Hello there! Welcome to the #organizethis challenge! My friend Jodi Redcay Price and I are co-hosting this challenge. For the next five days, we're going to take a stab at transforming an area in our homes from a dud to a stud. That's right - we're going to make an area that is currently not working for you get off its butt and start doing its part. What does it look like when a space is not pulling its weight?
Well, this. It looks like this. You know it's time to revisit how a space is organized when it constantly feels out of control. If the drawers don't close, or getting something down requires so much effort you just buy a new one (#doneitnotproud), or putting things back requires so much effort that you start developing satellite piles of things you don't feel like shoving back into the outer reaches of your closet ... the space is failing you.
There are two elements to today's #organizethis challenge. First, choose your space for maximum impact. For five days, we'll be working together, breaking down the process and cheering each other on, so it's worth it to tackle something that will make a big difference in your life. You can choose a space as small as a drawer or as big as a whole room, but think about an area of your home that's been upping your stress level. If you're dreading putting away laundry because it's such a pain to cram things into drawers, or if your entryway is an Everest-height mountain of shoes and coats, or if your dining room table is covered in mail and school flyers and packages you're planning to return, you might want to tackle those over the go-to junk drawer. Not that the junk drawer isn't a reasonable target; it's just that you may have bigger fish to fry, and you'll have more of an impact on your life if you choose an area you are wrestling with on a frequent basis. So, let's get to thinking! I've decided to start with my office/craft closet.
Here it is from another angle. I've been mocked and derided for having a craft closet (It's possible not everyone needs a craft closet to soothe their souls. I do). In this apartment, my craft closet is the closet across from our home office area, a space we dedicated in an extra-wide hallway in our small Brooklyn apartment. (By "dedicated," I mean we shoehorned a desk in there. for reference, here's a longer shot).
Oh hello adorable small baby.
See that door on the left, across from the desk? That's this standard-sized reach in closet, and it has, admittedly, a long list of responsibilities. What, exactly, do I need this space to be doing for me? Well, I'm glad you asked. After carefully thinking through the role it plays in our home life, Bret's professional life, and the blog, this small closet needs to house:
1. Craft materials I've purchased, scavenged or am planning to upcycle sometime in the future. There's a lot of this stuff. I'm trying to be practical, but I loathe to throw anything away, and I always think that some weird packaging element could make an amazing kid's toy, so then I hold onto it. I love doing this, but I hate piles of trash waiting to be turned into treasure, so this closet needs to keep this stuff in an orderly fashion.
2. In-Progress projects. Believe it or not, when I do get around to project-ing, I often get interrupted. Nap time ends or dinner time begins or other tasks intercede, and I need a place to keep projects I'm working on - again, which is not a pile in the middle of the hallway.
3. Sewing and fabric materials. I do not want you to think that I sew. I have a sewing machine and lots of accoutrement, and I mostly just use a lot of Stitch Witchery. So I need a place to store that Stitch Witchery.
4. Gift wrap, cards and embellishments. I love wrapping gifts prettily. I think it elevates the whole gift-giving and -receiving experience, and I also love pretty papers and unexpected repurposed items. (Like using maps for wrapping paper, or cheap garlands as ribbon). I don't buy this stuff, for the most part, but I do collect it, and I need a place to put it.
5. Gifts. I buy gifts throughout the year, for various occasions, of course, and when inspiration strikes for Christmas. I keep the on-deck gifts in here.
6. Photography equipment.
7. Paint supplies. As in, house painting supplies. Not to be confused with art supplies.
8. Art supplies. Paper, paint, mod-podge, glue, glitter...all the stuff one might "craft" with.
9. Party supplies. I like to thro,w parties, and I want to keep big things in here (like, say, the fake fireplace we used for Louisa's camping-themed fifth birthday party).
10. Work stuff for Bret. Like extra monitor, laptop batteries, business cards and files.
11. Family files. You know, the paperwork you still have to keep around. Tax info, financial documents, health forms. That stuff.
12. Mailing and packaging supplies. We mail a lot of gifts and items people left here and holiday cookies and so forth. I keep cardboard boxes and bubble wrap and kraft paper around for that. It's bulky.
So that's a lot of stuff to cram into a closet! And it doesn't just need to be crammed. The point of this organizing challenge is not to see how much stuff can fit into a space; it's to organize spaces that work well for you. So what's your homework? Well, it's coming up with the same list I just came up with, but for your space. Whether it's a drawer or a pantry, your space is failing you right now, and there are certain non-negotiable things it needs to be doing. Your challenge is to come up with what those non-negotiables are in order for your relationship to thrive. If this sounds like couples therapy with a closet - it is.
So, once you've settled on your area to overhaul, grab some pen and paper or your phone's list-making app and start thinking about what you need from your space. Just because a space currently is doing something does not mean it needs to; your pantry may be housing your hamster shampoo, but that may not be what you need from it. So think about what you do need - a place to store those 3.6 million paper towel rolls from Costco when you come home from them? An area where kids can reach snacks for themselves and an area they can't access at all? Once you have your list of needs, feel free to share here, in the comments, or on our Facebook Five Day #OrganizeThis Organizing challenge, along with "before" pics if you have them! We'll meet back here in the morning tomorrow to get started making that space work for you! (If you want to join the FB group, and haven't already, let me know in the comments).
(Phew! This post is wordy. More pictures next time!). In any event let's do this. Let's #organizethis!