You Can Repurpose What?

 After writing my last post, I started paying more attention to the repurposed containers in my own home. Turns out, they're everywhere! Some are doing only a slightly different version of the same job, while others are enjoying (I assume) a new life with a new job. Here are a few of my favorites.You 

In the kitchen: spice jars with screw-top lids that once held purchased spices now hold spices from my husband's garden; 

In the bedroom closet: pouches that once held bed linens are pressed into service to hold shoes when I travel; 

In the TV room (formerly the playroom -- we repurpose rooms around here, too) closet: a former baby wipes container (my "baby" is 27) that holds nails. I should note that these are among my favorite containers to reuse (stackable! colorful!), which I why I still have them. Another of my favorites is a lidded box in a lovely blue color that once housed food from a subscription service (no meat, dairy, or other selections that might render them unsanitary) that now holds crayons.

In my office: jelly jars hold binder clips; a pill bottle covered in Washi tape holds small pencils; another pill bottle (out of sight and unadorned) in the drawer holds pencil top erasers;

In the sunroom: another pill bottle covered in Washi tape holds more small pencils (I have small hands, so I like small pencils); a small saucer that was part of a child's paint-your-own tea set now holds paper clips;

In the hall closet: another jar, holds makeup brushes; a rectangular wire mesh magnetic bin meant to stick to an office wall holds small air freshener sprays, with tweezers and nail scissors stuck to the magnetic strips on the outside for easy access, and nail brushes in between where the strip isn't magnetized;

Awaiting assignment: berry boxes from the farmer's market sit on the bench in the mudroom, placed there by my husband with the I know I put it somewhere organizational style; a (recently reduced) pile of boxes in the basement, ready to serve any use from storage to shipping; a substantial pile of lidded plastic bins (recently reorganized) and school supplies that I’ve organized so I can grab what I need quickly because I raid that stash often. I don't remember the last time I actually bought a plastic container, binder or folder, and I hope not to need to do so any time soon.

As I cautioned in my last post, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. My box collection, for example (recently reduced by about half), frequently gets out of control, and I have way more plastic containers than any one person will ever need. Since organizing the basement has been one of my summer projects (I'm chipping away at it slowly), I've been reminded that I need to designate spaces (one drawer, one shelf, one cabinet, etc.) for anything I’m setting aside for reuse. Then, when that area is full, it's time to sort and declutter, ditching the duplicates so everything fits in its assigned location. This can be challenging, especially for those with an I love stuff personal style, but it's an essential part of making sure that repurposing our containers has more to do with efficiency and less to do with creating more clutter. 

Another reason to keep containers appropriately organized is ensure that they stay clean enough to be pressed into service. It probably goes without saying that taking the initial purpose of the container into account, along with how well it can be cleaned between uses, can help determine whether or not it’s a keeper.

Finding what we need when we need it is at the heart of being organized. As always, check your styles and preferences. If saving packaging and containers is more likely to create clutter than it is to afford an opportunity for repurposing, recycle or donate what you can and toss the rest, guilt-free. This is also true for any container that doesn’t match your style, or requires too many steps to make it useful. In the end, we’re aiming for easy upkeep. Any container that works at cross-purposes to that goal only contributes to the clutter.

And that is not what organizing is about.

Intent to Repurpose

 If you're like me, you grew up in a house with a kitchen cabinet that contained a mishmash of lidded plastic containers ranging from recycled margarine tubs to higher end Tupperware. And I'd be willing to bet that there's a similar cabinet or drawer in your kitchen right now.

Don't panic -- I'm not going to tell you to get rid of your stash! I wouldn't even suggest such a thing. I might suggest that, if your cabinet is like mine, it could benefit from a once over to make sure all the bottoms have matching tops. But, that aside, this cabinet and all its riches are at the heart of this post.

Our grandmothers (and maybe even our mothers) reused containers to save money and reduce waste, an idea that has enjoyed a resurgence as the cost of plastic beyond its price tag becomes increasingly undeniable. Over time, the contents of these cabinets began to lean toward the higher end. As plastic became a way of life, all manner of containers for specific purposes emerged. 

Those of us with an I need to see it personal style (and therefore a love of color coding) are likely to be easier marks for the cool new updates than those with other organizational styles. Our cram and jam compatriots are usually content with any container as long as it's large enough to fit a bunch of stuff in it, and those with I know I put it somewhere organizational styles are also much less picky; if the container is empty, it's fair game. 

As it turns out, those with the latter two styles might just have something to teach we I need to see it organizers. Keeping an open mind about what counts as a useful container (whether plastic, paper, fabric or something else altogether) can save money and boost the lifespan of everyday objects. While we've been rinsing out ricotta cheese containers for ages, are we as good at taking a second look at that well-constructed (and sometimes attractive) box that contained our new business cards? 

Since I've begun paying closer attention, I often find that the packaging for something (a box, a drawstring bag, or a plastic container, for example) can be repurposed. Not only are these items free, but they can reduce our recycling pile up our repurposing game as well.

Just as identifying systems that consistently work with our styles can make it easy to replicate what works instead of starting from scratch, repurposing containers that have the attributes of tools that work for us can give us a similar head start. Pairing our styles with a dash of creativity can help us build inexpensive systems that last, making organizing on a budget a fun challenge instead of an onerous burden.

So, before you toss the box that came inside the box your order was shipped in, give it a second look. Is it sturdy and well-crafted? Attractive? Could a little Washi tape or Contact paper jazz it up and turn it into a home for something else? While we need to be careful not to hold on to so many things that they create a whole new set of piles, saving containers that look a lot like the ones we already use can save us time, money, and energy. A slight change in perspective, coupled with a little optimism allows us to see not just what an object is but also what it could be. When we put our powers of observation and creativity to work, the right container might just be closer than we think. 

I think my mother and grandmother would be proud.