Organizing the Laundry Room on a Budget

I have been working to get different spaces of the our new house more organized this last month. We have plans to eventually add custom cabinets and a sink in the laundry room to the left of the washer and dryer, but for now I just needed to get the space functional. I spend way too much time in there for it to be a mess. I used some affordable organizers to help, you can find the details below. 

1. Wall Shelving: Creates a safe holding place for cleaning supplies, fabric softener, bleach, lint rollers, and more that is out of reach of little hands.

2. Mason Jar: Having a designated place for collecting items from pockets before going in the wash keeps those small items from piling up and cluttering the space. The jar can be emptied as it fills.

3. Iron Hanger: Keeping your ironing board in place and the iron and cord tucked away makes the space much tidier. 

4. Broom Holder: Holds mops, brooms, broom pans, and dusters in place. Keeps them from falling all over and also makes them much easier to grab when needed.

5. Glass Jars: I love the look of detergents stored in large glass jars. You can also get creative with creating a cute label for the jar. I used a vinyl chalkboard label. 

6. Small Basket or Tin: To hold fabric sheets.

7. Cabinet: Hidden storage is great for hiding away smaller items in the drawer and larger below. I store two laundry baskets stacked in the cabinet. Great for grabbing when I am unloading the dryer.

8. Hamper: It is nice to have a place to toss dirty clothes and rags, instead of on the floor.

9. Light: Letting in some natural light by opening blinds can really make the space feel cleaner and brighter.

10. Inspirational Verses or Quotes: There is something to having a bible verse or favorite quote written out and in front of you to read on a daily basis. Especially when it is in a space where you spend a lot of time. Decorate your walls with something that will encourage and inspire you throughout your day!

For those of you who are interested, I thought I would include a before and after picture of the laundry room when we bought the house to now. 

Even though we haven't finished the space exactly how we want it to be...it has come a very long way! We completely demoed what was already in place, including some walls! Put up new drywall, flat textured walls, new paint, new windows, new lighting, and new flooring. 

DIY Bath Toy Tub

 

My boys love playing with lots of small plastic toys in the bathtub, and lately they've had a lot of fun playing in their sinks. The toys are usually left all over the bathroom, and our growing collection no longer fits into the container I once had for them. So I thought I would make them a new home. I used a large plastic tub that was once filled with animal crackers from Costco, a rubber ducky, yellow spray paint, and some chalkboard vinyl. You can follow the steps below to make your own. 

You will need:

-Large plastic tub with lid

-Rubber Ducky or other toy to attach to the lid

-Glue

-Spray Paint

-Chalkboard Vinyl or chalkboard spray paint 

1. Glue the toy to the lid and let dry.

2. Spray paint the lid and the toy. You will probably need to do 2-3 coats to fully cover the toy.
3. While the lid and toy are drying drill a hole or a few holes in the bottom of the tub to help water drain.

4. Cut the chalkboard vinyl to cover the old label of the plastic tub. I cut two labels using my silhouette machine to cover an old label on the front and the back. You could also cut the vinyl with scissors. Or if you are using chalkboard spray paint, follow along here.

5. Once your chalkboard label is on, fill the tub with toys and place on the lid!

Organizing Outside Toys

I finally got around to organizing the outside toys! I was inspired by a picture on Pinterest a while ago via Random Thoughts of a SuperMom, you can see the pin HERE. I loved the idea of having buckets for all the little outside toys that can get scattered all over the yard. I used my silhouette machine to cut black vinyl labels for each bucket. We bought the galvanized buckets and shelf at Home Depot. Having the buckets labeled makes finding toys and cleaning up easier for Hudson...and it looks cute too. :)