Tag: organizing

The Versatile Cardboard Box

Marie Haigh2 Comments

We order a lot online from Elly’s diapers to spices to coffee and tea. Thus, we have a never ending supply of boxes. Some are broken down right away and tossed into the recycling bin. Some are saved for future use, such as mailing presents to distant relatives.
But, this past year, I have started to find more uses for the boxes.

They were used to help kill the grass around my garden beds and make nice even pathways.

Once the top flaps are cut off, they have made excellent drawer organizers.

The best use by far as been in organizing my fabric.

Long have I wanted my fabric storage to resemble that of a sewing store with the fabric lined up next to each other and the colors and prints easy to see. This was as close as I’ve accomplished.

This was taken several months ago. Every open spot is taken now and it’s a bit of a mess. So, when I read a blog by The Cottage Home about how she accomplished her store-look-alike-fabric-storage, I was determined to try again. She recommended the sturdy plastic sheets from theFabricOrganizer.com. Only trouble is that they are expensive. The Cottage Home recommended comic board books as an alternative and that’s when I was reminded of my treasure trove of cardboard boxes.

It takes a little more cutting to whittle the box down to the right size, but I like the price: free. Free is good.

What do you use your empty boxes for?

Organizing Tons of Fabric

Marie Haigh1 Comment

Thanks to my mother-in-law’s generosity and amazing good luck, the guest bedroom/sewing room is in major need of an overhaul. This is the before shot:

The trash bags piled high on the bed are filled with fabric and notions. My MIL received the goldmine from a coworker who was moving to London. She didn’t want to pay the enormous shipping fees to send it overseas and would my MIL want it? “Heck yeah” answered my MIL as would any sane woman answer!

My current system of stacking the fabric in the china cabinet won’t work; there’s not enough room.

Enter plan b.

Plan b involves shuffling the bookcases, buying a new bookcase, and reorganizing my current stash of fabric and notions. It also involves finishing the rag quilt before I open the bags of fabric. I know me. If I open the bags first, Elly might have to wait another year before she sees her quilt.