MrsMe Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 that may or may not get any answers,:tongue_smilie: but since homeschoolers are good at repurposing and being frugal, I'd like to know what you've repurposed to make work for you? I'm looking for home organization ideas; whether it be a pantry that you don't use for food or a bedroom you use for a closet or where you "house" certain things..... I've had a few bizarre thoughts lately that says, "who says this has to go here just because that's the way it's usually done"? I had a vision of a book closet. Large...one that doesn't require dusting,:glare: and it would save me oodles of main space as well as cleaning. Even if you've just added a cupboard or a closet to an area you never thought of to create something different. I'm looking for something I've never thought of, to make me think. I need to simplify and I need a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I turned those metal cube things into a sideboard in the dining room. I have it set up with 3 horizontal by 2 vertical. I filled it with books then covered it with a tablecloth. Now it has our Navity set on top but I also use it for putting food on during dinners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 A book closet that doesn't need dusting sounds divine. In our last house, we used the built in clothes hamper to store extra blankets. When I'm done homeschooling, I'm going to use one of the bookshelves in my mudroom as a pantry, because I don't have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 that may or may not get any answers,:tongue_smilie: but since homeschoolers are good at repurposing and being frugal, I'd like to know what you've repurposed to make work for you? I'm looking for home organization ideas; whether it be a pantry that you don't use for food or a bedroom you use for a closet or where you "house" certain things..... I've had a few bizarre thoughts lately that says, "who says this has to go here just because that's the way it's usually done"? I had a vision of a book closet. Large...one that doesn't require dusting,:glare: and it would save me oodles of main space as well as cleaning. Even if you've just added a cupboard or a closet to an area you never thought of to create something different. I'm looking for something I've never thought of, to make me think. I need to simplify and I need a change. My dh and dss built me a 'pantry' in the garage just outside my kitchen door. It is part wooden bookshelf (with deeper shelves) and partly has some shelves added to the top/side of it, extending it. It is soooo helpful for all those small appliances that I do not have room for in my kitchen as well as canned goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I like to keep things simple by putting things where they normally go. I don't like books in the kitchen, dirty laundry on the porch, cans of beans in the bathroom. "Where are the DVDs?" "On top of the refrigerator. You know that." When I moved in the house I have now, I promised myself not to be "innovative" with storaqge, but to only aquire as much stuff as I could handle. I donate to The Slavation Army regulary so I don't start creatively storing things. (messily hoarding junk) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anneofalamo Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Our garage is used constantly(Ping Pong table), and underneath, those rolling plastic drawers fit perfect!! We have boxes of old curriculum underneath, as well as plastic tubs of paper/art supplies. It is out of the way, and organized. I have to admit to having 3 full bookcases in my living room....but they are well loved and I love how they look! ♥ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 that may or may not get any answers,:tongue_smilie: but since homeschoolers are good at repurposing and being frugal, I'd like to know what you've repurposed to make work for you? I'm looking for home organization ideas; whether it be a pantry that you don't use for food or a bedroom you use for a closet or where you "house" certain things..... I've had a few bizarre thoughts lately that says, "who says this has to go here just because that's the way it's usually done"? I had a vision of a book closet. Large...one that doesn't require dusting,:glare: and it would save me oodles of main space as well as cleaning. Even if you've just added a cupboard or a closet to an area you never thought of to create something different. I'm looking for something I've never thought of, to make me think. I need to simplify and I need a change. I keep all of our bureaus in the laundry room and dh hung a very long bar in there. It also came with a floor to ceiling cupboard with 4 shelves and fairly deep. This has simplified laundry for me. It is amazing. It also simplifies room cleaning for the kids as there are not mountains of clothes (clean or dirty) mucking up the place. Kids are in the habit of going to the laundry room to get clean clothes before bathing. They leave dirty clothes in the bathroom and currently ds2 has the daily chore of bringing the dirties to a hamper that sits right outside the laundry room. For clothing changes w/o a bath the cupboard door is quite large and functions as a screen that they change behind. Clean clothes are right there for them, dirty clothes end up right by the washer. It might sound weird. It's been working here for over 2 years. I still bring dh's clothes upstairs for him, but I've started leaving my clothes down there just recently. I'm going to have to work out a space for dh and the process will be complete. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 See, we have a garage that is disconnected...somewhat far and no basement. I have all my tools-nails, hammer, an entire cabinet that are a disaster that doesn't fit them. I need a patio-built-in-shed right outside the back door. I need a place to put appliances I don't use regularily. I live in AZ and the dust is INCREDIBLE. That's all I *could* do is dust. It makes having something nice, not so nice, like books. I get tired of trying to make things work due to cost, when in the long run, I'd have spent less. I like different ideas, but not quirky, Carribean Queen. LOL...that means no beans in the bathroom and no dvd's on the fridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I have a shelf of books in my pantry, I'm short a few (dozen) bookcases right now. We have a floor to ceiling pantry. We use a dresser as an entertainment center. It's a nice rectangular shape and holds DVD, blankets, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) I've repurposed the china cabinet. The top shelves hold books and the bottom doors hide school supplies. I have an oak dresser in the hallway that holds sheets, tablecloths and pillow cases. It was unfinished when I got it. I painted flowers or plants from each season on the 4 drawer fronts then varnished it with a tinted varnish so that it looks like an antique. We keep all our library books stacked on the top. We just got a new telelevison from my mom and I'm thinking of using my old cedar chest as a tv stand. The only problem is that I will have to find a place for all the blankets that are in it. Edited December 28, 2011 by Onceuponatime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 See, we have a garage that is disconnected...somewhat far and no basement. I have all my tools-nails, hammer, an entire cabinet that are a disaster that doesn't fit them. I need a patio-built-in-shed right outside the back door. I need a place to put appliances I don't use regularily. I live in AZ and the dust is INCREDIBLE. That's all I *could* do is dust. It makes having something nice, not so nice, like books. I get tired of trying to make things work due to cost, when in the long run, I'd have spent less. I like different ideas, but not quirky, Carribean Queen. LOL...that means no beans in the bathroom and no dvd's on the fridge. Blech - I remember the dust when we lived in New Mexico - gritty, sandy, and constantly invading everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Knoll Mom Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Our house had a coat closet on the main level right across the hall from the very tiny kitchen. We turned that into a pantry because we already had a coat closet in the basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I've turned a hallway closet into my "business office." I'm a demonstrator for a direct sales company and have the plastic drawer bin things in there to hold all my paperwork and supplies. On the shelf above the coat rod is all the paint for the house (it's a dual purpose closet :D). I want to take the door off the closet that's right by the front door and line the back wall with shelves for shoes. I'll also put some hooks for coats that we wear most (maybe). We use the converted garage for a little boys bedroom which seems weird since there's an exterior door near their bed, but since our bedroom is in a little 8x10 room adjacent to that, it works. On a related note, the two youngest boys (3 and 5) had had their clothes in a couple of boxes out in their room (which is separated from the main living area of the house) and it just got MESSY within a week, over and over. I moved their clothes to the built-in drawers at the end of the hallway just off the living room, and now it doesn't get as messy since I see it all the time. I turned a large storage cabinet sideways in the kitchen to create a small nook behind it, where we moved our freezer. It was too far away before and I didn't stay on top of what's in it. We turned a bedroom into a prayer "corner" and sewing room. It's also a storage room (ugh) but we're working on that. That's all I can think of for now! Great thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 We turned the front bedroom into the school room. It has 2 computers, 3 work desks (all crammed together because the room isn't very big), and 3 bookcases. (We have 5 bookcases in the basement for all our other books. :D) It's also where we have the phone, address books, bill-paying stuff. We removed the bedroom and closet doors to make access easier. Dh installed shelving in the closet. We keep science supplies, dd's books, some movies and board games in there. Actually, right now the room's a mess and could hold more (I'm thinking dvd's, cd's mostly) if I got things cleaned up and arranged in a more efficient manner. This room has a high ceiling and I keep imagining a reading loft installed against the outer wall, but we haven't done anything more than imagine at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 In a house without any extra room I used a small dresser for clothing (I don't have much) and turned my closet into an office area. It was a standard-size, sliding door closet from which we removed the doors, stuck in a desk, the computer, some hanging wire shelfy things for papers and a rack of videos. Worked great, and we even had extra room for some small storage container! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Lynn Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 We have a large and beautiful armoire in the living room. It is right next to the dining room, too. I have done a few different things in there, but currently we have a bunch of our games. I like them right next to the dining table, where we usually play said games. I also have some larger food service items in there along with some cookbooks that won't fit in the tiny cupboard, where I keep the others. Then in one of the two bottom drawers we keep music and a few small music items like shakers and tuner and tonette. (I also have a keyboard in the living room, so this makes sense.) The other drawer houses movies that my dh likes, that I don't want in the Den with the TV. He loves a bunch of war movies and wild action movies. In the Den, I keep the movies that I don't mind the kids watching. I also keep some seldom used kitchen items in the garage, like cake decorating materials and specialty items that rarely get used, but since we do have the space we keep them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderchica Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I had an old bookshelf I didn't need, so I put it in my closet as a shoe shelf. I found these super cute "reading nooks" where people turned a closet or crawl space into a nook- http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/closet-turned-reading-nook--136856 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 The hall linen closet is now storage of art and science supplies, as well as extra school supplies (folders, paper, spiral notebooks, crayons, glue, etc.) and homeschool catalogs. I store sheets in the top of each bedroom closet, blankets in underbed bags, and the towels are all stored in the bathrooms (under sinks and on cute shelves). I use a tool box to store extra school supplies such as packs of glue sticks, crayons, etc. I use a somewhat short, flat open cardboard box (like from a case of canned goods) to store all the Wii remotes, nunchucks, battery chargers, and other remotes for tv, cable, etc. It can easily be slid under the couch to clean up quickly and you always know where everything is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misidawnrn Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Here is my favorite repurposed thing. I found this on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. I instantly knew what it was meant to be in it's afterlife. I had to get my nephew to help me load it but here is it's before and after shots. It's separating our homeschool room from the TV room in the basement. The girls love it. The best part is that I only had to buy paint (and a staple gun but I needed one of those anyway). I had the material that I got from a fabric store that closed for about 25cents a yard and I had the batting I got for free from a custom sewing job I did. They bought too much batting and gave me the extras. The drawers hold a lot! We have all of the books that DD-8 outgrew but we will need for little DD-2 and all of the wooden puzzles in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I think the main thing is the armoire that no longer holds my clothes in my bedroom but now holds school related supplies in the kitchen. I also use a dresser at the front entrance at a table there, but also to hold/hide other things. The top drawer has bins of math manips and the spare dish cloths (the ugly ones I only use on cleaning day), the middle one is for things that need to be out the door(as in they belong to someone else and are put there until I am seeing that person again), and the bottom one holds all the mitts, hats, scarves etc. Once upon a time I used a dresser as an entertainment stand in the livingroom but then I needed it for a kid and they broke most fo the drawers. That was a long time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Here is my favorite repurposed thing. I found this on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. I instantly knew what it was meant to be in it's afterlife. I had to get my nephew to help me load it but here is it's before and after shots. It's separating our homeschool room from the TV room in the basement. The girls love it. The best part is that I only had to buy paint (and a staple gun but I needed one of those anyway). I had the material that I got from a fabric store that closed for about 25cents a yard and I had the batting I got for free from a custom sewing job I did. They bought too much batting and gave me the extras. The drawers hold a lot! We have all of the books that DD-8 outgrew but we will need for little DD-2 and all of the wooden puzzles in them. I remember when you posted about this when you first did it. I still love it and wish I had one. Now that I am down to a little car and not my van I am even more limited in the kinds of cool treasures I find and bring home. I need to keep a guy with a truck on retainer for when I find treasures like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 Blech - I remember the dust when we lived in New Mexico - gritty, sandy, and constantly invading everywhere. It's HORRIBLE! I feel like I can't own anything, because of it it. Here is my favorite repurposed thing. I found this on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. I instantly knew what it was meant to be in it's afterlife. Way, cool! I also love dressers as a place to hold DVD's. Unfortunately I can never find one that fits to do this. That would solve dusting that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I'm repurposing a bunch of paper bags and making a brand-new kitchen/dining room floor! Tearing it into pieces, gluing down with 50/50 water and Elmer's glue, and 4 coats of polyurethane on top. You can do a search on "paper bag floors" or "decoupage floors" and see examples. It looks like flagstone. It's fantastic!!!! So for under $100 we'll have a brand new floor. Hee hee. We are also going to repurpose our above ground swimming pool to be a tilapia pond this spring. Yum. Our former bedroom dresser got taken apart into a separate mirror (now in the entryway) and a sideboard (now in the dining room). I have lots more ideas, but it's time for more learning. Hoping to add more ideas later tonight. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 The dust problem sounds frustrating. The cabinet and drawer portion of our china cabinet has always been for school supplies. It was the best way to keep them near the areas where we work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I'm repurposing a bunch of paper bags and making a brand-new kitchen/dining room floor! Tearing it into pieces, gluing down with 50/50 water and Elmer's glue, and 4 coats of polyurethane on top. You can do a search on "paper bag floors" or "decoupage floors" and see examples. It looks like flagstone. It's fantastic!!!! So for under $100 we'll have a brand new floor. Hee hee. We are also going to repurpose our above ground swimming pool to be a tilapia pond this spring. Yum. Those are awesome projects! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I had an old bookshelf I didn't need, so I put it in my closet as a shoe shelf. I found these super cute "reading nooks" where people turned a closet or crawl space into a nook- http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/closet-turned-reading-nook--136856 That is soooo cool! Wish I had a closet to give up for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Here is my favorite repurposed thing. I found this on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. I instantly knew what it was meant to be in it's afterlife. I had to get my nephew to help me load it but here is it's before and after shots. It's separating our homeschool room from the TV room in the basement. The girls love it. The best part is that I only had to buy paint (and a staple gun but I needed one of those anyway). I had the material that I got from a fabric store that closed for about 25cents a yard and I had the batting I got for free from a custom sewing job I did. They bought too much batting and gave me the extras. The drawers hold a lot! We have all of the books that DD-8 outgrew but we will need for little DD-2 and all of the wooden puzzles in them. Having a blonde moment.....what was this before you got hold of it? Really cool though....what you did with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Like a PP, we've turned an entry closet into a mini-office; it took a few pieces of wood to make the desktop, and the chair gets shut in when the door is closed. There is a desktop computer in there (the CPU fits easily underneath), some repurposed aluminum tins for supplies (these were on the desktop, but one of my duct-happy nephews went ahead and duct-taped them to the side wall LOL), and the files are all on the original shelf atop the hanging rod (which is our official holding spot for my sister's overflow of scarves). I store lesser-used (but too-necessary-to-give-away!) books in those underbed plastic storage bins. Things like history books that are from a different era than our studies, etc. I have these stashed everywhere, even under some sofas. I'm an out-of-sight, out-of-mind person so I also keep most of our bulk pantry items in air-tight glass containers on the countertop; they're pretty enough and colorful so it's not overly cluttered looking, but it frees up pantry space. We have a large walk-in pantry that I use to contain some of the preschool/younger school stuff (Montessori type things, puzzles, stuff for the younger kids that's easy to get to and use when I'm in the kitchen or teaching my older kids). We have an extra bathroom that is used regularly, but hardly ever for the bath/shower part; that's where we store bulkier clothes (in-season jackets, etc.) and where we dry big items when it's not nice outside -- we just put in one of those thick shower curtain rods above the showerhead. It's all hidden behind the 'real' shower curtain and rod that's coordinated with the bathroom decor, but it's still super easy to get to. I have a shallow, inexpensive bookshelf in the kids' closet to hold daily things; I just re-use cardboard shoeboxes (most of my friends would throw them out, so know to save them for me) as holders -- socks, undies, sports stuff, leggings, etc. I use the same cardboard box strategy to organize my history/lit books by era on my bookshelves. I took over my dad's wet bar for an arts/craft storage and clean-up area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I'm repurposing a bunch of paper bags and making a brand-new kitchen/dining room floor! Oh. My. Goodness. We are so doing this! We bought a house with tile floors that were poorly installed (they've cracked and the grout started coming out within a month of moving in). Such gorgeous pictures online! I'm excited. Thank you for posting! Off to Google "tilapia pond" -- :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Isn't it gorgeous??? We also have kitchen cupboards that were painted by the former owners w/o preparing the surface. Everything is peeling. I'm going to use a homemade paint stripper (lots of recipes online), and than decoupage w/paper bags on the interior of the cupboards (matching the floor) and re-painting the exteriors. We'll see!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We added shelves to the coat closet and turned it into a board game/puzzle closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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