Shoeboxes, one of my favorite organizing supplies
Having organized for over 30 years, I am thrilled with all the new products that are available. And, it is fun to reflect upon the “standards” - those items I have been using for quite a while. One of the items I have used for the longest period of time are shoeboxes.
“I was shoeboxin’ when shoeboxin’ wasn’t cool…” Once upon a time, shoeboxes were just for shoes. But they were sturdy and rectangular, so I found all sorts of ways to use them for keeping collections organized. I even used the lids by themselves to organize inside drawers and as “pull outs” (before we could get customized pullouts) for lightweight items on shelves and in smaller cabinets.
Sometimes we used them as is, sometimes we covered them with contact paper, painted them, or decoupaged them with excess memorabilia (photos, postcards, etc.) In fact, one of my favorite “vintage” box decorating projects was the tea box I covered with family photos, filled with a variety of tea bags, and sent to my mom when she was downsizing and could not bring every single box of tea with her. (Yes, I come by my tea obsession honestly.)
But back to shoeboxes. Now of course, we can get them made of metal, acrylic, wood, wicker, plastic and many other materials. There are so many beautiful options we don't need to decorate them any more, but we sometimes still do as part of our photo organizing service. We find, sort, and preserve family photos, and sometimes that includes creating a beautiful shoebox of specially curated photos & memorabilia for each family member.
And, shoeboxes are great for shoes, too! And for refrigerator organizing, tools, art & craft supplies, etc. They allow us to individually store, see, stack, and protect a variety of items. Although they are just one of the many supplies we use, we use them daily, and would be happy to bring a stack over and create a customized system for you to help you decrease your stress and clutter and increase your peace and productivity.
Pinky Jackson is an Organizing Consultant in Louisville, KY. She also travels and does virtual organizing to help individuals, families, nonprofits and business get and stay organized. To schedule your complimentary consultation, go to https://www.pinkyjackson.com/
