Saturday, August 14, 2010

Storage Solution

Are you like me?

Are you always reorganizing your craft space?

I have to do it because space is tight and I keep buying new stuff.  So to fit in the new, I must move or REMOVE the old. 

I don't have a fancy room of my own - but I have a nice space in the family area of our home that is dedicated to me and my paper mess.

I have used my existing space for about 4 years.  And I have had one Constant Irritant.

I store lots of things in the white Sterilite 12 x 12 plastic drawers from Walmart.  You know - the ones that come in a stack of three?  The problem is that I could only stack three of them together - 9 drawers.  I could ALMOST get another set on top but NOT QUITE because there was a pass through from my kitchen hanging over the space. 

Every time I reorganized I wished and wished and wished I had more drawers there.

Well, it took 4 years (and was only a matter of opening my eyes) - but I realized THIS PAST WEEK that these drawers COME APART.  As in, you can take one (or two) of the drawers OFF and attach them to another stack of three.

WHAT?

It took me 4 years to figure this out?

Yes.

I'm a dummy.

But I'm a happy happy dummy because now I have my extra drawers where I want them.  ELEVEN of them (not 12) stacked up so beautifully.  Actually two stacks of eleven drawers.

I have a lot of stuff.

I wanted to share my discovery with you just in case someone else is a big dummy too - and needs to "re-number" the drawers in their stack.

10 comments:

Pixie said...

Oh Ellen...you are too funny! Isn't it amazing that we can look right AT something and not see it. Then if you stand on your head...you see it from a different angle and with a whole new purpose. You, of all people, who can take Punch Art to such...oh, I'm gushing! I just love your twist with the Two Step Owl Punch. So glad you have re-assembled your drawers to better suit your needs. Thanks for the tip.

Pixie http://ThePixinator.blogspot.com

Carolyn Gibbs said...

Hehehe! too funny!

June K said...

Too funny. You are definitely not a dummy. Let's say your creativity with the plastic drawers took a little longer than your creativity with your punches. You are the punch queen.

Susie McCormick said...

Looks to me like you can fit one more drawer on the top of each one!!!

I figured this out a few years ago. what a great discovery!

Unknown said...

Waving hands wildly in the air cuz I'm a dummy, too!!! I had nooooo idea and have had similar issues with how many sets of drawers will fit in a space!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Ruby said...

I don't think you're a dummy, your mind was elsewhere, like fulfiling the great punch art creations you've come up with! Please keep them coming! What do you mean getting rid of things... no way we need everything we have (not including the duplicates!).haha!

Heather said...

Can your top cover come off and then connect to the bottom of another unit? Check the bottom of a unit to see if it even has the capability of going into the top of another drawer. If so, you might be able to squeeze that 12th drawer in. I have the containers, much the same as these, that are larger drawers where I store my wood mount stamp sets right now. I actually put all drawers from one unit into a second unit, to make one big tall one! I can't tell for sure just looking at the picture if you can do the same, but maybe!

Carol said...

Brilliant idea and I'm so pleased I'm not the only one that has to keep rearranging thier craft stash! lol

Carolyn Sharkas said...

I'm with you, Ellen, I don't have a room, just a space and there is never enough storage.

And you are definitely NOT a dummy, you just weren't ready to discover that until now. (I didn't know either)

hugs,

Lori in WI said...

I have had my drawers disconnect themselves from each other many times and now realize they were trying to tell me this very thing....HEY! We don't have to stack in groups of three! But, me, I would just put them back together in there groups of three and wish I could have a stack of 5 instead of six to fit under my window! THANKS FOR SHARING THIS!