How can storage boxes save you time? If you’ve tried looking for a particular item that is perhaps stuffed under a pile of papers or in a drawer, then you would know why. This scenario is so common that just about every household has experienced this. For example, trying to find your car keys, wallet or cell phone in the morning before heading to work.  Having all of these items stored in a nice box located in the same place every day makes it easy to grab and go!  Decorative storage boxes are perfect for keeping things together, particularly smaller items. You can keep pens, post-its, paperclips, jewelry and other items in these boxes. What’s even better is you can use them as a decoration for a room and guests would never know what trinkets you keep inside.

A few ways I use these boxes:

Wicker Box: To keep our car keys, wallets and cell phones in. They sit nicely on my countertop and look great.

Quilted Box: I use this to store photos I view frequently and other family heirlooms that I like to show off.

Leather Box: I have a really nice simple leather box with a lid that I keep all of our important mail in.  Some days I just don’t have the time to go through everything and so I keep it neatly in the box to go through later.

Another great thing is that these decorative boxes are relatively inexpensive. Now, of course you could find boxes that are a bit pricey and these are great if it is going to be a focal point for a room as well as provide storage. But if you are just using them for every day items and they will sit nicely on a counter then you can find really nice quality inexpensive boxes. There are a lot of materials used for storage boxes but one of my favorites is wicker. Wicker storage can last for a several years, and its look will never get old.  They are also versatile and will go with just about any home décor.

Jewelry boxes have many benefits. The obvious one is to keep your jewelry collection neatly organized so you can find the right piece when you want it. The other important benefit is to protect your jewelry collection from damage. Many pieces of jewelry can become scratched or tarnished if they are regularly jumbled together and exposed to the elements. For example, natural pearls are notorious for being scratched by other pieces and these should be stored securely and separately. Choosing a jewelry box with a nice soft interior will help to prevent these from moving around and bumping other items in your collection. Gold is another softer material that can scratch if exposed to hard stones like diamonds.

This of course leads to the next question. Once you have ample storage space for your collection, what will you fill it up with? If you started out just trying to organize a few key pieces but went overboard and now have drawers and compartments lined with velvet and faintly crying to be filled with treasure, you need to add more to your collection. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that all your jewels have to be horribly expensive. Round out your collection of necklaces with some simple beaded affairs – local designers are sure to have some lovely pieces at a budget price. Another option is to invest in some lab created diamond jewelry. Lab created diamonds are chemically identical to the real thing, so your friends will never know the difference if you never tell! Of course, you aren’t limited to just using your jewelry boxes to store jewelry. Mementos of travel, small family heirlooms and trinkets will all benefit from being securely sorted and stored away from damage.

With a huge range of sizes and styles of jewelry boxes available, you could even get an armoire to house a series of smaller jewelry boxes! A classic or antique armoire is an amazing feature to add to your bedroom or dressing room. Best described as a large jewelry chest, these can have multiple compartments, shelves and doors as well as fold out table trays, mirrors, and even secret compartments! Choosing one with locks will be an extra layer of security; only the most dedicated thief will lug a hundred kilos of furniture with him, through your bedroom window!

The most common storage cube or storage box as it is often referred to is the plastic storage cube. The little plastic storage boxes are rectangle containers that hold any and everything you could possibly imagine. I use them for many various items. For example I have a garage full of them and they hold all my seasonal items and decorations. I also have them storing extra tools, household cleaners and shop rags. Parts for my motorcycle hobbies are also one thing they are used for. Plastic storage cubes are also great for complementing closet organizers. You can use them to store out of season items like sweaters or bathing suits. They are great for storing office files and household paperwork you do not want to rid of.

Your childrens bedrooms are also a great place to have a cube storage system in place. This is where stackable storage cubes can come into play. They are made to stack on top of one another and they come in many different designs and colors. It is not uncommon to see a kids room utilize one of these as a closet to store all their toys, clothes, etc. Many of the stackable storage cube units are made of wood so they look more appealing with the existing home decor.

Finding plastic storage bins is a rather easy task. You can get them at almost any department store like Walmart or Target or online. They sell for as little as two dollars and go up from there depending on size and color. The brand that is most popular has to be Rubbermaid. Rubbermaid storage cubes are found at all the above mentioned stores as well as home improvement stores. Online stores carry a much more diverse selection of cube storage furniture including, wire, metal, plastic and wood storage cubes.

They can be found in a myriad of shapes and sizes. No matter what your décor, there is an organizer for you. There are several different types to choose from. You can find an expensive hardwood model or cheap plastic trays. The sheer variety almost guarantees there’s something for you.

The jewelry box is probably the most popular organizer available. They also come in many shapes and sizes with several drawers to utilize. Jewelry boxes are usually used on a counter top and are great for display. Many of these organizers are very intricate and detailed.

The jewelry armoire and jewelry chest are other types of organizers that can be utilized in the home. They tend to be very ornate and detailed to fit the style of your room. Most are constructed of solid wood but are still priced reasonably. If, however, you are on a budget there are plenty of cheaper compressed wood models available. Often times these can not be distinguished from the hardwood models. If your jewelry collection is quite large an armoire can be a great choice for you.

Additionally, a close cousin of the armoire is the hanging jewelry organizer. These organizers are great if you’re short on space. Since they are mounted to the wall they free up quite a bit of room underneath. They can also be more convenient to get to your jewelry since they can be placed at eye level.

If you have no concern of displaying your jewelry, perhaps a closet jewelry organizer would work for you. A hanging pocket type jewelry organizer and the jewelry tray organizer are the two main types of closet organizers. A hanging type is usually attached to a hanger and can be hung on a rack in between clothing or attached to the back of the closet door. The tray types are usually very inexpensive stackable trays.

Finally, for the traveler out there, there is a travel jewelry organizer. These are typically smaller organizers designed for functionality. They’re usually smaller leather bound organizers that still look great. However, if you have several expensive jewels you may opt for a jewelry roll. This will keep your jewelry out of sight and safer.

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I am sure the first thought that comes to mind is that kids locker furniture is expensive, but you can find ones that are pretty inexpensive. You can get a mini kids locker starting around $20 and they come in a variety of colors so your kids can pick what they like. Choosing a different color for each child will make it easy to identify who’s is who’s. The mini kids locker is perfect for storing some of the little toys, school supplies, movies or any other little thing your child does not want to fall into anyone elses hands. The kids storage lockers can be locked with a padlock so that there will be no getting into anyone elses locker, only you and your child will have the code. Your kids can decorate them with stickers or pictures, and trust me, it will save a lot of fighting!!

If you have older kids that play sports, you can get kids sports lockers for home for their room or the garage. You can even find lockers decorated with their favorite sports teams. These are ideal if you have a kid who has a lot of sports clothes or equipment like bats, helmets, balls, knee pads, or shoes and if you set them up in the garage it will keep all that sports odor out of your home. These are really a great purchase to keep all your sports equipment in one spot and can help avoid the constant questions like “have you seen my uniform?” “Do you know where my mitt is?” “Where are my cleats?”. If you have a big sports buff in the house that does not particularly play but has some sports memorabilia they would like to display these are also great for that.

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Do you have a daycare or maybe babysit a few of the neighbors kids often? You may want to consider cubby lockers. I love these things. They are so neat and cute! You can buy a simple foot cubby locker for the kids to put their shoes or books in and they usually come with a cushion on top so the kids can sit down and take off their shoes. Or you can get the wall mounted cubby lockers with a built in coat rack so the kids can walk right in, hang up their jackets or backpacks, put their school books and papers in their designated cubby and be on their way to playing. The kids help you stay organized and they don’t even know it.

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So you can see that storage lockers are really a great option to think about especially if you have children. I know that finding the right kids storage solutions is not always easy but these are perfect for any garage, play room or day care and will save you from having papers scattered everywhere, coats and backpacks thrown on the floor or the constant complaining that their brother or sister took their favorite item. Be sure to visit a few retailers to get some ideas about styles and pricing.

Filing Systems - You can find plastic storage that is specifically used for filing papers. You can find them in letter or legal size and some are even made to be stackable so as your filing needs grow, so can your filing boxes.  These are perfect for archived documents that you need to keep and store away or for any home office that needs a filing solution without the big clunky metal filing cabinet!

Sewing Supplies - I don’t do a lot of sewing but I have two little clear plastic storage boxes that I keep my sewing supplies in.  They consist of 3 drawers with a handle on top and in the top drawer I keep my buttons, needles and pins, in the center drawer I keep all my threads and in the bottom i keep all my sewing accessories like a small pair of scizzors, super glue, thimble etc.  I love my little three drawer storage box because I can keep it in my linen closet and it doesn’t take up a whole lot of room.  Now, for those of you that sew a lot and have a lot of sewing supplies, you will need more storage than what I use.  You will need something like a satchel box with removable thread trays, or a bin prism for all the various types of buttons or sewing supplies.  Clear plastic storage boxes are perfect for any quilting or sewing supplies because you can quickly identify what items are inside, they are durable and most have handles so you can move them around with ease.

Socks & Underwear - Speaking of 3 drawer storage boxes, I live in an apartment and for a very long time I did not have any furniture in my bedroom other than my bed and a TV.  If you didn’t know that I was a woman by the picture on my site, you’d probably guess I was a bachelor .  When I didn’t have any furniture I purchased this awesome three drawer storage box to keep my socks, bras and underwear in.  It was great because it fit perfectly in my closet without taking up a ton of room (I needed the room for all of my shoes!).  So for those of you who don’t have a lot of bedroom furniture just yet (you’ll get there don’t worry) or if you are going to college and will be living in a dorm, this type of storage will be perfect.  The one I purchased had wheels so I could move it around easily.

Holiday Storage / Winter Clothing - As the seasons change so do our decorations and clothing.  We obviously need some place to put all this stuff.  What I do with my holiday decorations is store them in a colored containers that are associated with that particular holiday. So for Christmas I use red or green and for Halloween and Thanksgiving I use orange or black.  If you don’t want to color coordinate your boxes then you can just use some masking tape and write on there what holiday decorations are inside.  For all my winter clothing I like to use large plastic storage boxes because they hold a lot more items. I usually end up stuffing them full of winter jackets and sweaters.

Art Supplies - If you have children I can almost guarantee that you’ve got finger paints, crayons and chalk laying around the house.  For this I recommend a deep storage box that either comes with or you can buy dividers and inserts for, to organize all the different supplies and group them together. Art tool organizer boxes are perfect for paints, crayons, pens, beads and various other types of creative knick knacks.   This will help keep all the supplies in one spot rather than scattered all over the house.

Yard / Garage Organization - Plastic storage boxes are perfect for any yard or garage because they are very durable and easy to clean. You can use a deck box to keep all your yard supplies in or a plastic bin on wheels is perfect to store all your car washing items in.  You can roll it around as you wash your car or if you have multiple cars you can move it from car to car.  The bin on wheels is also perfect for any tools, hoses, or sports gear.  If you barbecue a lot then buying a plastic charcoal dispenser is a must.  It helps to keep your charcoal dry, fresh and ready to pour from the bag and if you leave it outside its not a big deal because its rainproof.

As you can see I am a BIG advocate for this particular type of storage box. Not just for the home but for office organization as well.  No matter what you need to store, you will most likely find a plastic storage box to meet your needs. To figure out the best box for your needs think about what items you will be storing.  Some of the things to consider are how often you need to access the items, do you need to move them around and will you ever need to store more of the item? Once you’ve got an idea of what you will be storing and how much, do some online research to find the best price and storage for your project.  Now, start decluttering and get to storing!!

If you have a lot of different medications to take throughout the day then you should look at getting an automatic pill dispenser. Purchase the dispenser that has enough days and times for all of your medications. Most automatic pill dispensers come with a built in alarm that will go off at the precise time that you need to take your pills. They are usually locked and then will pop open or dispense the medication at the designated time.

You have your standard pill dispenser for AM/PM and for each day of the week. You also have large pill dispensers for those that have a hard time reading small writing. You aren’t always home when you need to take your medication, so if you want to be incognito then buy yourself a low profile dispenser that fits easily in your purse or pocket. Really, the options available today are not only endless but can be inexpensive as well. I’m not only about being organized; I’m also all about saving money.

Now, before you decide on the best toy box for your child you need to decide on two things. First, what am I going to store in it? Will it be for toys, clothes, blankets or shoes? Secondly, how big of a toy box will I need? Before you decide on the size you should really take a good look at all the toys your son or daughter has and see if you can’t donate any of them to a charity. A lot of times kids have so much clutter in their room because they don’t want to part with any toy because at that moment it’s “their favorite”. However, if you hid some of the toys they wouldn’t even know they are missing. So you really need to take some time and go through your kid’s room and find the toys they’ve outgrown or don’t use anymore and either throw them away if they are old or donate them. This will help keep their room organized and you can finally stop tripping over all their toys. When kids accumulate a lot of toys it can be very stressful for you as a parent because it seems like their room is the never ending toy storage room!

Also, remember that even though YOU know it’s something to help keep your kid’s room organized they don’t, and so toy boxes make great kids gifts as well.

• Plastic storage boxes are very durable and are great for storing items that will be kept out of plain sight. They come in many colors so you can easily pick specific colors to coordinate with. You can use red or green to store Christmas items, orange or black for Halloween, or pick clear so you don’t have to play the guessing game of what’s inside. You can use smaller plastic storage boxes in the garage to keep dirty rags in or store screws and nails. I use bigger boxes to store sentimental items like stuffed animals that were given to me by my grandparents, all my old year books and memorabilia that I’ve acquired over the years.

• Another great way to store some of your things is to use decorative storage boxes. You can find them in many different colors and designs. They come in different materials such as wicker, leather, metal, ceramic, velvet and the list goes on. Decorative storage boxes are not only used just to store items, but they can also be used as décor in your home. You can place two to three different sized boxes on top of each other and put them underneath an end table or place a small plant on top. During the holidays you can find nice decorative storage boxes to use as decorations around the house and once the holiday season is over you can store some of your holiday items in them. They now serve a double purpose. I like to use decorative boxes to store office supplies on my desk. They are easily accessible and it adds some decoration. They are also perfect to store photos, craft items, coupons or recipes in the kitchen. They are great because not only do they help you stay organized but they are a cheap way to help spice up your home.

• If you have items that you need to store outside you should look at getting wooden storage boxes. You can get ones that look decorative and can be stored on your porch and you can also weather proof them to keep the elements out. They are fantastic for keeping outdoor items safe from the weather and possible critters roaming your home. You can store outside toys, sports items like baseball gloves, soccer balls and Frisbees or even use them to store outside only shoes so you don’t bring all that dirt in the house. Smaller wooden storage boxes are also great for inside the home as you can find some really nice ones to go in your kitchen to store wines, a really nice wooden box to store cigars, and a nice box to store blankets at the end of your bed.

• Of course you have your most infamous storage box and that’s cardboard storage boxes. There’s only one situation that I associate these boxes with and that’s moving. These are great for moving however there are other types of cardboard boxes that are very useful. They are sometimes called a Bankersbox and are used for daily use and stackability. They are durable and strong and are perfect for when you are ready to purge the previous year’s files from your office/home filing cabinet. We rarely need to access our old files but we all know we have to keep them for a certain amount of time. Bankersbox’s are a portable filing cabinet that can easily be kept in storage or your garage

• There’s nothing more precious to us than our memories, that’s why getting a good photo storage box is a great idea. You can find simple photo storage boxes that you can label and keep track of past events and you can even find specific photo boxes for occasions like graduation, weddings, baby showers and the holidays. When buying a photo box you want to make sure that its made from acid-free materials which will help neutralize airborne pollutants that can discolor and ruin your photos. Also, make sure you get a big enough photo storage box so that all your photos can fit properly. If you purchase a box that is too small you will end up with bent or crinkled photos.

As you can see there are many types of storage boxes for every situation. Most types are fairly inexpensive and can make organizing items around your home a quick and easy process.