Those crafty folks over at MarthaStewart.com have done it again. This time they've found a simple way to repurpose inexpensive bamboo steamers as household storage bins. The photo above shows them as containers for office supplies, but we can also picture them serving well as craft storage or in the bathroom.
Detailed instructions, complete with video, are available here.
This idea is just one of many in a recent Handmade Boxes, Cases, and Organizers roundup at the Martha Stewart blog. Some of the other nifty ideas include converting an oversized basket to a rolling storage bin, making your own charging station... and it just wouldn't be Martha without a ribbon organizer thrown in for good measure.
Via Craftzine
Image: MarthaStewart.com
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Comments (10)
I use a couple large bamboo steamers as jewelry boxes. Definitely remember to line the bottom with something though, as the larger steamers tend to have even larger gaps in the bottom. I used a natural material placemat (found on super-clearance at Target) and just cut out a few circles for the liner.
Oh, and maybe this is just me, but I often find beautiful wrapping papers that I can barely stand to throw away after they've been used. Using leftover scraps for the lining would be a nice idea...
Uh, doesn't IKEA already have something that looks like this that's actually meant for storage and not steaming vegetables?
cassielynn - yes: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80083652
the only problem with having these in the bathroom is they might start to steam their contents, I would think, if the bathroom got steamy... or am I just crazy?
These kind of baskets and stuff are really cute... but they are serious dust magnets.... in no time they'll start to look dull and kind of gray because dust gets trapped everywhere, they'll never look like the first day.....
True, manu_pty -- but if they get dusty, you can simply empty them, rinse them (using a brush and even detergent if needed), let them dry, and replace the contents.
Uh no. Not for me. I'd rather not think about eating dim sum every time I reach over for erasers or post-its.
Agreed with manu-pty. Storage containers are supposed to make your life easier--get the one's at ikea.
Cleaning them is a major hassle--and they take up so much space--when I think of storage containers, I want something that will save some space not take more.
I'm not storing staples in anything but their original container, and I don't have very many erasers. These is cute, but I just don't see the point of having all these itsy-bitsy things all over my work space.