Oh, hey friends! It's hard to believe this summer is slowly coming to an end! Someone officially starts pre-K 4 on Tuesday (what?!) so it's GAME ON over here to make sure we get off to a good running start. Since we're less than a week away until a new school year, I decided I really needed to tackle last year's artwork. There's no way I could go into this school year with a huge pile of pre-k 3 stuff hanging over my head.
Organizing last year's stash necessitated cleaning out our craft closet. Also known as the former coat closet that once stored lots of stuff (none of which was actually coats). About a year after moving into this house, I became sick and tired of looking at the piles of stuff that were accumulating on our kitchen island/prep area. Art & craft supplies were amassing here (along with everyday life) and I had no clue where to put everything.
So this teeny, tiny coat closet got a makeover. Since we already have a large coat closet at the back entry (that we use on a daily basis), we really didn't need another. And to be honest, we rarely (if ever) use the front entryway since it's SO small. Like, bang-the-front-door-into-the-wall & awkwardly-dance-with-your-guests-in-a-2 ft.-enclosure small. NO THANKS. We were using this closet as a small dumping ground for things we quickly unpacked after the move and rarely (if ever) used. You guys, I'm a big fan of making spaces work for the way you live. Just because it's a coat closet doesn't mean it actually needs to be a coat closet!
Organizing last year's stash necessitated cleaning out our craft closet. Also known as the former coat closet that once stored lots of stuff (none of which was actually coats). About a year after moving into this house, I became sick and tired of looking at the piles of stuff that were accumulating on our kitchen island/prep area. Art & craft supplies were amassing here (along with everyday life) and I had no clue where to put everything.
So this teeny, tiny coat closet got a makeover. Since we already have a large coat closet at the back entry (that we use on a daily basis), we really didn't need another. And to be honest, we rarely (if ever) use the front entryway since it's SO small. Like, bang-the-front-door-into-the-wall & awkwardly-dance-with-your-guests-in-a-2 ft.-enclosure small. NO THANKS. We were using this closet as a small dumping ground for things we quickly unpacked after the move and rarely (if ever) used. You guys, I'm a big fan of making spaces work for the way you live. Just because it's a coat closet doesn't mean it actually needs to be a coat closet!
An inexpensive Rubbermaid cubicle fit perfectly in the space. And after adding some bins, baskets, magazine holders & dollar spot tins (most of which I already had on hand)...voila, a craft closet was born! The wire basket up top holds all current school & artwork. I pile it all in there until it gets overwhelming & I'm forced to sort through it all. Notice how empty it is now? Yeah, I give it a few good weeks into the school year before I have to start tackling the basket again. At some point I'd love to repaint the inside of the closet & hang some toddler artwork. But for now the fact that art, craft & school supplies are all tucked neatly away is good enough for me.
So there you have it! A simple solution for utilizing a space that would have been uselessly used otherwise. And we're on track to start the new school year with a clean slate #winning. What about your own home? Think about spaces and how they can work for you, rather than what your home is telling you they should be.
Happy long weekend friends!
