This article provides essential steps for organizing and storing home decor efficiently. The first step is to assess your current situation and consider sorting and decluttering. The article also discusses the importance of choosing the right storage solutions, creating a designated space for each item, labeling and maintenance, and creative storage solutions for small spaces.
Creating kitchen storage zones is a popular method for organizing items in different areas of the home. Traditionalists may suggest hiding everything away in cabinets, linen closets, bins, and baskets, but creating a designated space can be more effective.
To organize your kitchen, start with cabinets and closets and work your way up to tackling an entire room. Group similar items together by type or finish, such as books, vases, linens, and artwork. Take everything out and look at it before reorganizing. To save time, create donate and trash bags or bins and purge as you remove items.
Home decor organization tips include dedicating a space to hold all décor, rounding up all décor, sorting everything into categories, and purging. Regularly sort, declutter, and reorganize to keep like items together and address seasonal home decor. Store decor in plain bags and store two to three pillows per large vacuum-seal storage bag in a large suitcase that is stored in a basement closet.
It’s important to always purge first to avoid “organizing” things you don’t need. Access your space for storage and use storage solutions to maximize your storage capacity.
📹 Organized Home ~ Storage Organizing ~ Home Decor Organization ~ Organize with me ~
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📹 How I Store Decor | Decor Storage Tips | Organize My Decor Closet with Me!
With the changing seasons my decor storage has gotten out of hand! Come along with me as I show you how I store decor, …
I SO appreciate that you made this article! I am personally extremely encouraged by what you shared! More than you could ever imagine! I have really struggled with getting SO far behind with having health issues, lack of energy and then motivation…that is So needed to take on organizing and categorizing what needs to be sorted! ❤
you surprised me! I did not know that anyones basement could look like mine. over 30 years ago I cleaned out, donated more than I kept. It was the best decision. Good success canning. You grow up Amish, therefore you will have a super productive vegetable garden, hahaha, surrounded by flowers, right? I wish you His Blessing for this upcoming season. I visited Holmes County many years ago and appreciated the lush Fields and Gardens every Farm seemed to have. Greetings from New Hampshire
I love to declutter and organize-it’s one of my favorite things to do. Saying that, I loved your article and appreciate your willingness to show the before. I could never judge you or anyone for a cluttered space because I have had such spaces in my own home. I’m pretty sure most of us have had such a space at one time or another. May God continue to bless you and your family.
I’d put the pillows on the top shelf because they are so light. Then you’d have more useable shelves for the heavier items below. Yes, we called it the fruit room.. my parents had a huge cabinet in the basement where my mother stored her home canned fruits and veggies along with her unused canning equipment and supplies. It was always full. I remember she’d ask us to run down and get a jar of beans or raspberry sauce. My favorite was the raspberry sauce which I still make to this day. I don’t can it, just eat it. She had peaches, pears, plums, apricots, blueberries. That’s when you could buy a crate of fruit for $2.00 so it was economical to can. We had a huge garden and grew our own vegetables and raspberries. She’d also make different kinds of jams and jellies and syrups. She was a marvelous cook and a wonderful mother, an overall kind and gentle woman.
When I was growing up, we had a “fruit cellar” under our front porch that naturally maintained a consistent temperature of about 50-55degrees. My Mother stored all her canned fruits and vegetables, as well as a couple bushels of Northern Spy apples in the Fall, as they would stay cool and fresh for her wonderful apple pies.
Oh Mary again, you hit home again. My son got married last October and everything from all that ended up in a space in our basement. You have inspired me tomorrow to clean and organize the space. Don’t think you are alone in your struggle for time, we all have our seasons where we have to reset. Thank you for reminding us all again to jump in and get it done.
It’s actually gratifying to see that every room in your house is not picture perfect and that you have some of the same disorganized spaces that we all have. And it’s inspiring to watch you tackle those spaces with shelving that looks fairly easy to put together and doesn’t cost an arm & a leg. It makes me feel that cleaning up & organizing my disaster of a basement is possible and that I better get to it. Thanks for the push to get going on it!!
We called our basement storage the canning room, it was always full of things Mom canned. I enjoyed the organization, it’s nice to know that someone as well organized as you struggles a little bit too. I love your new items, I’m going to head to Etsy before everything I want sells out! Thank you for everything you do!! ♥️🙏🏻
Nice article of organization. Something I need to do as well. I love your large “fruit room”. I do like these kinds of articles, but I think my favorites are you working in your yard bc you have a beautiful landscape and I love when you refurbish furniture. But I do watch ALL your articles regardless. God bless you and your family Mary.
Always interested in organizing and decluttering articles. I have similar shelves that I bought at Walmart unfortunately, I placed heavy ceramic pieces on the top shelf and one day the entire shelving unit came crashing down. So maybe that was the universe’s way of telling me to declutter. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this article. At this time I am dealing with the same issue. Yes, I feel bad thinking how does it get like this. But, I have opened a booth and I have been able to supply it with items I no longer want. Yes, I do a lot of negative talk to myself about myself. But, then I thought I have a lot going on and I just need to put action to my goals and enjoy the process. Thank you for showing and sharing this because I think a lot of us have the same issues and helps to see how others keep it going and tackle the issue. Always enjoy your articles. So much inspiration every time.
Mary never feel embaressed about your space, with your creativity I can see why you keep a lot. You can make something special out of anything. We also called our room in the basement a fruit cellar and probably still would if I had one. Love all that you do. Thanks for sharing. ❤from New Brunswick Canada
This article made me feel so much better! I. Always in awe of your simple minimalist style but with all the things you bring out to change up seasonally. I have nearly everything out all the time! 😂 so to see your storage was muddled was a huge relief! It looks better now it’s organised and you’re wise to get some stores together in these uncertain times. Stay safe.
The house my parents had when my sister and I were little had a clothes chute. I remember it getting stuffed up. My mother would go to the basement and poke the clog with a broom handle while my sister and I would drop canned goods on top of the clog till it was freed. Not sure how much we helped but it was fun.
I am trying to comment for the second time…. Lovely ❣❣❣and honestly if we are honest we all do this from time to time with hart felling in honesty ……. .Thank you for your simple but peaceful for the soul inspiration 😍 thumb up Mary👍 i knowing for the canning ….can’t wait …. but the garden has to GROW first 😅 love (( makeitmake ))she as a hamish up bringing as well . With the prices going up … thank you Mary to sharing your canning experiences in advence by for now Nicole 💌
I love to watch people organizing. I love doing that, and I try to do it beginning of the year. And this year, I am going thru all or most of my rooms, and have thin out what I have not used at all, or will not use. Trying not to hold onto anything. I love stationary and office supplies, and I had so much to go thru to donate. Never used. So that can be something you can do every start of the year, to help you and to encourage us at the same time. Enjoyed this vlog.
I love this article. I, too, am disorganized, unfortunately in every room in my house. I’m just so overwhelmed and devastated by it all. Seeing even you actually dealt with this, too, has given me such inspiration and feelings of ok I can do this. I have accumulated so much stuff over the years. So thank you for showing your before and after. I’m going now to start tackling this mess. Pray for me. ❤
I LOVE organizing and decluttering articles. I clean homes and help people organize and declutter as well. It’s good for the soul. Moving items to different places in the home to organize is a great way to take inventory of what we have. Weed out things we no longer use. I do this seasonally. A bin fan myself. Containment of like items is always a good thing. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait until you share any canning!
I love organizing articles! I’m not a fan of ” clean with me” but I love organizing and decluttering ! 😁. Your spaces look great and I’m sure you feel a sense of lightness now. I know it will be hard to do, but you may need to consider painting over the wall map as that’s adding visual clutter and would those curtains work in that room? Great job Mary!👏🇨🇦
I understand how things get disorganized quickly. I like to organize and like to get ideas from others. I’m always up for a new idea. Keep them coming. Also, l’d like to know if you have any ideas on storing artifical flowers/plants and how to keep them from collecting dust while being stored. I have some nice life like plants I would like ideas on storing. I switch plants out with the seasons.
I’m working on reorganising and sorting out my things too right now so this was very satisfying to watch! 😊. We have metal shelf units but it’s the second time today that I’ve seen those black plastic ones and thought how handy they would be. Wish I had a store room, just have a stuffed basement and too cold garage that limits its use. It would be so nice to get everything sorted out. Thank you for the inspiration! 💕😊
Must be the time of year for reorganization…I put a couple bookcases in my kitchen permanently as a pantry with glass doors on top and solid on the bottoms….love how clean and crisp everything turned out! Will work on my fruit cellar when it warms up a bit more here in Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 cuz the pantry and fruit cellar go hand in hand 👏🏻😻
Root cellar, that’s what we call ours. It’s REALLY important to grow more & preserve esp this year. I’m doubling my garden space, but also have an Amish farm where I buy produce that I don’t have space to grow. Been canning 29 years. Nothing better then opening a jar of veggie soup from our garden in the dead of winter to eat with some homemade rolls. I buy all my kitchen staples from the Amish market in bulk. I have 5 gallon buckets of flours & sugar, etc. I vacuum seal jars for dry goods too. Goes well with my dehydrated goods
I love the can “shtop “room that’s what we called it. Because of your YouTube and the business you have I’m sure you have more things but we understand why. I enjoy baking,gardening and canning but no thanks to thrifting and garage saling. We are all different. Today I took down my red and pink thinks and put up some green things just using what I have. Thanks for the inspiration.
I put steel shelves in my DR, which we don’t really use. After Christmas, I rearranged those & my pantry room shelves, which is where I store all my canned goods. I have 2 sets of those black heavy duty shelves too. Love them. I have all my crockpots & things on one, prepper pantry items on another one. You can load them up too.
We had a canning closet under the basement stairs 🙀 it was a nice closet just a dark area getting there, with cobwebs very little light to get there. I need to organize my Tinyhouse. I just went back to quilting 🙀, I knit, read, and don’t forget the woodworking tools. Thanks for the push💞🙏🧁☕ Ok, ok I love the new prints, 💞💞💞🎉🎊🎉🎊🙋♀️
I see a few youtubers are going to a retail store type set up for decor. It’s very smart if one is a seasonal decorator. You’ve inspired me to reorganize into bins by season so it’s more manageable and everything is set up for success. Love the website…fruit room looks good. (I have a fruit closet because we’re empty nesters).
Mary, I thought I was the only one whose place looked so disheveled. My basement looks the same, plus I am growing food. My upstairs is the same, garage, and attic. Thank you. You have given me an incentive to get at it, and I love all the great ideas. Love the stuff in the store too. Thank you for ALWAYS being so inspiring and encouraging ❤️
Please don’t be embarrassed, I’ve seen much worse and you did a good job organizing and tidying up! The wood banner hangings you all made are beautiful! Blessings and joy to you and your family. I always look forward to your articles, no matter what you do! It’s just nice to see you! Hoping Spring arrives soon to stay! My daffodils in NE Indiana are 4″ high, but my mother’s in NW Ohio are about to bloom! 🥺
It’s so funny organizing is your topic this week! I’m the only one home this week and I’ve been going through things and donating like crazy! 😂 I absolutely adore your website Mary and find myself, late at night, binge perusal the older articles. Just an Etsy question, when will you have the peach nectar wax melts in stock? I ordered some holiday ones and just love them!
It is so gratifying to see the before and after picture of your room organizing. I wish I had taken pictures of my own “before’s” so I can appreciate the “afters” of my own organizing! But that would add clutter to my cloud storage! 😂I totally agree with the addition of those shelves that snap together. Affordable and helpful. I actually prefer the new hanging art without the rope as I think it might be awkward looking unless one has relatively high ceilings. I’d have liked to see them hung, I guess, rather than being held up. They are so attractive!
Hey y’all–don’t forget to hit that thumbs up (Like) button for Mary. It helps her and it helps us to not miss a article. Mary, I love organizing articles and this was especially good for me. I need to get in gear and get my “extra decor” organized so I can see what I really have-it’s scattered all over the house in different closets and drawers, etc. Thanks for a great article.
Love your article today! Thank you! We have been retired almost 3 years now and we are currently on our second whole house downsizing. We have been sorting all our stuff and organizing and we have been simplifying 50 years of saved items. I love my shelves and clear totes. Everything stays less dusty, easy to dust and clean and you can see items when looking for them. We are trying to decide between a yard sale or donating to our local thrift shop…..your article today has given me a boost in our project! Thanks again!
Mary I would be happy to watch you cut the grass! 😁 nothing you do is unwatchable or boring in the slightest, it’s all very welcome indeed. I have those exact same shelfs for my extra storage 🤦♀️ and I could do with another 5 or so…🤣 its impossible to be a creative person and not gather items as it goes hand in hand. Very wise with the canning this year as apart from it being handy to just go and pick what you fancy, if the u.s is anything like the uk at the moment half the shelfs are bare as we are not getting the food in the country. No tomatoes or salad at the moment, or very little! I saw some cress today and several well overpriced cucumbers! I think its going to get worse so to have your own storage and supplies are going to be invaluable! I shall be growing all my veg and salad again once the frost has gone. Love the signs 😊👍
there is nothing quite so pretty as a pantry / fruit room full of food you put by with your own hands. I hope your garden is very successfull next year. It was good to see your organizing quandries, and your solutions. I’d say I’m “disorganized,” and like you, I’ve let some areas go bad, so to speak. Some are VERY bad! Just discovered your website recently. I really enjoy it. Thanks.
Hi Mary, we have an entirely different culture over here in Australia. The younger people tend not to store nor recycle as in donate. They just dump stuff. I try not to hoard and will donate. I do however love antiques and like you, are nostalgic and have had to train myself not to buy unless I ‘need’. No ‘wants’ involved. Although I have a 5 bedroom home I still don’t have enough room for storage. Do you have mice plagues over there? We do over winters. Consequently, we can’t store things like our camping equipment in the garage. Lucky there is only the two of us, so I stash that kind of thing in the wardrobes. I really enjoy perusal you exploits. Oh, I keep my collection of kero lamps on to of my fridge. They are more for decoration as I haven’t used any of them for nearly 20 years. Keep up the good work and stay safe
Because of Etsy shipping fees, I do not even go to website. I am interested in your candles and soaps as well as other projects, but I am not willing to pay stupid HIGH shipping fees. I worked where I had to ship items out, so I know how much it costs, and I know how to go to FEDEX, UPS, DHS, etc websites to calculate shipping costs, I am willing to pay a fair share, but not overprices shipping prices. Hope you figure out another way to sell your products.
You did a great job on that map! You’ve accomplished quite a bit. In Canada we call them fruit cellars. We didn’t have one in my parent’s house (now over 100 yrs old). We would just keep canned goods on shelves in the basement. Any apples we picked from the orchard would go under the front porch via the little access door in the basement.
Hello Mari, I love your articles,so glad I came across them. You have a beautiful home & family. I’ve been to walnut creek with my church ladies in the past and we love it there,such beautiful counryside,would like to go back some day. P.S. I love the poster pieces and think the rope finishes them off perfectly😊
I couldn’t believe you were doing this particular article when I was avoiding exactly this job by ‘seeing what Mary was up to on You tube’. 😆 So ‘thank you so much!!!’ for the motivation. You put me to shame with the tiny scope of my job compared to the understandably huge job you had. I’ll get right to it as soon as I finish perusal.
Mary, I was so excited seeing you so excited about shelving units and organizing. I claimed a room in our current basement and filled it with several heavy duty racks and two rolling racks. We just bought a home we’re renovating and I’ve already designated the space I want for crafting and keeping my racking system!!!! My husband is very tolerant of my collecting, and you’re very right about always have items to decorate for the seasons. Blessings to you and your family.
Everyone I know {Utah} calls those rooms a “cold storage room”. And, if someone is building a home they put it in the basement level under the front porch area so all the walls are concrete, no windows, just a small vent for air circulation {covered by a mesh so bugs don’t get in}. I go to Parade of Homes Shows all the time all around the state and that’s what the builders call them also. Thank you, I love your articles!
Hi Mary love your website I still go back to your bathroom make over three years ago that’s when I first saw this small women putting up a wooden beam above her shower and I said what shes amazing 😍. I’ve been perusal ever since 🤣.I even have my husband perusal too.keep up the great work God bless you and your family.
Oh I need to do this in the worst way, I’m unorganized, disorganized and have a big mess 😏 What really made me happy is that you are going to grow and preserve food, I worry about people that aren’t concerned about the future and aren’t doing anything to prepare ! That’s why I’ve gotten in such a mess, so busy prepping, canning, gardening, working and doing it all alone, piling stuff instead of taking time to build shelves 😏 I hope all is well with the disaster in Ohio, your safety and affect on your rentals is concerning ! Blessings
You wanted comments, I’ve learned from professional organizers thst the way we can keep a space organized is by putting likes with likes ( cups with cups, cans with cans, panta with pants) to give it a designated permanent home. That way even in the dark you can find it because it’s it’s home. Another thing I’ve learned is to periodically revise the space by purging. If I buy something, I have to really, really need it or really, really like it. And when I bring it home, I have to get rid of something to replace with the new item. Another words substitute not add if it makes sense. I’m applying these principles and is working. Hope it works for you. Thank you for sharing your life with is. I admire you and learn a lot from you also.
We had a “cold room” growing up where we would put canned fruits, jams, pickles, chicken, and all our root vegetables from our huge garden. I remember several hot days during the summer where there was an assembly line for blanching peas and beans and putting them in small plastic bags for the freezer. I hated all the prep work, but sure enjoyed all the preserves and veggies during the winter!!
Mary, as always, so encouraging and inspiring. I have been working on gathering my decor items and putting them on shelves in my garage. Then as seasons change, I can shop my decor. I love that you keep it real – all of us have areas or times where we do not put things back where they belong. Looking forward to perusal you plant your garden. I truly enjoy this type of article. Best to you and your family.
I have a couple spaces like this. Alot of heirlooms from deceased family or crafting supplies. Ive tried to organize or donate but, my mind starts going again and I cant seem to part with stuff. Help if possible with thoughts you have to separate yourself from things you love or hope to craft. I hide the area, its mentally defeating and embarrassing. I have stopped entertaining and become complacent, not doing anything. Its so overwhelming
Wow, finally had a chance to get some soaps but once I saw the shipping costs I had to decline, very sad. I know Etsy dictates a lot regarding what shipping costs are and I think that’s sad because it hurts people like you. But I can’t see spending nearly $11 on one bar of soap and one cross, that’s more than half of what those two items are combined.
Thank you Mary for this article. I am always thinking, “If only I could be like that” when perusal your articles and others. It does me good to know I am not the only person who doesn’t have things all taken care of at all times. I have a long way to go to even catch up with what you show, but I am less hard on myself just seeing that the people I admire and watch are just as human as I am. We don’t always have all the time, space and energy to have things as we would like them. Blessings to you and your family. ❤
We always had a fruit room downstairs where mom kept the vegetables and fruit she canned along with other food sttorage so I’ve always had one too. Now there is just the two of us, the shelves hold more large serving dishes. I need to sort thru that now and put more canned items. It’s nice to have in an emergency. Your basement looks great! I’ll bet you do love to walk in there. Upstairs looks organized even though you have a lot of stuff!!
Hello Mary….I did have to laugh when you were talking about showing us the “Fruit Room” and all the stuff. I think if we were all completely honest, we have to admit WE TOO, HAVE THOSE MESSY, CATCH ALL ROOMS ! 🥰 What I do to help my anxiety over the room is, I OPEN it up to my daughters and oldest granddaughter….”Take what you wish…but ask me first if I still use it” I do that about once, sometimes twice a year. It warms my heart that they want my items and are excited! They actually ask if they can put their name on items I’m still using ” in case” I change my mind! LOL!!!! My parents have a room like that ( well my husband and I live in my family home now ), but my parents called it the “root cellar” . Dad always had amazing gardens, so it had vegetables and canned items in it. My husband does restoring of pedal tractors and smaller tractors for many people, so sometimes it is now his little paint/primer room. But still called THE ROOT CELLAR…..as is the small room us kids had all out toys in was called the “Play Room” ( I’m 66 years old and #3 out of 4 kids…but many grandkids have played in there.) We still call it THE PLAY ROOM and it is our office ! LOL!! Old habit or names are hard to give up…wonderful memories ❤️❤️ Love all the new items and LOVE the wood hanging picture. I like the rope on it too!
The rope on the picture holder is cute, but some people live in a more minimalist styled home, but still like to have that pretty smooth wood effect. Maybe drill in the back some holes to hang it up on the wall would be cute too. just a thought. I loved this organizing article. Can not wait to see your canning articles coming up later in the year. Just do what you do, because we thoroughly enjoy it.
My basement is now two rooms. A home gym took over the garage area and laundry room and I put a wall up between that and the food area. I needed to keep the food area secure as well as the stairs to the upper floor that was accessible from the garage. Nerve racking worrying about anyone getting in the house from the basement. Now my food is secure. Your basement area is about the size of my food area. I’m a prepper. There’s about 4 years of food down there. The attic has the storage for my excess stuff.
Thanks for sharing this Mary. It truly is nice to see our favorite You tube creators have the same ” little secrets” as we do. It feels great to get it organized again. Also, were those window screens you had against the wall in the ” fruit room”? I never thought of taking off my aluminum screens in winter Hmmm
I always smile when I see or hear of a fruit room. I grew up with a “canning room” and Ohhhhh, the memories of delicious fruits, veggies and the absolutely BEST cubed meat!!!! NOTHING like it!!!! I just love the shelves in the storage rooms. It makes it so you can actually see what you have, making it easier to use it!
first of all, I didn’t think your disorganization was embarrasing. It’s normal actually. But what I wanted to suggest is while this may seem like more effort than you want to put out, your fruit room would look pretty a light blue. And really make you happy to come into it. I added wallpaper to the back of my utility closet. I’m not good at handy things like you are, so if I’m in there, I’m feeling a bit stressed. Having the pretty wallpaper makes me feel better. For real. And it wasn’t expensive, and it was peel and stick so easy/peasy. Thanks for sharing.
Just to let you know, interior decorators have this same problem. The messy room isn’t about you personally. It comes with your profession. You ARE an interior decorator Mary, whether you want to see yourself as that or not. Then of course you’re also a crafter/creator, a DESIGNOR Mary. You did this in your own natural way independently. Many people realize their interests & develop it through college. You just started earlier more as a young girl & completely bypassed college. If you’d gone to college for interior decorating they probably would have discussed the room or spaces you’d need to have to store seasonal pieces & things & how to categorize them & where to put them. Your’s all just kindof piled up on you to see they need attention & permanent space. Either way you could of learned that (either through college or on your own) & you did. It comes with the territory. It’s that you learned it that’s important! And since you put this on article, many of us that are like you, in how we grow our talents, learned as well about ourselves from your article.
Mary, kuddos to you for planning a garden and canning again. I love it, but when things are not organized it can take the fun out of an otherwise joyful job. Growing up we always called our room in the basement with the canned foods and potato bin, the Fruit Cellar. And my Mother always called canning jars, fruit jars. That is something I have a hard time with, when referring to them. Great organizing tips, and thanks for sharing that even a Super-woman like you have those places you don’t want to show!
The wood boards remind me of the boards I prefer to oil paint on and not canvas. Boards were used by the Great Masters back in the 1800s. You can buy them at Home Depot in very large sheets and they will cut free of charge. I prefer approx 1/4 inch thickness allowing me to insert into a frame. Thought this would be helpful.
Hi Mary – thank you for sharing your disorganizing/organizing. I am having the same dilemma in my small 2 bedroom apartment. My spare bedroom has been converted into my “wreath” room. For the past 4+ years I have been into making wreaths. Now I’ve lost interest and I have all the supplies… my room looks like hobby lobby, organized chaos, it’s weighing heavy on my mind. I need to figure out a way to clear it out. Thanks for some of your ideas. Yes, I like these types of articles! You are amazing Mary.
Hi Mary, Awww sister you just showed us you are just as “normal” as we are. Embarrassed? Never should be embarrassed for such an awesome storage room that you can go on a little shopping trip not even leaving home 🙂. You done a fantastic job re-organizing both rooms,,and yes I’m in the middle of doing the same thing. Thank you so much for taking us along. Such an inspirational article, loved it. Always loving all your products you make n sell. Here in my part of Ohio is 75 degrees right now and hope your part is the same so you can get out and enjoy. God Bless sweet friend ❤
we had a fruit room in our house. I was the area of the house that originally was used for coal storage for the furnance. I loved seeing the ‘fruits of our labor’ organized on the shelves. We spent many hours prepping and canning fruits and vegetables from our farm. It was a lot of work, but that is how we did things back then. it was worth it to have such good tasting produce even in the middle of winter.
I love to have things organized! I also have a spare room dedicated to decor storage. I love to go in that room and “shop” for decorations for whatever season it is. I love to refinish furniture so I have a couple of armoire’s and dressers that I chalk painted and I store my decorations and faux flowers in them so they gave them a purpose as well. I love to put together vignettes so I have a lot of small pieces that I keep in clear containers that I store in an armoire. I totally relate to this article. I look forward to all your articles and love them all but favorites are when you repurpose furniture or work with wood. Keep the articles coming. I enjoy them soooo much. 😊
Quite an accomplishment! I recently did something similar for my ‘stash’ and next I’m going to build a large crafting table using a piece of plywood and cubicle shelving from Idea. Suggestion on the scrolls: try one painted BLACK and do a transfer of a flower (no wording, obviously). I did one in black using the IOD transfers and really liked the way the colors were so much more vivid against black. Just love everything on your website, no matter what you film.
Wow wow on the organized areas! I took a lunch break from my own organizing in my sewing room…moved out 3 pieces of furniture to move in 1 bigger piece. When you sd, “I hope you won’t be scared.” I burst out laughing! All people who are creative hv messy zones!! I love this segment! Now on to watch the 2nd half!
Loved the vlog Mary, it’s timely for me as I have also missed having a cold room full of home canned food. I think I was just so busy with work, and kids transitioning to being married and leaving home, with the exception of making jams, I stopped canning. I’m looking forward to getting back to it. Love Your new storage room. It’s just what I need as well, my husband may not agree..😂😂😂 but he did say he loves my seasonal decor. Cheers
Great job. Maybe you already shared this but on a Q&A could you share how you and John met, please? Also, does John’s family live nearby? You are so open and honest about the Amish culture that it creates a greater understanding for me. I believe you are creating acceptance of all People by sharing. Thank you for that.
Mary, you don’t always have to be refinishing or building something. You can do these reorganizing articles and come spring/summer you can take us along while you plant, tend and harvest your gardens. This way, you can get your tasks done rather than have to make time for them. I think the majority love your refurbishing and decorating articles, but we like it all. It took me a bit to realize the last word on your cutouts was “risen”. I did purchase a cross a few days ago that said “redeemed” for a friend for Easter. She will love it.
You have inspired me!! I will be doing this shortly. I did look up the two toned curtains, but I think I saw the wrong ones b/c they were $50.00 per panel? Seems high for a single used panel. They are beautiful though. Thanks for showing us how you did this. Now that it is warmer here, I can go into the basement and begin the big clean-out!! Thanks so much.
Mary – I love all your articles… this one included! perusal someone else get organized definitely makes me want to do the same. I’m planning on being in the Cleveland area in April to visit family – most definitely going to plan a visit to Berlin and Walnut Creek on my way back home to NC. Thanks for creating & sharing your articles 💚
I really enjoy these type of articles! Gutting out, purging and organizing. Love the scrolls and the look of the new soaps! Really not digging the fact that shipping is so expensive to Canada! I’m so happy things are working out for you, you and your family are hard workers, and it’s so to see your business thrive !
Yes, I read like this kind of article. It inspires me to attack my basement. Also, the wooden scroll-type decor you were showing at the end is gorgeous. I would buy those! Your soaps look wonderful so I’ll have to try them. 😀 Gotta say Orange Peppercorn is my favorite candle scent and Garden Mint comes in a close second.
I loved seeing how you organized. We called your basement room a fruit cellar. It will be gorgeous when you have jar after jar of canned fresh veggies. I can already see the tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, corn. Maybe even some chicken or beef. Beets would be delicious. Love the scroll with the rope. The only thing I would like to see is a spindle or large dowel at the top and bottom instead of the squared pieces. Thanks Mary
I loved everything about this article! I get so inspired perusal someone organize and rearrange spaces. The fruit room would be wonderful to have for storing your canned goods. I love the wooden signs that you are making. I wonder if the company ever creates “Geraniums”, my favorite flower! The soaps look amazing. I may need to order a couple. Thank you for sharing your organizing and decluttering. A lot of work with great results. You are one of my favorites to follow!! How are the cottages doing? On my bucket list to stay in one!!
I think that was such a great idea to have a well lit organized staging room so you can quickly access things for your filming. I have a friend who has 5 of those tall shelves in her shed. She organizes by the 4 seasons, one unit per season and the 5th one for more common items like candle holders, vases, etc. I happen to think one of the most beautiful rooms will be your fruit room. My granny had a cellar lined with colorful canned food, I always thought of that room as live filled with her labor to feed and nourish her family. You are always such an inspiration!
I do love the organizing and decluttering!! Your fruit room looks so nice. It is all ready for more fruit and veggies to show up on the shelves. Thanks for sharing this!! I wish I had another bedroom to use as a store room. That would be great. I have a shed outside that I use to store things in. Picture hangers look very nice and yes, the rope would be nice. Thought…let customers choose…rope or hanger on back…would that work?
Not to worry about the glimpse into your unorganized rooms. Sweetie we all have them, glad to know you are only human too. Lol joking of course. You keep so busy with so many things its a wonder your rooms were not worse. The cleanup turned out well. Looking forward to see what you start canning. I have been through that stage in our lives when the kids were home. Now that it is just my husband and I we don’t any longer. Great article.
No judgment from me, I have some unorganized spots/spaces, but mostly my home is unorganized. We moved to a new to us home, 2 years ago, before we could get unpacked, my husband was diagnosed with terminal illness, since then I have been the caregiver for him and my grandson. It was hard to ignore the mess day after day, there was no time and absolutely no energy to even give time to think about how what I would do with all of it. Yes, too much stuff, I am decluttering, I don’t want to deal with it all now that my husband has passed.
Great motivation to organize and clean out my spaces! Your signs are beautiful! Love this look. And the transfers are gorgeous ❤ Only request, the lighting in article was really hard to see. I understand limited lighted and outdoor lighting down a basement. But maybe put on the lights…and the photography lighting would be a bonus to use in low light settings. perusal this on my iPhone…and well between all the above and my eyesight not getting any better, it would be a great help to turn on the lights! 😂
Organizing and decluttering for me is so exhilarating! I have donated many items I don’t use anymore. I feel if someone else can get some joy from my non used things, it puts a smile on my face. I do try to stay true to my “what comes in-something needs to go out” rule of thumb. I labeled all my totes of decor and craft supplies right after the holidays and purged once again as I have refined my decor style. Thanks Mary for taking us along on your organizing venture.
Judge not lest ye be judged. I too have been cleaning, decluttering and reorganizing. And I knew before you said it you would use your basement for canned goods storage, it is the perfect place. Cool and dry. My parents did the same only we had a root cellar. I see a lot of YT’ers decluttering and reorganizing as well.
Many many many years, when my children were quite Young, a new Minister moved into town with his wife and two young children, it was Fourth of July weekend so I invited them to our home. I had thrown everything that was out of place, all kinds of odds and ends into our laundry room, and shut the door. As I was showing the wife around our home she quickly open the laundry room door to my, dismay!
Yes I love the decluttering articles. It motivates me to organize my own home and I pick up some ideas that someone maybe does in their home. I’m not sure if you thrift or go to flea markets but that would be a good article too. The wood pictures are beautiful! If I may I would like to suggest something on those. Could you drill holes on the top board on each side to pull the rope through and make a knot facing the front? It may look better then hooks on the ends. Just a different idea I thought. I love the fruit room you have. It’s a nice space for vegetables, can goods and also canning supplies.😊
Hi Mary, I have been thinking about doing this same thing with my attic. My attic is the catch all for the family as well as for us. The attic is the entire length of our house,( some 80 + feet). A large area is Christmas deco some of which dates back to the. 40’s. I wish I had a room that I could use just for storage. At any rate I intend to do somewhat the same as you with the attic space. I have already started with three truck loads of things to a, not goodwill, but a church based,non profit store near us, that donate the profits to hospice in our area. I love the shelves you used and I intend to purchase some like that for my attic. Your candles and your soap is one purchase that I want to make soon. I think they would be great Christmas gifts for my grandchildren this year. Thank you and your husband for sharing your talents. Ann from Va.
On the boards top and bottom of the scroll signs, I’d prefer a bit more of a curve corner not square corners! Don’t make the ends if the boards a half circle either. Just not quit so square. The rope is good but would prefer you drill hole top to bottom then thread rope down the hole and tie a knot on the bottom! (Cheaper too) I don’t like the look of the metal circle hooks! Just my preferences and opinion! Thanks for asking for our input and suggestions.
Mary, I actually took a break from boxing up some of my home decor and organizing to watch your article. Imagine my surprise when you were doing exactly what I was! I have a bit more to go, but yes, it is so satisfying for us all to see another person being successful in something that we all struggle with! Both spaces turned out so well!
I am in the middle of tackling my craft room as well! Yours looks so much better!! But just thought I would throw out a suggestion for all those extra pillows linens etc that you put on the bottom of the upstairs shelves( if you get you a couple of the large vacuum seal bags you could put them in there and using vacuum cleaner compress them down to nothing which would provide you with a lot more space), You probably know this but just thought I would throw it out in case you just hadn’t thought about.
So nice to clean out and clean up. You inspire me to get started on some of my projects. Amazing what you find! I didn’t realize I still had some of the items!! We had a fruit room in our older home. We called it the fruit cellar. Nice you can will can your produce this year. Good luck with the garden. And, the room upstairs is now useful for you to find what you need.