Good Things for Organizing

[Texasmujer]

RERTHINK IT:


1. BAKING SHEET BOOT TRAYS---Rectangular baking sheets make perfect receptacles for wet shoes and boots. The pans move easily in and out of cubbyholes, taking their contents out of the way. Once the shoes are dry, the pans can be washed and replaced.

2. LID-RACK MAIL SORTER---a wooden pot-lid rack is ideal for holding mail; all it needs is a fresh coat of paint. For easier viewing, place smaller items, such as letters, biills, and postcardsnear the front, and larger catalogs and magazines near the back.

3. RECCIPE STORAGE---Use photo protectors to keep recipes organized and free of spills and spatters in the kitchen. Plastic protectors are sold in a variety of sizes at office-supply stores; look for something that will accommodate recipe cards from magazines as well as handwritten ones. Ssssstore the pages in a three-ring binder.

4. MUFFIN-PAN CATCHALL---Use a shallow muffin tin to contain odds and ends. This vintage tray organizes the small stuff---pins, buttons, paper clips, stamps, keys---that fills a desk drawer.

5. GUEST SOAPS AS SACHETS---Some soaps are so intensly fragrant that they can be used like sachets to keep clothes and linens fresh and sweet smelling. Slip a bar or two of your favorite aromatic soap (with he paper wrapping on) into a dresser drawer. It will scent the contents for weeks and posssibly months.

6. WASHCLOTH BATH MITT---Turn an ordinary washcloth into a pocketed bath mitt. Fold cloth in half, and cut it to the desired length. Pin a loop of cotton cord inside the folded cloth. Stitch along the bottom and side edges, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Turn the pocket right side out, and insert the soap.

7. SLIP-PROOF HANGERS---The same felt protectors that keep scratches off woden floors keep pants on wooden hangers. At the hardware store, look for protectors measuring between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. Stick two onto each hangfer, 3 to 4 inches from the ends and over the top of the rod.

8. CHALK DEHUMIDIFIER---A bundle of chalk hung in a closet will absorb extra moisture and keep clothing fresh and dry, and takes up much less room than an electric dehumidifier. Mount a hook in the closet, out of the way of clothes or linens. Fasten a rubber band around a dozen pieces of chalk, and cover the band with ribbon, allowing emough loop to hang chalk.

9. WOOD-STAIN APPLICAATOR---If you have only a small amount of staining to do, reach for a less-expensive, easier -to-handle disposable alternative to a paintbrush: a makeup sponge. Use a corner to apply stain, then turn the sponge over, and use teh clean side to wipe away any excess.

10. TWO-IN-ONE TOOL---Convert an ordinary hammer into a rubber-headed mallet in seconds (and save space in your toolbox). For a standard-size hammer, slip a 3/4-inch or 1-inch rubber tip, called a boot (often used on furniture legs and available at hardware stores), onto the hammerhead.

11. COMB PILL-LIFTER---Rather than using a pill remover with a razor, which could damage delicate fibers, try a fine-tooth comb to catch pills and leave sweaters intact. Lay the sweater on a table, move the comb flush against the sweater, being careful not to hook the sweater itself, and gently lift the pulls away.

12. TOWEL-BAR LID RACK---Keep pots secure by installing metal towel bars inside your pantry door. Look for plain bars that stand out about 2 inches; mount them only to the rails of solid-core doors. Slide lids behind the bar so handles catch an hold the lids in place.

13. DOUBLE-DUTY PAPER---Freezer paper can do more than help keep foods fresh. Roll out a sheet on a tabletop the next time you are arranging flowers or working on a project involving a liguid that may splash. The freezer wrap has a plastic coated side that will keep moisture from seeping through and damaging wooden surfaces.

14. CANDLE PROTECTORS---Loose candles can get damaged easily when stored in drawers. Use paper-towel tubes---the perfect size and shape---to protect them. Wrap a pair of candles in tissue paper, then slip the package into a cardboard tube. Label each tube with the candles' color and length for quick identification.

15. HOMEMADE DUVET COVER---Make a comforter cover out of two flat sheets. Place sheets right sides facing each other; sew a perimeter with a 1/2-inch seam allowance, leaving one short end open; turn inside out. To fasten cover, use twill-tape ties, buttons and buttonholes, or velcro brand tape along th inside edges of the opening.

16. MATCHSTICK WOOD FILLER---When a door doesn't shut properly, it's time to tighten the hinges. Apply wood glue to the end of a wooden matchstick, then indsert the stick into the hole, and break it off. Next, simplyscrew the hings in place, without drilling a new hole.

17. PLACE HOLDER---Protect your fingers when driving a finishing nail into a tight spot, such as the edge of a piece of moulding. A small, rectangular magnet, available at hardware stores, can steady the nail for you. Use yur free hand to hold the magnet up to the nail, and them hammer it into place.

18. BUCKET HOSE STORAGE---A glavanized paint bucket makes a practical and inexpensive caddy for a garden hose and sprinkler. Drill three holes in a triangular pattern in the botton of the bucket. Depending on your wall; strengthen the cut edges of the holes with washers.

19. HOLD AREA RUGS IN PLACE---Keep natural-fiber area rugs steady on the floor s0 you won't slipor trip over them. To give some traction to a sisal or sea-grass rug, flip i over, and apply lines of acrylic-latex caulk every6 inches or so. Once completely dry, the rubbery strips of caulk will hold it securly.