Whether you live in an amenity-packed, 900-square-foot apartment in Tulsa, Oklahoma for only $580 a month, or a bathroom-less micro-apartment in NYC's West Village that's a tenth of that size yet more expensive, one truth remains:
We could all benefit from having a little extra space in our homes for the things we love, without having to spend an arm and a leg on renovations. Here to make that a reality for you are these 10 easy DIY storage hacks that cost under $30 each.
1. Repurpose A Shoe Organizer
Credit: Brit + Co
Raise your hand if you know what a shoe organizer is. Now use that same force to hang one on the inside of your bedroom door or closet door and you've got 20 convenient storage pockets. They're big enough to toss in your hair dryer, curling iron, brush, makeup, hair spray, eyebrow pencils, and other small objects that you'd rather not step on.
Balls are fun to throw and jump in. But they're exponentially more fun when you use them to display your high school, college, and pro sports pride.
What you'll need: wooden ball knobs, tacky glue, twine, and 3M Command strips.
What you won't need: any guesswork because The DIY Village laid out these simple hat storage instructions for you.
3. Stack Your Beverages
Credit: Lifehacker
Just like your apartment could use more space for the things you love, so could your fridge. And because nothing screams party foul like a rogue beer bottle that rolls out of the fridge and shatters everywhere, prevent that nightmare by clipping a binder clip to your fridge's wire shelf. Bidding adieu to spilled brew has never been easier, or cheaper.
You don't need studies to tell you that too much screen time can be bad for your health. (But if you do, here's one study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.) If you're feeling like an insomniac because of all your late-night social media and Netflix binging, a digital detox might just be the remedy you need.
Make a cork board calendar so that you can store your concert tickets, bills, wedding RSVPs, and other important reminders in obvious, analog sight.
5. Upcycle The Bottles From Storage Hack #3
Credit: decoratrix
After you're done storing the liquid from storage hack #3 inside your stomach, wash the bottles and upcycle them, along with a small wine crate, into a rustic storage solution that encourages you to play horseshoes with your beautiful bangles and bracelets.
6. Help Your Bike Defy Gravity
Credit: Handarbeiden
Owning a bike is awesome, unless it eats half of the space in your apartment. Investing in bike storage is also awesome, unless it eats half of your paycheck. Good thing wood pallets exist and don't mind being reused.
Nail a wood pallet into a wall, nail two hooks into the pallet, and the result is one of the cheapest bike storage solutions for tiny apartments that you'll ever find.
How cheap?
Nearly free if you search Craigslist. Or you could ask an independent hardware, garden, or power equipment store owner if they have one to spare.
Who knew your favorite childhood toy could double as a versatile and cheap storage option for easy-to-misplace items?
Use Sugru to stick a flat LEGO piece to any table. Then press your favorite character against that piece and attach a brick (preferably one with a whole in its side) to create a whimsical storage solution for your keys and cables that tend to disappear or tangle often.
8. Store Your Stuff Like A Bee
Credit: Jennifer Perkins
Have you ever wondered why beehive honeycombs are hexagonal?
Us neither. Until now.
Bees build their honeycombs in that shape because hexagons create the maximum amount of storage space with a minimal amount of material and when placed side by side, are structurally stronger than other shapes. So, consider borrowing bees' intellect and turn your hexagonal gift boxes into vibrant wall storage that's perfect for showing off tiny plants, which are scientifically proven to reduce your stress. Bees are geniuses.
9. Use Cardboard To Organize Your Mail And Papers
Credit: makedo-able via instructables
Sure, bills never end, junk mail overstays its welcome, and papers seem to scatter themselves across your kitchen counter or desk every so often. The good news is that you can quickly free up that space for something you actually want to see, such as a framed picture of you and your significant other, by building a desk tray from cardboard that you were originally planning to recycle.
10. Increase Your Closet Space By 6X
Credit: chwbcc via instructables
A huge closet is difficult to come by without shelling out some serious cash, especially for apartment dwellers who live in expensive cities like NYC. Show your landlord who the boss really is by using S hooks and utility chains to hang six times more shirts than you normally would. This leaves more space in your closet to store shoes, pants, skirts, jewelry, and other accessories. Or your newfound happiness that you just can't contain.
Try one, or all 10 of these DIY storage hacks, and enjoy the extra space that you didn't know you had until now. Just be sure to tell us about it in the comments below!
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