Old Cookie Tins as Stackable Containers
Metal cookie tins are awesome for storage - they stack and they can hold a lot more than snacks! The seals will protect anything you put in there and as a bonus, they come pre-decorated; modern plastic chocolate containers lack the rustic feel, but they do the same job, too!
Fabric Wall Pockets
You can make your own hanging organizer by sewing little pockets into sturdy fabric sheets - repurposed towels, canvas or denim, for example. You decide the size of the pockets and the amount you want so you can customize it for whatever purpose you like, and hang it whenever you choose!
Suitcase Stack Storage
Just because luggage was designed for travel doesn’t mean you have to take it anywhere! You can stack suitcases up into a small tower to create coffee tables, nightstands or mini dressers - and they double up as storage spaces, too. Bonus points if you mix and match styles.
Coffee Canister Caddies
If you have any metal coffee tins around, consider upcycling them to create containers that are perfect for your desk or mounted. They’re easy to clean, convenient and can hold all sorts of things, from stationary and tools to kitchen utensils.
Jam Jars Under Shelves
This was floating shelves before floating shelves were a thing! Screw metal jam or jelly jar lids into the undersides of shelves and then twist the jars back into them - it looks like the jars are floating! They’re quirky, rustic and a great way to store small items.
Wooden Crate Shelving
Wooden crates previously used for milk, wine or fruit storage make excellent repurposed shelves with a vintage aesthetic. You can nail them together for larger shelves, sand and stain them, paint them up or use as-is, depending on your needs.
Over-The-Door Shoe Organizer… But for Anything
Those plastic shoe containers with the little pockets can be repurposed to store pretty much anything else you want. Turn them into snack holders, sock organizers, crafting supply caches or add one to a kitchen or bathroom for cleaning supplies.
Tin Can Drawer Dividers
Do you find yourself with a lot of tin cans? Then you’re in luck! Remove the labels and you can use them as organizers within other storage units like kitchen draws or office desks to keep things neat and tidy. You can also cut them down to size if needed.
Tension Rods in Cupboards
Tension rods make versatile storage - they can be twisted into fit (no tools needed) and you can use them to stack things horizontally or vertically! Use them for spray bottles, pan handles or pot lids; you can even stack two side-by-side for extra strength.
Hanging Mason Jar Lanterns
Do you love glow-ups? This one’s both figurative and literal! Mason jars can be mounted on hooks and wires to create clever storage for small items. If you prefer a customized ambiance, you can use LED candles in them to make some lovely bespoke jar lanterns.
Repurposed Ladder Shelves
Have you got any old wooden ladders around? You don’t have to use them for their intended purpose - get creative and use them as a tiered shelving unit! You can use them in a bathroom for towels, the kitchen for herbs and mugs, or even in the garden as vertical planters!
Hidden Drawer in a Toe Kick
Many kitchen cabinets have a space where your toes go. Well, that toe kick can be turned into a sneaky storage drawer. Use it to keep your supplies - teabags and the like - or to hide the snacks you really want to keep for yourself!
Pegboards Everywhere
Where there’s a wall, there can be a pegboard. It’s an easy way to turn a surface into a storage unit with hooks and baskets, plus you don’t have to stick to the same layout - you can move them around and arrange them until your heart’s content.
Old Dresser Drawers as Under-Bed Storage
The end of a dresser doesn’t make it useless! Adding casters and felt sliders to the drawers turns them into handy under-bed storage for anything and everything you want to keep there. Kid toys, out of season clothes… it’s like a whole second wardrobe.
Rolling Crate Under Sink
Adding wheels onto a wooden or plastic crate makes the perfect under-sink caddy! Fill it with cleaning supplies or bathroom bits, and then just wheel it out when you want to restock or clean behind it. You keep access to the pipes too, in case of a plumbing emergency.
Coat Hooks as Pan Hangers
Don’t let the name fool you - coat hooks can hold more than just your jacket. In fact, you can mount them under cabinets to hold your pans, or use them as mug hangers to tidy up your kitchen cupboards and expand storage space.
Vintage Breadboxes for Charging Stations
Are you tired of messy device charging wires tangling all over the place? Get your hands on some breadboxes (metal, wood or enamel is fine) and cut holes in the back for your wires. Et voila! You have a retro-themed charging station to keep things neat and tidy.
Canning Ring Cord Holders
The outer band of mason jars tend to hang around and clutter up the place, but you can make use of them with a little ingenuity. Snap them around cords, and you have a clean way to store charging cables, holiday lights or any wires you like.
Library Card Catalog for Office Supplies
If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on an old library card catalog, they make excellent storage for office supplies. Stamps, batteries, paperclips… all those little things you need but have a hard time storing can be tucked away in these nostalgic cabinets.
Shoebox Drawer Inserts
Shoeboxes can be effective containers by themselves, but you can also repurpose them into drawer dividers. Use the boxes themselves or the cardboard dividers that come in them to compartmentalize your other storage spaces.
Garden Rake as a Wine Glass Rack
You can upcycle garden rakes and turn them into ideal kitchen hangers with minimal effort. Just take the rake head (you don’t need the handle) and attach it to a wall upside down and you have yourself a rustic wine glass hanger.
Rolling Pin Jewelry Hanger
Glow-up chic can come from unexpected places, and a repurposed rolling pin is a good example. Mount it to the wall and add hooks along its length to create a lovely jewelry display with a cunning wink to the ’50s housewife aesthetic.
Apron With Pockets as a Wall Organizer
Sometimes if you want a hanging organizer you don’t even have to make one! Some aprons are loaded with pockets, and they make a subtle wall storage. Just hang them up and fill their pouches with whatever you want to stash.
Tea Tins on Magnetic Strips
If you want to make better use of your vertical space, magnetic strips can help you achieve your DIY dream. Stick a magnet to whatever metal tins you like and attach them to the strip and you have something that’s equally useful in the kitchen or garage.
Old Curtain Rod for Pot Lids
Do you have trouble with pot lids falling all over the place? They’re not the most easy thing to store - unless you have a pole such as an old curtain rod. Install them into a cupboard between two surfaces to keep your lids upright and organized.
Sewing Drawers for Craft Bits
Have you ever seen those long narrow drawers in vintage sewing tables? If you don’t have room for the whole thing, you can take those drawers out and reuse them for your shelf cabinets. They were literally designed to hold tiny things, so they’re ideal for crafts, too!
Hat Boxes as Closet Decor
When designers make hat boxes, they make them to impress! They’re round, stackable and often highly decorated, which makes them the ideal candidate for storing personal keepsakes or fashion accessories such as scarves, belts and gloves.
Egg Cartons for Ornament Storage
Whether they’re made of cardboard or plastic, egg boxes were made to protect vulnerable things - they don’t have to be eggs, though! You can store delicate decorations (holiday baubles or fragile keepsakes), small craft items or even tiny DIY components in them.
Cutlery Trays for Makeup or Tools
Cutlery divider trays work just as well at organizing other things, so let your imagination run wild! Add them to desk drawers for an instant organizer, store your makeup and cosmetic accessories or turn them into stationary dividers - they have so many uses!
Cigar Boxes for Memorabilia
Old cigar boxes were decorated to catch attention, and they make lovely retro artifacts by themselves. However, they double up as containers for precious memories (cinema and ticket stubs), jewelry, coin collections or dried flowers.
Tea Cup Hooks Under Shelves
Cup hooks are highly versatile and you can pin them under shelves for hanging mug storage. It doesn’t stop there, though - you can use them for anything small and dainty, from house and car keys to small pieces of jewelry such as necklaces, earrings or bracelets.
Rolling Pin & Wire Basket for Ribbon Organizer
Yeah we’ve used rolling pins before, but they can do so much more! If you like sewing, you can use the pins to store spools and mount a wire basket on it to keep ribbons, twine and wool within easy access.
Cake Stand Vanity Storage
Two-tier cake stands add a touch of elegance, whether they’re in the kitchen or not. They’re equally beautiful in the bedroom or bathroom as a vanity counter to keep all your creams, brushes and perfumes in. It works great for jewelry, too!
Labeled Clothespins for Cord ID
When your wires turn into a massive octopus of tangled vengeance, you can repurpose wooden clothespins as cord organizers. Clip them onto a wire, Give it a name or a colored ribbon and you’ve wiped out wire confusion.
Broomstick Closet Rod Hack
If you’ve got an old broom you no longer use, you can give the pole a new lease of life in your closet or cupboard as a hanging rod. They’re sturdy, vintage and flexible - mugs or pots and pans hang from them in a kitchen as easily as clothes do in a laundry nook.
