How to Organize a Spice Cabinet on a Tiny Budget!

Today, I'm sharing how I organized my spice (and tea) cabinet for under $10! I didn't go out and buy any fancy jars or containers. I simply decluttered (read threw out expired stuff!) and reorganized the space. Again, I am not striving for perfection but improving function. 

Here are the cabinets before...

And here are the items I purchased for organizing.

 - slim baskets

 - under-shelf basket

 -  clear, 3 compartment organizer with lid

 

I sorted the spices by type and amount of use. 

Above the spices I added the under shelf basket to hold extra bags of coffee.

The fourth basket is one I had on hand.

*Tip* Use under-shelf baskets in your pantry (or any shelf with space underneath) to hold foil, plastic wrap, zipper seal bags etc.

I repurposed the tiered shelf riser to organize my teas.

I mainly wanted to minimize packaging. These compartment organizers are the perfect size for teabags. Each section fit about 10 bags. I also labeled the front for the teabags not individually wrapped.

I love that I can use the organizer with or without the lid!

But, since I removed the packaging I decided to cut the expiration date off the boxes and added to the back of each container. 

- I used double sided tape to attach the expiration dates. 

This new setup is perfect in my book!  The tea organizer is my favorite. I can clearly see how much of each tea I have on hand. What is your favorite part?

Budget Under Kitchen Sink Organizing

My kitchen is the first room you enter when you open the front door. So, it's only natural that clutter accumulates here. Not only is there clutter on surfaces (which there aren't a lot of), but in the cabinets as well. And while the clutter is generally kept to a minimum (because it is an open area), I know I can get a few areas tidier. 

To start I'm tackling under the kitchen sink. And, I'll warn you now, it's not pretty! But, this is real life. And until we can update the kitchen this is what I'm working with. 😜

To start, I removed everything that was directly under the sink. The shelf to the left goes into a corner and I only keep trays and large bowls that don't fit anywhere else. I did have some jars and cans I've been keeping to upcycle. Those went into a box in the basement until I can get to those projects.

With a clean slate, I started from the back right corner and worked my way to the left. 

• This shelf riser was previously used in the pantry. It fit perfectly between the water pipe and cabinet wall.

The narrow basket, from Dollar Tree is holding a roll of trash bags. The name brand roll of 45 fits in here like a dream!

And under the shelf riser are things I don't need regularly.

I kept this cleaning caddy (which is actually a shower caddy) in the front because these are my day to day cleaners.

To the left of the shelf riser I added another narrow basket to hold extra cleaners and spray bottles.

In the left hand corner I added a second shelf riser with a shallow basket underneath.

On this riser I have extra dish soap and a couple of spray bottle I use for diy cleaners.

In the basket I'm keeping extra sponges, scrubbers, and extra hand soap.

In the front left I added one more basket (which I had collecting dust in the basement) to keep our water bottles.

And finally, the space left in the front was a perfect fit for my girls' school lunch boxes. It is easy to reach, and makes our school lunch prep easy on everyone.

All in all, I only spent $4 on a few baskets and a shelf riser to take this space from cluttered to functional. When it comes to organizing, it doesn't have to be pretty and perfect, it just has to function for your needs. I hope this inspires you to take control of a cluttered space!

How I'm preparing to do a Fall Fair!

Today’s post is a little different than usual. I don’t have a tutorial to show you, but rather I wanted to share what I’ve been working on for the last month or so. Besides working on my home projects, at the end of August, I decided I wanted to apply for a vendor table at my local fall fair. I thought to myself “how fun would it be to sell my crafts”! Now, the fair is on October 21^st which meant that I had to prepare for this event in about a month and a half. Are you catching my drift?

Can you imagine the preparation that goes in to setting up a vendor booth at one of these events! Well, I’ll give you a little synopsis. First of all, you need to have products to sell. Ok, no biggie I had brainstormed a few different things I could make easy enough. Then, there’s all the other stuff that goes into making the event successful as a vendor i.e. how-to setup the booth, what displays to use, and how to prep personally. I’ll expand a little on the details but let me show you the state of my home during this process.

Please do not judge. Yes, my living room looks like total chaos! But, it’s semi-controlled chaos. If there is such a thing. Lol. Keep in mind that the living room is open to the kitchen, and the front door opens into the kitchen. But, luckily the fair is only a couple of weeks away and things will soon be back in order.

So, what am I making?

• Wreaths- because you always need a wreath! And I love that there are so many different ways to style them.

• Decorative trays- because I’m just in love with decorative trays right now.

• Mason jar organizers- because, well mason jars are just soo cute!

• Decorative vases- because as much as I like clear vases, I love to personalize them.

• Canvas monogram art- because monograms! Need I say more?

And a couple of tiered trays I made with thrift store finds.

How am I prepping?

• Working on projects late into the night, after the kids are in bed. And, no I do not get to sleep in because I’m entertaining my 3-year-old during the day.

• Shopping, shopping, and more shopping! I have to get the supplies I need to create.

• Researching

1. Booth staging: the booth should be attractive and tell a story

2. Display setup: the products should look like they are in a storefront

3. Business stuff: how will I take payments; what packaging will I need; how can people find me? (business cards)

4. Personal stuff: what to bring for myself, i.e. comfortable footwear because I’ll be standing, water/snacks

Needless to say, I have been a busy bee! Which is why I don’t have a project for you this week. But, in the weeks to come I will be sharing a series of organizing projects focusing on the kitchen. I hope you will pray for me to have a successful event! And if you follow me on social media I’ll be sharing a couple of product sneak peeks. Thanks, and God bless!

Living Simply,

Mindy✿

Multipurpose Collapsible Organizer

Today I have a very quick post for you. As my list grows with projects to complete, I've decided to add a couple of additional posts each month to share some of my easier projects. These will be projects that can typically be completed in a hour or less. A lot less chit chat, just a few pictures and quick steps, so if you wanted to do this you could easily get it done the same day.

I am using this multipurpose organizer for my trunk because I needed something that could hold my reusable shopping bags (that I'm notorious for leaving at home) and those other miscellaneous items that always end up in the trunk.

Ok let's get started.

Step 1:

used hot glue to attach one side of each fabric bin to the other. I only used the glue along the edges.

These are the Dollar Tree fabric storage bins

Step 2: 

expanded the bins and went to organize my trunk

And that's it! A two step and $3 project. It doesn't get simpler that that. Now, your probably wondering why I'm calling this a multipurpose organizer. Well, after I opened it up, I had a thought that with a little finagling you could hang this vertically in a closet and use it as a hanging organizer! What I love about this is you can add as many bins as you want to fit your need.

In addition to the organizer, I want to share this simple first aid kit I put together to keep in the trunk. I have three kids, who are accident prone (they take after me). And, with both my girls in extracurricular activities this year I have to be prepared. 

Cost $7 for everything except the ice pack (which I had on hand)

As always, thanks and God bless!

Living Simply
Mindy ✿