Controlled Mess

Remember when I told you we needed more kitchen storage and then that turned into a kitchen renovation? Well, it turns out, we didn't need more storage, we just needed to reorganize and donate items.  But since I hate admitting I'm wrong in moments like these (aka: it would make me sound like a hoarder/disheveled person), I just kept to the new storage concept.  So while hubbie tackles turning our cellar stairway into a mini pantry - keep up the great work honey! - I'm going to share a fun and quick storage DIY project.  Don't fret, his hard work on the pantry will be featured soon.

Project time:  5 min per box.  Unless you are watching an episode of Castle while doing it - it was a good one!

So here are the storage bins I grabbed from my local box store for about $5/each:

Next I grabbed my favorite stencils that I bought at an antique store.  You can find letter stencils at any craft store/aisle - just pick the font you like.  Instead of using paint, I pulled out my handy dandy paint PENS (I love these things)!  No mess and better control (which really should be the tag line for these pens AND our kitchen project).

Then I stenciled on what I wanted the bin to say/hold.  Sky's the limit on this one!  I bet you'll never guess what I put in this bin...

I bought 4 bins to store food items in our snack cabinet.  This is where measuring first would have helped me.  Only the "Chips" and (also creatively named) "Crackers" bin fit on the shelf.  So again, instead of admitting my mistake, I searched for other cluttered cabinets.  I found that we had boxes of oatmeal and pancake mix just hanging willy nilly - I thought they should be friends and I named their box "YUM!" (oh, I'm on a roll now).  Under the sink, cleaning supplies were in a see-through bin - OH THE SHAME!  "Give us a private bin!" they cried, so I obliged with a title that is also a reminder for the kids...

PRO: I've used these bins in different rooms of the house and find they fit a ton of stuff
CON: That "ton of stuff" is now hidden and, therefore, forgotten... and now I sound like a hoarder/disheveled person.  Full circle people, full circle.