We were at a friend's house this weekend having dinner and as we were all getting ready to go out, Hannah opened her coat closet. As she was grabbing her coat, we noticed her alternative use of an over the door shoe organizer.
We've used a shoe organizer before in a client's office closet to keep office supplies organized. We never thought to put everyday items that are often found in kitchen drawers in a shoe organizer. What's great is the coat closet is in a central location (between the kitchen and living room). Hannah is not only saving drawer space in the kitchen, she's using vertical space on the back of a closet door (that rarely gets used for anything else). For labels, she has clearly written post-it notes (but she mentioned to us that she's been meaning to purchase cute decorative tags from Target).
What have you used a shoe organizer for (besides its original purpose)?
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I keep one over the door in my laundry room to house cleaning supplies, batteries, tape, and a few frequently used tools such as screwdrivers and tape measures. It keeps me from having a junk drawer.
I use a clear plastic one to store my tools. They're easier to find that way than thrown in a toolbox.
Amazing!! I'm so doing this on the back of my office door as soon as I get home!
Scarves. That way I can see what I have and actually wear them, instead of hiding them away in my closet all the time.
hah. My roommate and I use a shoe storage thing in our bathroom, they work great for all our girly crap :]
I feel like there's a sort of collective consciousness thing going on with shoe-organizers-as-junk-organizers. This is the 5th posting I've read about this idea in the last month on this and other sites. It's a good one, though.
I have this exact hanging shoe organizer. Unfortunately, I'm not quite as cool as mine holds shoes.
In my dorm room in college, I had one that was "double pocketed" (actually created for non-shoe storage). We didn't have a bathroom in our room, so I put lotions, hair spray, blow dryer, brushes and all other miscellaneous items in it. I believe the one I purchased was from Wal-mart.
I do this too... mine organizes my stockings/tights, scarves, fabric belts, and bathing suits.
Cans of spray paint. (I craft...)
I have onne on the front closet door. Bottom sections are for my son's mittens, hats, shoes so he can put them away himself and we can always find them when running out the door in the morning. Top ones are for my gloves, scarves, hats as well as lint brush, wipes, umbrella, tissue packets, sunglasses, sunscreen, empty plastic bags - basically anything I might need to grab on the way out. When he was a baby I always kept a few diapers (clean!) there as well to throw in my bag if needed.
I made a button hole above each pocket (cloth, not vinyl - and button hole stitch on the machine before cutting a slit) and run wires through the holes for charging all those annoying little gadgets. Multiple DS games (multiple kids), cell phones, PDA, Bluetooth earpieces, etc. Hides the wires behind and keeps all those items in one location.
I also have one in the pantry for Kool-aid packets, seasoning packets, small lids, straws, and various ladles and condiment containers that are infrequently used.
Sorting tax papers: receipts, bills, income, etc.
I bought ones with clear pockets to eliminate the need for tags.
Another serves as a "dresser" for storing socks, personal apparel, etc. because space is limited here. No room for a clothes dresser.
I use mine as a hair accessory/tool organizer. It hangs over the closet door in my bathroom and houses my flat iron, curling iron, brushes, combs, head bands, rubber bands, etc!