Shelf Organizers: Make the Most of Your Storage Space

By Gail Kavanagh

Plenty of shelving is a great way to solve your storage problems, but it’s only a short term solution unless you maximize your shelf space with shelf organizers.

Closets

The simplest and most economical way to maximize shelf space is with boxes. Save all your shoe boxes, gift boxes, even candy boxes and cover with paper or acrylic paint in a color to suit your décor. You can use matching paint and paper, or colors that tone and contrast with your home color scheme.

Arrange the boxes on your shelves according to your needs. Boxes that hold items you use less frequently can be placed at the very top or bottom of the shelving units, or behind doors. Those items you require often should be placed on the middle shelves, labelled for easy recognition.

Identifying Boxes

A digital camera and printer can help you organize your shelves in the click of a shutter. For example, if you want to organize your clothes closet so you can choose an outfit at a glance, take digital pictures of your shoes, bags and accessories before you store them in their boxes. Print out the pictures and stick them to the front of the box in which the item is stored. Now finding just the right bag and shoes to go with your outfit won’t mean pulling everything out of the closet.

Kitchens

Keeping your kitchen shelves organized is a snap with storage boxes and a labeller. Keep all your spices for making curries in the one container labelled `curries’, all your food colourings and cake decorations in another labelled `cake decorating’. Instead of rummaging around on your shelves looking for different ingredients, you will have them all to hand when you need them.

Bathrooms

Bathroom shelves become cluttered very quickly, especially if you are taking a number of medications. Using shelf organizers in your bathroom is a simpler and safer solution. For your meds, the Prescription Organizer sits neatly on a shelf and holds up to 12 bottles of meds. It’s a safe and sure way to keep your meds in order.

Bathroom shelves should be fitted with rails or other barrier along the rim to stop slippery soap and hair products from sliding off. These products should be placed on shelves near the shower or bath for easy access, so you don’t have to leave the shower stall or climb out of the bath to get at them. With all bathroom and kitchen storage, let safety and ease of access be your primary consideration.

Workshops

Making the most of shelf space in the workshop is easy with plenty of boxes and jars to hold fiddly items like nails, screws and washers. One of the best ways to maximise shelf space is to fix the lid of your storage jars to the underside of the shelf with screws or strong double side tape. Then you can easily get at those fiddly little items by unscrewing the jar from its lid, and store them out of your way by screwing the jar back onto its lid again.

Label all boxes and jars clearly in the workshop. Maximise your storage by placing tools you don’t use as often to the back of the shelves, placing those that are in constant use at the front. Keeping your workshop organized keeps your tools in good condition, an important safety consideration.

Home Office

In your home office, maximise your shelf storage with file boxes. Marbig make an excellent range of storage systems which can house all your valuable papers and documents, keep magazines tidy and clear the clutter from your desk top. These cardboard storage systems sold flat and are easily constructed for use. You can pack them flat again for travel or just pack the filled boxes as they are.

Whatever shelf organizer you choose, maximising your shelf storage means less clutter in your home or workshop.

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