Reddit mentions: The best shelf baskets

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Our wooden donation crate

Have you ever decided to donate an unwanted item only to forget about it entirely until you found it again months later sill taking up space in a corner somewhere in your house? Have you ever started to fill up a cardboard box with stuff to donate, only to find yourself taking things in and out of the box a few weeks later, unsure of which items you finally decided to keep, donate or throw away? Has your partner or roommate ever accidentally given away an object of yours, stating that they thought you had recently made passing comment about wanting to get rid of it?

If so, I have a simple solution: create your own permanent wooden donation crate.

There’s a bright orange wooden crate which has lived in a dedicated space at the bottom of one of our closets for the last two years. This is our donation box. We call it the “orange crate”. It has a sole one purpose: everything that goes in it is donated. No exceptions. My partner and I are never unsure about the fate of items which end up in the orange crate: items that are placed in it will eventually be donated (usually at the local thrift store).

Why use a wooden crate?
I selected a wooden crate as the box because those are relatively cheap, they have sturdy handles, they’re able to hold heavy items, liquids won’t damage them (contrary to cardboard boxes), they hold no smells, items at the bottom of the box can be seen through the wooden slits, and theses cases can last for multiple generations since you can easily repair them.

Why paint it orange?
I spray painted the wooden crate a bright orange so that there will never be any ambiguity with other crates or boxes in our house; it is clear that this crate is not a storage container which can be used for moving or storing various items. I never have to worry about whether or not my partner forgot about what will happen to stuff that is placed in the only bright orange wooden crate that we own.



How did you make it?

Step 1: Choose a crate
First, select your crate size and type. We went with a basic pine crate that measures 18” x 12.5” X 9.5” but there are crates made of different woods and of different sizes. Find what works best for you.

Step 2: Sanding
Then, you’ll want to sand it to get rid of rough surfaces and get the handles nice and smooth for splinter free transportation.

Step 3: Painting
When you’re ready to paint, get some cardboard boxes or plastic sheets to cover the floor and one or two sides of where you decide to work and get spraying. Follow the distance and spray patters as directed on the can. Ideally you should paint outside or in a well-ventilated space. I ended up needing two cans of oil aerosol paint to get a nice even coat on every surface of the crate, inside and out. Let the crate dry for approximately 72 hours to make sure the paint doesn’t transfer onto other surfaces or objects. I decided not to prime or seal the crate because I wanted to keep costs down on this project. I wouldn’t add any of those steps if I had to make another one; it has held up perfectly so far.

Step 4. Furniture glides
Once everything is dry, stick some plastic furniture glides beneath each corner of the crate so that it can easily be moved around on the floor or in your car trunk, and to help protect it from rough surfaces (such as pavement).

A few extra features

So, our orange crate functions according to a basic rule which never changes: items placed in it are to be donated. However, over time, a few extra features have been added.

First, there’s a binder clip which holds rebate cards for our local thrift store. It always stays clipped to one of the walls of the crate. Whenever we go there to empty out the crate, a staff member punches one or several holes in the card. Once the card is full, it can be applied to purchases during a future visit to their store. What we do is fill up those cards each time we go to empty our orange crate and then we donate the cards to a local non-profit which provides free furniture and clothing to those in need. Staff or volunteers at the non-profit can then use them themselves to purchase items for clients or pass the cards on to their clients. It’s best to keep the rebate cards with the box so that the cards can be punched when we go to the thrift store, aren’t lost, forgotten at home before leaving with the crate or accidentally placed in my partner’s wallet, etc.

Second, I also keep a stack of orange stickers with the binder clip so that we can identify larger items for donation that don’t fit in the crate. The larger items are usually kept near the crate so that they’re brought along when one of us makes a trip to the thrift store. I’m using some old post-it stickers for now but I’ll eventually get some large orange stickers that don’t need additional tape to hold well.

Finally, I have a monthly recurring task on my to-do app to drop off the orange crate at the nearby thrift store. This helps ensure that the box doesn’t overflow and that items which might happen to be near the filled-up crate aren’t accidentally picked up and donated when we take the crate to go empty it at the thrift store.


Note: This post was crossposted to r/productivity.

Four steps, really.

1. Identify the problem area. If you can do this, you can move on. Shoes laying all over? Clothing on the floor constantly? Overflow of hair products? You need to notice the problems before you can fix them. Make a list of these areas and tackle them one by one.
   
   
2. Purge what isn't 110% essential. Because extra crap makes your life that much harder. Be ruthless.
   
   
3. Come up with an organizational plan for the area. So maybe you need a shoe shelf, or some clear little boxes for your makeup. Everything needs to have a home. Going to places like Bed Bath and Beyond or Home Depot/Lowes can be super helpful in getting ideas of how to physically organize stuff. My favorite organizational tools are: photo boxes, wicker boxes or buckets, and plastic bins of many shapes and sizes. Label everything, that way you don't have to dig through multiple boxes to find stuff. This step honestly takes a fair bit of monetary investment, but the return is just huge mentally.
   
   

4. Make a habit out of being organized/tidy. At first this is super hard, but once you get rolling, it's incredibly rewarding and decreases your stress level by about a hundred-fold. It was suggested to me by my ADHD coach to make a schedule for doing things, but it turned out to be easier for me to just do things as I saw them- the trick for me was to ACTUALLY do them.
   

   
   

   Let me know if you want more info or help! I LOVE organizing now! It's such an incredible feeling to be in control of your life.
   

   
   

   Also, some inspo: http://www.reddit.com/r/organizationporn
   

   
   

   )

I have a bookshelf next to my desk dedicated just to embroidery stuff. For floss I just use 6 of those plastic thread organizer boxes. I keep a long pencil tray, like this, where I keep random odds and ends that I want within easy reach (like needles, scissors, Fray Check, etc.). Fabric (whether flat or in a long tube) get stacked neatly on another shelf. I also keep a small bucket of scrap fabric there, which comes in handy when I want to test a new stitch or see how colors look together or something. Another shelf near the bottom holds rarely used supplies. And I have a magazine holder like this for patterns.

As for WIP and finished pieces, they go in this large binder. WIP go in the rainbow accordion file in the front (the fabric & pattern) - one per divider. I put finished projects in a clear plastic sheet protector on the rings. It's fun flipping through seeing everything I've done, and it's nice having most of them in one place to show other people. Large projects that don't fit in the binder when finished are usually gifts or one of the few things I put on display.

I use this organizer to store the thread colors of current WIPs so I don't have to put them back in the main storage every single time I stitch (plus small scissors and needles), and it is also quite convenient to slip in a bag or purse if I want to bring a project with me.

You've done an amazing job. I'm going to use yours as an inspiration for my someday future battlestation. :) When you get those drawers organized please show us! I think those little plastic narrow drawers organizers you can get everywhere would work great. http://www.amazon.com/United-Solutions-Plastic-Storage-Baskets/dp/B005BYKO3I/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1382273832&sr=8-5&keywords=small+basket

Thanks for the links!!

Maybe move the bins to the bottom of the ladder and keep toilet paper in a basket on the toilet tank? It's not a perfect solution..

If I were you I'd get some more upscale looking over the door shelves like this or this! Most of them are pretty cheap looking but you can definitely find something affordable that fits your aesthetic if you're ok with having your toiletries be visible!

Amazon link

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Vinyl-Record-Album-Storage/dp/B07FY2JPRH/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=record+crate&qid=1565102619&s=gateway&sr=8-6

This one is pretty heavy duty, but a little more on the expensive side

https://www.amazon.com/Snap-N-Store-SNS01790-Record-Storage-Records/dp/B07BFRFQJD/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=record+crate&qid=1565102619&s=gateway&sr=8-14

This one looks like it's cheaply practical.

https://www.amazon.com/MyGift-Vintage-Vinyl-Record-Storage/dp/B07NBVND86/ref=sr_1_30?keywords=record+crate&qid=1565102619&s=gateway&sr=8-30

This one is artsy fartsy, I like it.

If you are able/allowed, you could install pull out basket/"drawers". I use a coat closet for my pantry now and have a big lightweight plastic basket on the highest shelf storing seldom used paper good items. I also have some modular stacking basket shelf units because the coat closet only had the one upper shelf. (Like this, this, and this.)

I used to have a fixed pantry like yours though, and I mostly organized via baskets (see above), Rubbermaid dry storage, and things like this and this. Plastic bags and foil and stuff, I kept on a skinny laundry/pantry cart tucked in a weird nook in my kitchen. Now I keep those in a cabinet I don't have another use for.

I also have a few organizing basket things from IKEA, look online at their storage systems. Fixed pantries can be hard, get out your measuring tape and good luck!

Yes, i used a crate to put under it. I used it vertical at first which worked well then all of a sudden it started to rotate right left when i used gas and clutch. Then i put it horizontal and works perfect. The crate and the pedals are against the wall which is important.

Here is the link
MPI WOOD Large Crate, Natural,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075LFW3T8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I use plastic bins/trays I got off Amazon, specifically this one and this one. I basically just poked around for mesh bins that would best fit my shelf space.

You might be able to find one that doesn't use up too much space beside the toilet. I'm sure other brands have different measurements and such, and you could find one that's useable in your space. It's mainly about maximizing your use of that space above the toilet, which you have tons of! If anything, you could buy a shelf like this to perch on top of the toilet tank. Or, perhaps you could use an under-shelf organizer like this to hang off the bottom of your sink?

It's nice to have a general landing pad for things as you come in the door. I myself do not have a good one of these. Two options I like the most are:

• This is practical, organized, and cheap
  
  
• This topped with this or this for keys is a nice option.
  
  

I really love wicker baskets and linen baskets because they come in sets and are much more sturdy than fabric cubes. Here’s one of my favorite sets and here’s a compact set that has handles.

I have some shelves in my workshop devoted to tool storage, and I use bins like this to hold my hand tools. Power tools sit on the shelf.

well, unless you show your newly acquired box of equipment, it wont get a lot of upvotes, but otherwise posts like this are just ignored by the majority.

As for your problem, seems like a basic crate on amazon might do. You could then also hardmount the pedal on it (probably M6 bolts) and if you dont have a drill, something basic like [this hand drill] ordered with it.

Depending on your budget, you could also build something out of t-slot alu, which you can re-purpose if you one day build a whole rig.

Also- if you want to maximize some space without adding more shelves, you might find some of these to fit. They’d be great for rolled up wash cloths, etc.

Under shelf basket

Soft sided crate. I can fit 3-4 larger games in there upright. Handles are nice.

Household Essentials Storage Bin with Handles, Natural Canvas with Brown Trimhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MAKPB2/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8

Thanks, I appreciate it. The design kind of happened out of necessity. I started out with 2 doors and a center sections that was open, but that wasn't going to be enough room for the electronics that needed to go inside the cabinet. So I modified it for the single door, and made the side shelves big enough so basket storage bins like this could fit in there if needed.

Ugh, I need organization stuff! My husband and I are moving from a 2 bedroom, loft apartment to a 1 bedroom. I've been doing a lot of research and Pinterest pinning to find good organizational tips and items so that we can enjoy our smaller apartment without having stuff all over the place.

So, I could really use a Large Under Shelf Basket, a Pack Place or a Can Dispenser.

It's on my to-do list to add more baskets and such to my wishlists tonight!

If you have one of the lofts it might be a good idea to get some sort of basket like this to hang off the side for some stuff like your phone or water

Right now I have a Hello Kitty pop up hamper on my WL! I don't want to post a lot of links because it can be a pain for mods so I'll just post a neutral popup hamper and storage bins

You could also get the clear storage bins, bur I think the canvas ones like that or designed ones are much much nicer.

1. Letter holder
   
   
2. Top coat
   
   
3. Tooth brush holder
   
   I vote for the $10 prize.
   
   don't go talking too loud you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones

I can tell you're trying to go for the minimal view so my recommendations come with that in mind.

Things that are considerably necessary/will improve your workspace conditions:

• Velcro your power strip to the underside of your desk
  
• Invest in white storage bigs (like these) to hide away the clutter and really emphasize the whiteness of your workspace
  
• Switch out that red (pink?) lamp for a black or white one - I need my a e s t h e t i c
  
  Other various ideas that come to mind that aren't necessary:
  
  
• Maybe a white clock or something to put on that blank canvas wall (unless you want it blank)
  
• A white floating wall shelf
  
• A whiteboard fffff-
  
• There's a lot of different frameless wall mirrors available
  

Thank you! It looks like the big ones aren't available on Amazon anymore, but here is a link to the small ones: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711SDVVG?tag=blvisitor-20

This WAS the link for the big ones, but they have different patterns available now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L6Y0ZVW?tag=blvisitor-20&th=1