We have all spent so much time in our homes recently that we’ve become obsessed with better ways to store and organize everything!
But buying fancy bins & cabinets is expensive, and there is no need!
This bumper list of DIY Storage & Organizing Ideas has been compiled with a few categories in mind. So, whatever junk you have to reuse, you’ll surely find some inspiration for tidying!
I got inspired to put this list together after I spent a good week organizing my own sewing room and home office as part of a major re-organization effort. I managed to do it without spending money, and I bet you can, too!
Below, you will find storage solutions under the following categories – scroll down to find the one you are after!
- Upcycled Cereal Box Storage & Organizing Ideas
- Organizing with Cardboard Boxes
- Thrift Store & Salvaged Organizing Ideas
- Upcycled Wood turned Storage
- Upcycled Packaging as Storage
- Upcycled Denim Jeans Storage Solutions
- Decorating Plastic Storage Bins

This bumper list of DIY Storage & Organizing Ideas are all low to no cost! Use upcycled and repurposed items to tidy up, save space and get organized!
Upcycled Cereal Box Storage & Organizing Ideas
Check out the many ways you can repurpose empty cereal boxes to get yourself organized!
I used cereal boxes to make these cute magazine holders as part of my huge sewing room makeover.
You can also cut down your cereal boxes and make a short desk tidy with them!
This is a similar idea to the cereal box magazine holders above. This is more of a divided desk organizer but still using cereal boxes that you would otherwise recycle.
I love this no cost drawer divider idea from Apple Green Cottage. You can use any kind of cardboard packaging plus leftover wrapping paper and create the sectioned off drawers of your dreams!
Similar to the idea above, this is another take on making drawer dividers using cardboard and wrapping paper.
Organizing with Cardboard Boxes
We all have too many cardboard boxes - repurpose and redecorate them to create a super personalised storage solution for your home.
I made a cardboard bookcase / bookshelf thing for my son to fit in a very specific spot in his room.
Cardboard is sturdier than you imagine it will be and because you can cut it, you can make your bookcase fit wherever you need it to!
This DIY Photo Display Board is made using cardboard from my recycling bin, leftover fabric and some twine I already owned. I use it to display my son's photos in his room but you could also use it as a mood board, or to do board in your home office.
These gorgeous drop cloth covered cardboard boxes from Houseful of Handmade give a very satisfyingly clean look to any cupboard.
This is another version of a fabric covered cardboard box with a lid.
Cute DIY Storage Boxes - that will win you additional storage space
A similar idea to above but on a much larger scale. Once again they are no cost and use cardboard boxes from your recycling and leftover wrapping paper you probably already have taking up space in your home!
A cute idea from Oranized 31 is to upcycle a sweater to turn a plain cardboard box into some expensive looking storage.
This is another way to decorate a cardboard box and turn it into attractive storage - this time using a bit of fabric and rope to disguise it!
Even more ways to cover a cardboard box in fabric - this time with handles!
This is a great idea for using cardboard boxes as fabric bolts to organize your sewing room. When I re-organized my sewing room I opted for folding my fabric instead but if I had more space I would definitely be trying this!
Thrift Store & Salvaged Organizing Ideas
These next group of storage ideas are all about looking afresh at some of the items you might find in a thrift store or even in your own attic!
Could that piece of furniture or picture frame be used in a different way?
Do you remember CDs? I see so many CD towers going unsold on second hand sites - they truly are something that has become obsolete!
That's why I love this rustic farmhouse upcycle of a CD Tower by A Crafty Mix - talk about a new lease of life!
This is one of those fun ideas that involves just looking at what you have a little differently. This DIYer flipped some vintage sewing machine drawers a different way and discovered she could decorate them and hang them as craft paint storage.
What do you have lying around that you could look at in a different way?
Every fancied a secret hiding spot? This idea is all about repurposing a book cover to make a hiding spot for valuables - pop it on the bookshelf and your bits and pieces will be hiding in plain site!
This repurposed entertainment cabinet makes the perfect luxury shoe rack - and you'll need an upcycled shoe rack after spending all your money on all those shoes!
This cute jewellery organizer was made by Paula of Virginia Sweet Pea out of an upcycled piece of furniture she found - probably a headboard or the back of a dresser.
So lovely to be able to keep the detail on show.
This is a cute repurposing idea from a salvaged item. It involves using an old rusted toolbox, giving it legs and using it as a rustic farmhouse bathroom storage caddy. Such a unique piece!
A thrift store frame gave the perfect base for this DIYer's mini pegboard. A great solution if you want the pegboard look but don't have the space to fill a wall with it.
Sometimes all you need to keep your space tidy is to designate separate spaces. This picture frame upcycled into a jewellery tray gives a defined space for dumping the days jewellery when you are too tired to put it away!
A great way to keep the mess contained!
This repurposed drawer to book shelf makeover is super cute and gives the room a really unique and modern feel.
Reuse an unwanted cup rack to keep pots and pans out of your drawers freeing up more space for other things.
Another artful repurposing exercise. This metal trunk became some rolling storage for DIY tools that the owner didn't want to be on show in her space.
This blogger turned an ordinary table into a craft table with storage - a great way to hide all the bits and pieces when the play is done.
Upcycled Wood turned Storage
From pallets, to old doors and crates. There is so much you can do by upcycling unwanted wooden items and turning them into a quirky storage container.s and organizing solutions.
I used an off cut from a pallet and some unused drawer knobs to make this handy face mask organizer for my front entryway.
Along the same lines as above I decided to adapt the idea by making a low level coat rack for my kid's from another off cut of the same pallet - they love it!
I've mentioned that because of my day job I get loads of pallets building up in my back garden!
I've used them for wall art and a face mask organizer (see above) but I'm itching to try this idea for making a crate out of a pallet from the DIY Nuts.
How to Upcycle a Cutie Crate into Vintage Trunk and Stop Your Entryway Clutter
Holly from Pink Fortitude made a clementine crate look like a vintage trunk to store clutter in her entryway. What's even more amazing - it was her first ever upcycling project! Go Holly!
This is a fab idea to repurpose some wooden bifold doors into rolling storage boxes.
This is a brilliant space saving solution using an old wine crate as a printer stand. It also gives that lovely farmhouse decor look too!
How to Upcycle a Craft Liquor Box into an Adorable Craft Organizer
Reese at Compost and Cava adapted this wooden cocktail crate into a cute craft organizer. You can use any wooden wine or spirit crate for this project.
Yet another creative reuse of a wine crate - we know what all the DIYers get up to on the weekend now don't we?
Upcycled Packaging as Storage
From plastic takeaway containers to tin cans and even trays designed to hold cookies - you can repurpose almost anything and decorate it to fit your space.
The trick is to look at the shape of the items in your recycling bin - not what they look like....you can change that!
These decoupaged takeaway bowls make great trinket dishes for jewellery, keys or loose change.
Susan from Organized 31 had this genius idea to use the plastic divider tray from a box of cookies to store her washi tape. A brilliant craft room hack!
Another item that is constantly in our recycling bins is tin cans .With a little clean up and some decorating they can store loads of different craft supplies like Sustain My Craft Habit has done here.
These tin can organizers are super pretty - using decorative scrap book paper to get them to completely match the rest of the decor!
Turn any container from your recycling bin into pretty storage using fun patterned duct tape. You could also use wide washi tape!
This cute idea uses lots of different shaped thin cardboard packaging boxes from your recycling bin to rethink your 'junk drawer'. In this case it was a kitchen drawer but you could adapt the idea to suit your space too.
This is a fab storage solution using a cut off plastic jug for craft supplies. You'd never recognize it would you?
Similar to the cardboard box upcycles above this method uses just one size of box - one that many parents will have a lot of - diaper boxes!
Add to your storage box collection as your child grows! By the time they are toilet trained you'll have pretty boxes in every room!
In a similar vein I used the diaper bin (nappy bin where I am) refill cassettes to make a fabric wrapped soft toy tidy.
These cute painted mason jars can be used to tidy up in loads of areas of your home. They'd be super cute in a bathroom for cotton balls or use them to store jewellery or even craft supplies!
Upcycled Denim Jeans Storage Solutions
You all know I love upcycling jeans - my current obsession is making quilts with them! But if you want to start a bit smaller then using your old jeans to tidy up your space is a great place to start.
These cute fabric baskets are made from old jeans. Heather handmade has a lovely tutorial.
If you need help cutting your jeans up first head to my post here - but ignore my instruction to cut of the cuffs as that won't work for this project!
Another take on denim storage bins from upcycled jeans.
Everyone loves peg boards these days! Aren't these denim pocket organizers cute hanging on their little peg board?
Another way to use even more pockets from your old jeans is to make a massive pocket wall organizer like this one from PIcture Box Blue.
Decorating Plastic Storage Bins
Stop before you throw out your ugly plastic storage bins!
You can rescue them from their fate by spending a little bit of time prettying them up!
You'll fall in love with them again just like I did with my plastic bins when I made over my sewing room!
As part of my massive sewing room/ home office overhaul I covered my plastic bins with beautiful scraps of wallpaper and easy homemade labels.
Amanda from Crafts by Amanda has redecorated some boring plastic drawers which instantly makes the space look tidier than before.
I did something similar in my own sewing room makeover when I used wallpaper to hide the contents of my clear storage boxes.
Yet another way to make plain plastic storage drawers both more attractive and more functional - this time using numbers to help you figure out what goes in each drawer.
This is another take on decorating a plastic bin you might already own and making it much more pleasing to the eye and therefore much easier to get in the habit of using to keep tidy!
I hope you’ve been inspired by these storage and organizing ideas to make some changes in your own space using the things you already have. You really don’t need to buy new to get tidy!
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Michelle Leslie
Thursday 18th of March 2021
OMW, so many free and almost free ways to organize stuff. Thanks so much, Kristen. There's a whole bunch here that I'd love to otry
Kristen Hubert
Thursday 18th of March 2021
Fab Michelle! So glad you liked it!
Michelle | Thistle Key Lane
Wednesday 17th of March 2021
So many unique storage ideas I haven't thought of! Thank you for sharing my pot rack! Hugs!
Kristen Hubert
Wednesday 17th of March 2021
Thanks for contributing Michelle! Fab Idea! Glad you liked the post too! x Kristen