21 spectacular storage hacks that will change your life
Ingenious storage solutions that will change your life
Looking for ingenious storage hacks? However big or small your home, unless you get items organised your house will always feel cluttered and untidy. But with some clever thinking, you can find spaces for possessions with items you might never have dreamed of.
Click through and marvel at the sheer brilliance and simplicity of these storage ideas...
Get creative with toilet roll
Keep toilet roll to hand with a funky rope hanger. Tie a knot in one end to keep the tissue in place and then hang next to the toilet for a nautical addition.
Need a novel way to store and know when to re-stock? Hang your rolls onto a length of rope, with a large knot at the bottom. Paint the quarter of the rope that will be covered with toilet roll a bright hue and when the colour becomes visible it's time to go shopping.
Lean an upcycled desk caddy
When properly sanded and treated, a wooden pallet can become an eye-catching and rustic desktop shelf for a home office.
Its panels and grooves make handy surfaces for stationery and inspirational objects. Giant crocodile clips will also transform it into a noticeboard if needed.
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Screw hooks under shelving
Double up your kitchen storage space by screwing unobtrusive hooks onto the under-side of wall-mounted shelves.
Then, hang attractive mugs or large utensils. Measure and mark out the exact space between each hook for a consistent and streamlined look.
Uitilise your ceiling space
Look up and you might just unlock a whole new world of storage space. These DIY sliding storage boxes can be attached to the roof, freeing up precious floor space in a garage.
There are a few online tutorials detailing exactly how to put this trick together or speak to someone at your local DIY store about ready-made systems.
Fix tennis balls to the wardrobe
Turn any wardrobe into a multipurpose storage space with these clever DIY shoe hangers as featured in this video by Sugru.
The tennis balls have been attached with Sugru and are perfect because their round shape and fuzzy coating protects the shoe material and doesn't warp the shape.
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Dispense bathroom products into Mason jars
Awkwardly shaped packets of cotton wool balls, pads and other loose items can take over the bathroom if you're not careful. Instead, get super organised with the storage-solver's item of choice – the humble Mason jar.
Wind wire around the neck of the jar and hang them from the walls to make a display of your washroom essentials.
Bag up your bags
The queen of tidying up, Marie Kondo says that it's easier to keep things ordered in your home if you store similar things together. She suggests putting smaller bags in one bigger case so you always know where to find them when you're dressing up for an occasion.
We suggest going for a cute vintage suitcase, for an added shot of style.
Have fun with LEGO
Never lose your keys again by using a brick keyring and LEGO docking station. Our favourite children's toy has all sorts of uses, and who knew a LEGO man could be so helpful in tidying cables? We adore this clever hack.
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Tame the cables with cardboard tubes
Cables have the potential to take over your whole house, curling into the corners and tangling so badly they're as good as useless. And can you ever find the correct charger when you actually need it?
This super-easy DIY project uses toilet rolls to create space for each cable. You just have to remember to put them back when you're finished with them.
Use clothes as decoration
If you're short of wardrobe space, use your clothes as decorations in their own right. Purchase a few attractive hangers (large, wooden types suit most decor), and hang from a shelf or attractive hook. Not only will they be a visual in the room, they're also easily accessible.
This works well in children's rooms and is especially handy when it's time to get dressed in the morning.
Attach spice jars to the fridge door
Always buying new spices because you can't find the one you need? We all have 10 jars of garam masala, don't worry. But these magnetic jars are a neat storage solution. Arrange them on the fridge for a decorative way to make sure you can always find the spices you need.
Just don't forget to label them – cinnamon and chilli look mighty similar but are very different on a cappuccino.
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Go under the stairs
Under the stairs doesn't have to mean a dark cupboard full of everything you don't want to deal with. Instead, make it into a storage feature of its own, with visible book shelves and neat drawers. You could even create a little reading nook if you take out a shelf or two.
Brighten up with a yoga mat
Nowhere to keep your yoga mat? Why not turn it and your gym equipment into something of a wall feature, using a peg board.
Alternatively, hang your mat to the wall. This works especially well if you have a funky patterned one, but even if it's just a block colour it'll still brighten up a white wall and exposing it to the light and air will even keep your mat cleaner.
Recycle bottles for stationery storage
This is a great recycling idea for storing lots of colouring pens and pencils together. Carefully cut a plastic drinks bottle in half and decorate. Perfect for storing crayons and similar useful items, the easy-to-access plastic pots mean you can see the contents easily.
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Pack away in luggage
The summer holidays are over and you've got a lot of seasonal clothing that you won't need until next year, so free up some wardrobe space by keeping them in your suitcase.
By vacuum-packing them first you can squeeze more garments in and easily take them out when you need to use the bag.
Use polystyrene to store earrings safely
Forever looking for the other earring? Try using polystyrene to keep them both together, great for brooches and pins too. If you're feeling crafty you can always upcycle an offcut of fabric to make it look a little more polished.
Keep bits together with a kitchen favourite
Ziplock bags are the ultimate storage hack tool; they are cheap and so very practical. You can use them for almost anything small that needs to be kept together like spare buttons, screws or, as in this case, colouring pencils.
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Button up your earrings
There’s nothing worse than when you’re in a rush and you can only find one of your matching earrings. This ingenious idea from PureWow allows you to keep your jewellery together.
Threading your earrings through button holes also makes a decorative feature out of a clever storage solution.
Make your own condiment tray
Food presenter Alton Brown was fed up of frantically shaking bottles to try and get the sauce to come out. His idea is to cut the lid off an egg box and place it on a shelf in your fridge door.
Now you can store your condiments upside down so they’re ready to go when you need a squeeze.
Attach pan lids inside cupboard doors
When setting aside a cupboard for your all pans, you can often find that the lids take up a whole other cabinet on their own. We suggest attaching stick-on hooks to the inside of kitchen cupboard doors.
If you slot the pan lids between these hooks they will stay put without costing precious shelf space.
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Upcycle your garden rake
How's this trendy for an outdoor storage trick using just the head of an old garden rake? The bent spokes become ordered hooks to hang your garden shears, spades and scissors while adding a touch of vintage style to your outdoor area.
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