Here are some ways to make end tables, coffee tables, and nightstands out of potentially discarded items.

Chairs those are mismatched or no longer useful for sitting can become nightstands. If the seat is made of caning with holes, put a tray or book over the hole.  Or nail a piece of wood over that spot and repaint the entire chair. If an old chair is reused as a nightstand, you can put a lamp on the chair seat or hang a bathrobe on the back of the chair as well.

Sturdy boxes can be covered with a pretty piece of cloth or tablecloth and used as nightstands or end tables.

Old suitcases make sturdy coffee tables when stacked. If you don’t like the surfaces of the suitcases, cover them with a decorative piece of cloth, blanket or tablecloth to disguise them.

Laundry Bags

Laundry bags were originally intended to keep underwear protected while being washed.  Laundry bags are great for storing those dirty pieces of laundry and keeping them up off of the floor. Laundry bags can also make sorting clothes easier. But laundry bags work well in the dishwasher, too.

Instead of letting all of those little bits and pieces of dishes fall through the dishwasher racks and get damaged or lost, put them in laundry bags. Put those

caps, lids and baby bottle nipples in a new, clean laundry bag on the top shelf of the dishwasher. Your little items will be safe while washed and you won’t have to stick your head in the dishwasher to search the bottom for those little items.

You can use business card holders to carry coupons of packs of sweetener, tea bags or coffee bags.

Old nail polish can be used to color code your keys for easier identification.

Any container like a glass jar can be used to store thread and stray buttons in the laundry room.

Pegs, nails, tacks, and kitchen cup holders can go in the wall inside of your closet to hold belts, ties, and necklaces.

Put instructions and owner’s manuals in a single drawer or in a binder. This way, you won’t have to hunt for them if one of your appliances breaks down.

Fun Filing

Napkin holders and old phonograph record holders can be used to file important papers in the home office or at work. Bills are a great example of how to reuse a napkin holder or record holder. Just be sure to put the bills due first at the front of the holder for easy payment.

Old drawers that used to hold cassette tapes make excellent small containers or mini file cabinets.

The old wire type phonograph record holder is a good way to sort baking pans, muffin tins, pizza pans, and cutting boards. If you have an extra dish drainer that is usually used for drying hand washed dishes, you can use it to sort dishes, pots and pans as well.

These are only a few of the ways you can turn your clutter into organizational aides.

If you haven’t moved recently, you have probably stored lots of items somewhere in your house that need looking through. Some people like the “nested” feeling. They like to know that they have their stuff, and lots of it, surrounding them. But think about a nest. What is in it, really? Not much besides the family members. While we are not birds, our homes can become cluttered if we don’t take care to keep them organized. Here are some ideas to get you in the proper frame of mind to declutter and organize your home or office.

Pretend You are Moving

How good is your imagination? One way to inspire yourself to declutter is to pretend you are selling your house and moving. Then take a good look at what you have in your home. Look in your closet. Would you really take that across country with you? If the answer is “no” you probably don’t need that item now, either.

If a realtor or potential buyer would come into your home right now, what would they think? Would they be able to see the great architectural features of your home? Would they be able to tell how large the rooms are just by looking at them? Or would they be confused by all of the stuff on the walls and on the floors? Could they even walk through every room? Would you die of embarrassment if someone popped in for a visit? If you really don’t want anyone looking at your house the way it is right now, you have some work to do.

Downsizing

If you have ever had to help a loved one move from the family home to a smaller place or assisted living, you have an idea of what a huge project decluttering can be. Grandmother may have been an excellent housekeeper, but her home was probably full of stuff that she didn’t use or need. You had to find a way to get rid of these items.

These are the type of items you are going to think about getting rid of in your own home. Do you really want your children to have to go through all of those boxes in the basement, wondering why you kept all of that junk? No! So save everyone some time and get rid of that unused toaster oven from your wedding shower 10 years ago. Someone at the local thrift store would love to have it on their shelves to sell. And though you may not actually be downsizing yourself, you can use the concept to help you get rid of unnecessary items in your home.

Books

Have you picked up a box full of books lately? A box of books can be really heavy. If you are an avid reader, you may very well have quite a collection of books that you have read, been given to read, or are going to read some day.

Imagine having to move those books and store them somewhere else. If you still can’t imagine moving those books elsewhere, pack one box full of books. Then lift it and carry it from one part of the house to another. You will soon be inspired to sort through your home library and get rid of some books.

Go through each book. If you’ve read it and don’t plan on reading it again, it can go. If you haven’t read it and really plan on reading it, it can stay. If you haven’t read the book and are pretty sure you won’t, get rid of it. Would you really move that book to another home if you had to move? Then you don’t need it. Your local school or public library might want it for their collection. So donate those books. You’ll feel better about your home and help out a community group at the same time.

Collections

Some collections are worth a lot of money. Some collections are more about sentimental value. Either way, some people start collecting a couple of items and end up with a houseful.  If you had to move tomorrow, would you really take all of that stuff with you? How long has it been since your entire collection was dusted or cleaned?

If you can’t keep your collections stored properly, organized and clean, some or all of it needs to go. Some people love cleaning with and playing with their collections. They can spend hours dusting and playing with their properly stored die cast cars or dolls.  If those sentences describe you, that’s great.

But if your collection looks dusty and is not properly stored, you may just be using collecting as an excuse to shop and collect clutter. If most of your collection is in the attic or basement in a box, consider sharing these items with someone who will appreciate them more.

And if there is a leak in the roof or the basement floods, your collection won’t be ruined. Consider selling your collection, giving or donating your collection to a museum or for a thrift store to sell. Selling your collection on Ebay is a good way to get some cash out of your collections as well as organize your space. Remember, if you aren’t keeping your collection items clean and in excellent condition, they won’t be worth much.