Organize every room of the house with storage bins, pretty baskets, and storage tubs with these quick and easy organizing tips!
Today we are talking about one of my very favorite things-- storage bins! I'm a smidge obsessed with them and use them all over my home to organize everything!
Now, having pretty, matching bins does not necessarily equal organization. (Nor does not having pretty, matching bins necessarily equal disorganization.) However, I love that a lot of these options can help to decorate a space while maintaining some semblance of order at the same time when used effectively, and functional + beautiful is always a win in my book!
HOW TO ORGANIZE EVERY ROOM OF THE HOUSE WITH STORAGE BINS
Since I know that many of you share my love of storage containers, I thought I would share a list of my favorite types and how I use them in case you have any upcoming organization projects in the works! In no particular order, here are the types of storage bins I use most often:
1. BASKETS
I love baskets because they come in so many different shapes and sizes and can add warmth and texture to a room while keeping things neat and tidy. We use baskets in several places in our home, including in my office to store fabric, craft supplies, and small decor pieces...
baskets holding everything from fabric to craft supplies to decor items
...in our kitchen cabinets to hold small utensils that we need, but aren't used all the time...
utensil basket in our kitchen
...and in our master closet to hold extra toiletry items, nail polish, belts, and more.
2. FABRIC BINS
I use fabric bins all the time, particularly in our "cubed" storage units. I love that they come in tons of different colors and are big enough to hold a lot of small items, but small enough to keep an area from getting cluttered. I often will add an adhesive bookplate to the front of my fabric bins so I can insert a label and clearly see what is in each one.
fabric bins (similar) with bookplates keeping the Cs' toys organized
You may also have spotted the round fabric storage bin in the photo above, which is perfect for organizing taller items! We use it for Nerf guns in the playroom, I've used it to organize rolls of wrapping paper, and it also makes a great laundry hamper!
One more type of fabric bin that I love to use are fabric totes. HomeGoods/ TJ Maxx always carry a bunch of these in various sizes and colors, and I have used them to store everything from sweaters to bathing suits to clutches and wallets.
3. PLASTIC / ACRYLIC STORAGE DRAWERS
I once saw plastic drawers on a list of "items you should never use to organize," and I totally disagree! I love them! Unlike plastic tubs that you have to unstack every time you want to use their contents, drawers are easily accessible when stacked and are perfect for organizing items under the sink, makeup, writing utensils and office supplies, toys, small pantry items and more.They are also easy to label, which is always a plus!
Acrylic storage drawers labeled with adhesive vinyl wording that I cut with my Silhouette machine, keeping the area under our kitchen sink organized
We use these cute plastic drawer units to hide all of Donnie's shaving gear in our master bathroom-- they come in all sorts of fun colors!
We also use stacking plastic storage drawers to keep our hand-me-downs organized, which makes it easy to switch things out as the boys grow.
4. PLASTIC / ACRYLIC STACKING PANTRY BINS
When we were first married, Donnie and I bought a bunch of inexpensive pantry bins, and they have been used for many, many purposes in the 10+ years since (and they're still going strong after more than a decade)! They're white, so they can fit in just about anywhere, and they're also stackable, so we can easily organize vertically. We've used these bins to hold the boys' socks and undies, shoes, toys in the garage, workout equipment, supplies under the bathroom sink, and we've even actually used them for pantry storage!
More recently, I have begun using stacking acrylic bins to maximize vertical space in various rooms of the house, from the bathroom to the kitchen and more!
big acrylic stacking bins used to organize our guest bathroom vanity
small acrylic stacking bins used to organize the coffee station in our kitchen
5. ACRYLIC STORAGE BINS
Can you tell I have a thing for acrylic bins?! Besides the drawers and stacking bins I already mentioned, I also love the clear plastic square and rectangular storage bins for organizing just about any space, from the bathroom vanity to our living room entertainment unit to our refrigerator and more!
Being able to see through the bins is a real plus because you can immediately tell what's in them and grab what you need. I like to label them too, just because it looks pretty! 🙂 They come in all different sizes, so it's not hard to find exactly what you need!
smaller bin, larger bin, stacked in our master bathroom vanity
square acrylic bins to organize narrow but deep drawers
organized video games and video game figures with clear acrylic bins (large bins, smaller bin)
6. PLASTIC STORAGE TUBS
I know I just sang the praises of stacking drawers over storage tubs, but we certainly use our fair share of the tubs around here too! When we need to store larger items or have long term storage needs (like holiday decor, for example), I almost always reach for plastic storage tubs. These containers are great because they are super sturdy and the lid helps keep out unwanted dust and bugs when storing in areas like a garage or basement. I always attach a label when possible!
I also like to use the smaller version of these plastic bins to corral sets of toys on the boys playroom-- games, craft sets, building sets, etc.
7. TRASH CANS
This may not be the most traditional type of storage bin, but I have been finding more and more uses for inexpensive trash cans to store things, particularly items that are long and narrow! Currently I am using a simple white plastic trash can to hold my gift wrap...
...as well as my extra faux greenery!
8. SHOE BOXES
Finally, I couldn't end this list without including shoe boxes! Shoe boxes are FREE and oh-so-versatile! I like to use wrapping paper to pretty them up, and I have used them to organize under the sink and as drawer separators to keep everything neat and tidy. They could also work for storing small toys, collections, or office supplies.
wrapped shoe boxes holding toiletries
wrapped shoe box holding Donnie's socks
Who knew I could use so many different types of bins in one house?! A lot of times, I think the key is finding the perfect container for the job, one that helps keep things neat and tidy without taking up a lot of space and being more of a hindrance than a help. Being able to separate items by category is huge when maintaining organizational systems, and if the organizers just happen to be pretty, that's a bonus! 🙂