I love an organized anything. I’ve got organizing ideas for you today. Today I want to show you some ideas and solutions I’ve come up with for our entry storage.
Our entry hall is small and needs to be organized to hold quite a few different things that are either needed in that area or don’t have a place anywhere else in the house.
I realize that when you see this before, it is not heinous like so many organizing post you may have looked at. It really wasn’t too bad. It also just wasn’t working for us. The basket on top of the storage unit was meant to be a basket for things that need to be returned or to go to other people. It had become overrun. The girls backpacks, were always falling into the walking path of either the laundry room or the entry door. We always forgot to have them wear their bike helmets, we’re great parents like that, because they were in one of the drawers. As I said, it wasn’t horrible, but it was also really frustrating.
Let me show you what I changed.
I cleared out the basket (even though it still looks full). It is back to being my basket for things that need to be returned, taken somewhere or just generally go somewhere outside of our house. The bag in there was all ready for a day of running errands with a few returns. I now found a home for all my Girl Scout things that I use each week for our meetings. I’ll show you what is in the drawers in a little bit. Do you see the backpacks are gone? Where did they go? I’ll show you below.
I decided the best way to actually remember to use the bike helmets was to have them out where we see them. The only way I found to do that, was to hang them up. I used command adhesive
hooks to add them to the side of our storage unit. They are easy to see, find, and put away. They are also out of the way. Yay!
hooks to add them to the side of our storage unit. They are easy to see, find, and put away. They are also out of the way. Yay!
Let’s take a look at the inside of the storage cabinet to get a better idea of the before. I had to move the one backpack to take the pictures, but the backpacks were always in the way. I was going to ditch the whole shoe storage thing for Mr. T and use that space another way….well wouldn’t you know about a week or two before I was going to change it, he finally started using the space I created, oh maybe 2 years ago! So, now that he figured it out, best not to change that…dang it, but sort of yay.
As you can see the drawers were a mess. The top drawer contained lunch boxes and bags along with some purse things, like extra tissue for a purse, etc. It was a jumbled mess. The bottom drawer contained the helmets (crammed in there) with our summer swimming things. My running stuff was using a whole shelf and seemed like wasted space.
In the after, you can see that I added all the Girl Scout stuff to one shelf(the shelf with the notebook). It was much needed space. So where did the purse, bike helmets, running, and lunch stuff go? You saw the helmets already. That was a huge space saver. Do you see that purple/blue bin on the shelf above the shoes? It is from Rubbermaid and is meant to go into one of their storage containers as a way to further organize the bins. I searched high and low in Target for a bin that would fit into this space. This worked perfectly. It isn’t at all what they designed it for, but it works great for me.
Originally, I was using this bin for all my running things. Then I got a hydration belt and a gps watch and a few other things and I quickly outgrew this bin. This bin now contains our extra small purse items (the tissues, chapstick, extra wallets, etc) as well as our summer swimming things. The large pink thing is an innertube that will be blown back up come summers. There are also a few accessories for Pumpkin’s car seat that she will need in the future but not currently.
Removing the purses and items from this drawer gave me space to organize the lunch boxes and bags to be easy to find and put away.
The other drawer became my running supplies drawer. I think it looks messy when I see this picture, but it totally works. I don’t have plans to mess with it. As it is cold here right now, my hydration belt is on the bottom. You can see my pink gloves in the bottom center of the picture. The black thing is what holds my phone and therefore my music. I put all my water bottles in the basket with my earphones and gps on top. I use those every time I run, so it isn’t a problem to get them out and get to the water bottles. Looks a bit messy, but works for me.
Now are you wondering what happened to those backpacks?
Let me show you.
This area is along the same wall as the storage cabinet. The door in the middle leads to my tiny laundry room. These hooks had become totally overrun as well. They held my in season purses, all our aprons, our aprons for Lowe’s Build and Grow, and Girl Scout vests. Messy!
I saw an opportunity AND I saw some wall space….hmmm.
More command adhesive to the rescue! I cleared out all of the aprons. I made the hooks in the wall be for purses and Girl Scout vests only. Then we added the two command adhesive hooks to get those backpacks up off the floor. I just love having the floor clear and being able to find the vest and the purses. So, where did the aprons go? It was like organizational musical chairs re-organizing my entry way! 😉
to the rescue! I cleared out all of the aprons. I made the hooks in the wall be for purses and Girl Scout vests only. Then we added the two command adhesive hooks to get those backpacks up off the floor. I just love having the floor clear and being able to find the vest and the purses. So, where did the aprons go? It was like organizational musical chairs re-organizing my entry way! 😉
Just past the entry hall is my kitchen. My little pantry is on the wall opposite. I decided to use more command adhesive, shocker..right?!, and hang the aprons on the back of the pantry door. It works well and is convenient to get to when cooking. They only issue I have found is that the apron strings tend to get stuck in the door. I haven’t figured out a solution to that one yet.
and hang the aprons on the back of the pantry door. It works well and is convenient to get to when cooking. They only issue I have found is that the apron strings tend to get stuck in the door. I haven’t figured out a solution to that one yet.There you have my tour of our little entry hall. Now more organized and functional for us.
I hope you were able to get an idea of two for your own organizing projects.
Enjoy!
I link up with these great link parties, OrgJunkie, and Savy Southern Style.
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Ah! Smart place for the backpacks 😉
As far as the aprons, Will the strings not stay on the hook if you drape them over? Or maybe tuck them into the pockets?
Thanks! I will have to try tucking them in the pockets. Thanks for the suggestion, I hadn’t thought of that idea.
Take care,
KC
Great streamlining!
Thanks!
you really did a great job. Love those command strips.
Thanks! Yes, the command strips are great, aren’t they? It is so much nicer than putting holes all over the walls.
Take care,
KC
Very nice. I have the same problem with my entrance area. I will probably post later on my blog. I have a question. Do those command adhesives last a long time. I had used them on a dry erase board and it fell. Not sure if its the wall texture.
Thanks! Yes, the command adhesives have worked well for me for as long as I have wanted them there. Maybe it was the slick texture of the dry erase board.
KC
When I take my apron off I either pop the waist ties into the front pocket or loop them through the neck hole. Both keep the ties out of the way. My 3 yo daughter’s apron has only one long waist tie that velcros at one side (free pattern from sew liberated) I have taught her to do the velcro before it gets hung up. As a bonus the velcro doesn’t stick to other things and gather lint.
That is a great idea, to stick the ties in the pocket. I need to get in that habit because it is such an easy solution.
Thanks for the idea.
KC
This is great. Organizing everyday items can be such a challenge but you’ e done it. Looks awesome and it works for you.
Ruth
Thanks so much!
KC
Great ideas! I desperately need to do this in my entry way!
Thanks! I hope it goes well for you when you get to your organizing.
KC
love this all in one place looks great as well
Thanks!
KC
Congrats on your new and improved landing strip. I set one up a few months ago and it really makes a difference!
Yes, it does make a difference. Now I need a landing strip for paper and such, to help reduce clutter. Another task for another day, right?
KC
I like your blog!! Looks great, wanna link up with me too? I just started my first week of an organization series called The Shame Files: Organize or Else. https://shorthistoryofnow.blogspot.com/2013/01/ill-breathe-again-shame-files.html
Thanks so much.
KC
organization is a daily task, isn’t it? great job KC!
gail
It sure is! I’m doing a much better job at keeping the clutter monster at bay by dealing with thing daily. How about you? How is it going for you?
Thanks,
KC
My apron rack is also right next to a door, and I had the same problem with catching the apron strings in the door. I use a clothespin to clip the apron strings to the neck strap when I hang them on their hook. (I clip the clothespin to the bottom hem of the apron while I am wearing it.)
Works like a charm!
I like this idea. It seems pretty simple to attach a clothespin and I bet it would work well to keep them out of the door.
Thanks for the tip.
KC
So nice to have backpacks right by the door! My girls have to hang them in their closet, which reduces some clothing space. Oh well 🙂
It is really nice! Oh well as far as the closet space goes…sometimes you just have to use the space that works, right.
Take care,
KC
Why not hang the bike helmets on the handlebars of the bikes? That way they are out of the entryway altogether, and won’t be forgotten when it’s time to ride the bike.
I would love to do that, however we don’t have a garage. Our bikes have to be stored in an outside shed. It is also a lovely place for spiders. I don’t want their helmets to become homes for spiders that no one will then use, so we store them in the house.
Your idea would be great if we had a garage…but sadly we don’t.
Take care,
KC