Closet for Grown-Ups

Bring order to your busy life in a grown-up space filled with cards and wrapping paper, decorating materials, and craft supplies organized in bins, baskets, pocket organizers, "in" and "out" folders, and on bulletin boards.

 

Make a game of finding new uses for basic items such as kitchen towels. Strategic stitching and a few grommets turn them into handy, hangable pocket organizers for tools. Size the pockets to fit the tools you want to store. Slip scissors into the pocket closest to a ribbon dispenser made from a paper-towel holder.

 

Put like objects together to help you stay organized. Pull cards and notes out of drawers where they're hidden and slip them over the rods of a wall-hung wire cooling rack. They're easy to grab when you have a few minutes to jot a note to a friend. Metal bins keep pencils and paintbrushes together and at hand.

 

Convert plate holders into "in" and "out" racks outfitted with folders to keep bills and other business papers organized. Follow the rules for shredding credit card receipts, sales receipts, and deposit and withdrawal slips after one month. After a month, transfer records you need to keep for a year or longer to a file cabinet.

 

Turn luggage tags into labels that help you easily find what you're looking for. Use paint chips and fabric swatches to give plastic tags a designer look. It's easy with these self-adhesive tags.