So, here is a weird fact about me: organizing things relaxes me. If I can’t sleep I mentally organize rooms, drawers, cupboards and other areas in the house. I even did this when I had contractions. It calms my mind, finding a place for everything. Yes, people, apparently I am slighlty OCD. But I like to think it’s a healthy amount. Because, due to this need to organize things, I am able to share my organization tips with you guys. And hopefully inspire you to get organized too! We spend quite a bit of time inside during the colder months, so it’s nice when things are organized. In this blogpost I will show you how I organized Isaya’s arts & crafts supplies, my makeup storage and the messiest of all messy places in any house: the shed.

The Messiest of Messy Places

Basically, if your shed is not a tiny bit messy we can’t be friends. Just kidding. I would look upon you in awe, is all. We store everything and more in our shed. It’s a bloody mess and super hard to keep organized. We keep tools, cleaning supplies, garden cushions, paints, garden toys, car & bicycle supplies, rain clothes, shopping bags, garden tools and just…I don’t know, stuff in there.

Organization Tips for your shed

• The 32 liter boxes from Sunware (the Sigma Home collection) are an absolute lifesaver. I used Sunware boxes in the shed for the first time and since then I’ve been wanting to put my entire life in these boxes. They are perfect: super sturdy, yet elegant, convenient (the lids are easy access), sustainable and they come in pink! (and other colors, don’t worry).
• I created labeled boxes for different categories of products, just to make it easier to find things. We still just shove everything in there, but at least a) it belongs there and b) it still looks organized.
• I use other plastic and woven boxes to store products, paint supplies, toys and shopping bags. The goal is to give all the knickknacks a place in a bigger box, so it looks more composed and collected and you can find things easily, because it it categorized.

Arts & Crafts Storage

I keep all of Isaya’s arts & crafts supplies in the space underneath the stairs. I feel like that space is such a Dutch thing: a lot of Dutchies use it as a pantry or General Messy Place. We use it for art. But arts & crafts supplies are super prone to mess. First of all, there are a lot of supplies. Second, most of it is “tiny things”. And third, it’s art, so it’s bound to get messy.

Organization Tips for Arts & Crafts Supplies

• I use small (5 liter) Sunware boxes from the Sigma Home collection, with lids, to store different types of supplies. So a box for paint, one for crayons, for pencils, scissors & glue, glitters, beads, clay, etc. Easy acces: just grab an go. I can bring one box to the table, Aya can play with what’s inside and then easily tidy up by herself.
• I labeled the boxes, to make everything easy to find.
• I’ve put all of the colored paper, drawing pads, drawing paper and coloring books in magazine files from Ikea.
• I use a bathroom/makeup storage box from Ikea, with different compartments, to store her bigger paints and paint brushes. Again, easy to grab and store away afterwards.

Makeup Storage

I guess the before isn’t that bad. I like to keep things quite organized in here. I go through my makeup and skincare products every month, give away what I don’t or won’t use and throw out what’s out of date. But I just wasn’t feeling the way things where organized. I didn’t like the products on display: it looked messy and got dusty real fast. So, I decided to reorganize my makeup storage as well.

Organization Tips for Makeup Storage

• I use the 13 liter Sunware boxes, form the Sigma Home collection, with lids, to store all my makeup. That way all the products are easy to grab, but dust free and organized by type of makeup.
• I use small bathroom boxes, from Ikea, to make little compartments in the Sunware boxes. That way I can put powders, blushes, contour, highlight, eyeshadows, etc. all separated so everything is easy to find.
• A lot of my makeup is stored in this Ikea Kallax unit. You can buy drawers and little doors for these units; great for storing new products, products you don’t use on a daily and things you don’t necessarily want on display.
• The woven baskets are from Handed By and made from recycled plastic. I use them to store presents (I like to keep gifts on stock just in case) and bits & bobs for flatlays.
• The hanging baskets are also from Ikea and they are specifically made for the Kallax units (read: they do not fit ANYWHERE else, arrrrrgh). I use them to store my Macbook and notebooks.