Closet cleaning isn’t a flashy subject, but I can’t help it: I’m in full organization mode. I blame the new year. I simplified this closet by chucking old clothes and sticking with just one type of hanger (padded hangers and skirt hangers are on the left side).

The solution to the shoe mess: plastic shoe boxes from The Container Store. Plastic shoe boxes are also available at OrganizeIt.com and Organize.com. I built a simple shelf unit for them out of plywood that I got on Freecycle. Rick at The Barn Woodshop was kind enough to cut the wood. Once the pieces were cut, assembly was a cinch. Read more »

My brother and I custom built this unit. I couldn’t find the right piece of furniture that had small drawers and deep drawers. I found these Branäs baskets at Ikea, but Ikea doesn’t make a unit like this to hold them. So, I drew up the plans to build this shelf unit. Read more »

Everyone knows necessity is the mother of invention. But, I’m here to say that mistakes can also be the mother of invention. My first spice rack attempt did not go so well. I used an old sketch and didn’t double-check the measurements. Consequently, the rack was too small to hold all my tins. So, what to do with this little shelf? As it happens, it’s the perfect size to hold baby food jars. Gathering 28 identical baby food jars was quite an undertaking. But two months later, thanks to Cathryn and Suzanne from FreeCycle, I finally had 28 matching jars. After removing all the labels, I spray painted the lids with primer and paint, then filled the jars with buttons, beads, etc. Click here for the spice rack how-to »

My old spice rack just wasn’t cutting it. I barely cook, but even I have accumulated more spices than what fit in those 12 small tins. I couldn’t find the right spice rack, so I created my own. And made room for expansion. Check out my odds & ends rack for a variation on this idea. Read more »