The Daring Dandelion: Thrifty Trends

Aubrey is back with some good new year decorating/organizing tips!

My husband and I are actually going through the house room-by-room and grabbing any "knick-knacks" (stuff we've picked up, something we got for a "really good deal," gifts, etc.) that we think are just taking up space and stashing them in the linen closet... you'd laugh if you opened it right now. Towels, sheets, and... a decorative lamp, picture frames, figurines, mini wine crates, and more! We've decided if we don't MISS the item after a month, then its time to be gifted, sold, or donated.

We are always looking for good organizational tips, and um... how have I never thought to use contact paper (you'll see in Aubrey's article below!)?

If you complete a project inspired by her post let us know in the comments, if you use Instagram you can also hashtag #thedaringdandelion #freshlybrewedhome #thriftytrends and tag @thedaringdandelion @aubreylouiseb

After you check out this inspiration post, make sure to pop on over to Aubrey's website [A Freshly Brewed Home] for more tips, tricks, and ideas!

-Tay

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January always seems to be a month to refresh. Coming off the high of the holiday season, and cleaning up all the extra "stuff" (I.e. Decorations) that are cozy and festive but often add clutter to your house can feel like a breath of fresh air. Add in all your New Years resolutions and "words of the year" to focus on and January becomes the month to start over.

But you don't need just another blog post about how to organize your whole life step by step. While those are all well and good...and usually have amazing photos, visuals and are filled with expensive storage solutions, they tend to be overwhelming. When I see those posts I always say..."well that's super cool! Too bad I can't drill into the wall, or put in a permanent closet, or have the room, or have the money to buy everything at The Container Store!"

So, if you're like me (a young mom on a budget living in a rental where most of our rooms serve more than one purpose...no separate play room here!), or just someone who wants to make a few intentional changes in how they organize, I have just a few inexpensive tricks for you!

I, for one, definitely have a lot of clutter in closets. I like to keep supplies and possible materials (i.e. cardboard, jars and other recycled items) for future projects but that also means I have a lot of random crap that doesn't really fit into an organization plan. For example, here is my "craft closet."

It's actually where our washer and dryer are supposed to go but we don't have them and we go to my parents every weekend to do laundry. So I decided to take advantage of the space.

(sorry it's super blurry)

I guess it's not terrible, but this is real life people. And my next project is to clear this out of things that I actually don't need (or don't have a specific craft project in mind) and really make the most of the space. I also keep tools, fabric, craft supplies and other random things downstairs where they're easily accessible if I happen to have a stroke of inspiration.

Anyways, back to the point... here are some organization ideas that do work for me... and they're super cheap!!!

In the photo below, the middle box is actually a diaper box wrapped in contact paper that stores DVDs and some of Emma's books (I like to rotate her toys and books) and the rest of her toys are in the cubbies that are wrapped in the same paper. I got this roll of contact paper from Walmart for $4.50. The other boxes on the right are from IKEA. These particular ones are discontinued but they have a lot of similar, very cute and inexpensive options. Here's a link... IKEA.

I also keep our important documents, large folders, my textbooks and magazines tucked away in this old trunk. Nothing fancy but it works and I like that I can close the lid since I have an adventurous baby. I got this trunk several years ago at Goodwill. I see similar things at thrift store all the time!

I store little things like paper clips, pins, rubber bands, etc in old baby food jars. And tall things like rulers and paint brushes in mason jars. Paint swatches in one Dollar Spot bin and washi tape in another. (That's another tip...the Dollar spot always has super cute bins, tins and boxes. I only grab them if they're actually $1 though...then it's worth it.)

This is my desk downstairs in our living room and I keep fabric, tools and paint in the white rolling bin to the left (not super pretty but cheap for sure! I did put gray scrapbook paper against the door so that you can't see inside). I also like to use mugs to store small things as well...these particular ones were favorites that broke in our move but still are usable for non-drinking things. I got super lucky with this desk (as in I got it for free from my old boss!!) and I absolutely love all the little cubbies and doors...perfect for my planners, sketchbooks, recipe books, coupons and my address book!

My house is definitely a work in progress and I know I could find a lot better solutions for a lot of the things we own. I think the main thing about organization is to create homes for everything in your house. If it doesn't have a place to go, then either find one, or get rid of it! Simplifying is key. And also, use what you have to create inexpensive storage solutions.

Here is a cool article about getting rid of things (it's not as intense as the trendy The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up...I don't think I could do that, but I do use her method for folding and hanging clothes). Anyways, I like this article because it's practical, logical and you can break it into smaller parts.