Unconventional Clothing Storage

Our youngest daughter inherited a small dresser from her sisters, who inherited it from me. It gave our family a good 40-some years of use, but it was time for it to retire.  In addition to the various parts ( drawers, handles, legs...) that fell off on a daily basis, Spunky had grown to the size that her clothes didn't fit in the tiny drawers any more. Things were always hanging out of the drawers, or the drawers couldn't shut all the way, or things ended up piled on top because they wouldn't fit. Definitely time for a change!   I have been searching for a used dresser, but haven't found the right item at the right price yet.  This weekend I decided we had to do something, so we purchased these storage bins from Big Lots. The older girls made some cute labels so she could easily tell what goes where. ( I never hesitate to appeal to a girl's sense of wanting things to look pretty...I think it is just part of who girls are, and if they like the way it looks they are so much more likely to keep things neat!) We pulled out an old coffee table that we had painted pink and were using as a little coloring desk. Ta-da!!! Efficient clothes storage!  I can easily see if she is keeping up with her clothes properly, and it is easy for her to quickly put away her laundry and choose her clothes. We removed several items that she didn't really need, so she now has a manageable amount of items to care for as well. If and when we do find a dresser, I am quite sure the bins will find a new use somewhere in the house, but for now I think this is a wonderful solution.

This isn't our first experience with clothing storage challenges. Prior to living in our current home, we lived in a barely 1200 square foot home....2 adults, 5 kids, and a large black dog.  People have lived in smaller spaces, I am sure, but we always seemed to be grasping for ways to make a bit more space.  I was forever bumping into people or things! The first thing to go into storage was the dressers. For years everyone had an "under the bed" rolling storage box for their clothes.  This worked quite well. ( I think a grandmother or two were initially horrified by the thought of keeping clothes under a bed, but they got used to it!) Another friend with a large family uses storage cubes for her children's clothing. I know other people find a family closet to be helpful.  There are really all kinds of ways to manage, thrive, and keep thing lovely in your home. Whatever your  current "problem" is, remember that it is often our limitations that bring out  creative solutions. Instead of grumbling, we can approaches our challenges as opportunities to see and do things in a new way. Who knows what inspiration might come to mind and give your home a change for the better!

This post is linked at Our Simple Country Life.
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