Make it look nice AND organized

Organizing doesn't have to look boring and sterile. There are so many fun and creative ways you can make your spaces look really great AND organized. Bring the kids in for this one and ask them to help you create labels for boxes or storage items, use crafty design elements to make your space look like a professional design team renovated it or purchase nice looking storage containers for a very put together look.

For those of you who are using cardboard boxes, plastic bins or tubs or another type of box that could use a little pizzazz, grab your kids and some art supplies. The options are endless for designing crafty tags to make your boxes look more fun by adding a label. A simple idea is to use thick cardstock or an index card and write a label using a fun colored marker or crayon. Ask your kids to come up with a creative solution - use paint or finger paint, glue pasta noodles onto a piece of cardstock, draw pictures of the contents instead of writing the words, use stickers as labels, or make the label using glitter glue.

Buying or building excellent storage shelves is a fantastic idea and saves a lot of space and helps you bring an organized element into your home. One downside to this for some people is that you don't have a lot of space to work with, so there isn't a room you can dedicate as a storage room. Instead of having an unattractive shelving unit sitting in the middle of your living room, consider hanging a beautiful curtain or nice looking sheet to separate the shelves from the rest of the room. This can bring some great design elements into the room as well. Think about your organized space from a designers perspective - what would you do if you were trying to not only create a highly organized space but a well designed space as well?

One of my favorite storage containers are small, square, lined (or un-lined) baskets that are highly versatile and can fit just about anywhere and come in multiple sizes. These baskets are great for closet shelves, entertainment centers, bathroom or linen closets, under beds, mud room closet shelves, baby changing tables, or offices. Baskets come in various sizes and shapes, which becomes convenient for you when trying to maximize your space and find a place for random oddities around the house. I especially love using these baskets to arrange towels, lotions or shampoos, DVDs, as well as mittens and hats in the coat closet.

Using high quality or vastly creative solutions can always be a huge benefit to you when making your home look nice and organized. There are so many storage options at every price point you can imagine. All you have to do is find what works best for you and your family and make it look your own.