Organizational/Apartment Therapy

This morning I noticed that the views in my shop had a bump, and after a little investigating I figured out why. My vintage wooden organizer was featured in Apartment Therapy, Getting Organized The Vintage Way. Being featured in Apartment Therapy is a thrill, and to be alongside shops like 26olivestreet and ethanollie (Etsy's current featured seller) gives me palpitations.

Other items featured include the above organizer tray from 26olivestreet.

This slotted organizer from alittleVintageShop was also featured. If you're interested in any of these items, be quick, because they've been going fast.

What's funny is that I had also started collecting vintage pieces to do another post on creative storage. It being January and all. And some of my picks were also in the Apartment Therapy article, like this vintage metal egg box from bellalulu. Wouldn't this be fantastic as we're all putting away Christmas ornaments and other breakables?

I'll show you my other vintage finds for storage solutions. I had to include another piece from bellalulu, because this metal bakery box was just too cool. You can put things in the top, and take them out the bottom! How cool is that? Plus its patina is perfect.

Sometimes good organization is all about labeling things well. These enameled number plates from dana1912 just may do the trick.

doodlebirdie has this lovely little sugar and spice tin, which would work equally well as a corral for hens and chicks as it would for pens and pencils.

I nearly stole a bread tin like this from my mother-in-law over Christmas. Instead I should buy this one from fadedprairie. Can't you see all your tags/cards/buttons lined up in them?

The usefulness of Ball jars cannot be overstated. I probably have 25 in my studio alone. You can buy them at your local grocery store if you want them new, or if you want them with some more personality, they range in size and color and run the spectrum from common to rare (and valuable). This trio of ball jars from findingfabulous would make a great start.

findingfabulous also has these killer milk glass apothecary jars with designs on them. Just try to tell me you wouldn't be happier with these housing your supplies.

This teal blue treasure box from happydayvintage would be the perfect solution to so many storage problems. I have three similar boxes in my studio; they mostly house tools (okay, and my grandfather's fishing tackle). But you can let your imagination run crazy with ideas for utilizing this pretty box.

I am in dire medical need of these old barn drawers from HelloVictory. All of them. Would it help if I get a doctor's note? Seriously. Infinite uses. And I love that the knobs don't all match, but they're obviously all related.

This wood butter box is deliciously handsome enough to store just about anything and still look good in your home. It's big enough to accommodate paper - I might use it for magazines or a similar "big" job.

I have something very similar to this metal box with drawers from industricalrelic. It sits in my studio and keeps paperclips, twisty ties, bits of string, broken zippers, you get the idea. I like this one better than mine, though.

Wouldn't your desk be so much more dapper with this wooden desk organizer? It's at jherrmann. Pencils, pens, scissors, letter openers, even a bundle of sticks look they would fit in there.

More fun desktop organization! This ceramic organizer from LaBellaVitaBoutique has holes to fill all of your needs. Would work double duty as a vase with a built-in frog, too.

We all know by now that I can hardly resist text, especially when it's silly words like Vrooman, and especially when it's at luckylittledot. So this wooden crate would be right at home with me.

Think of all the secret, magical things you could store in this safety deposit box from magark. I have one of these in my study, though it's hidden away to enhance the security feature.

Neatcurios has this incredible 19th century painters box with compartments. Imagine finally having a place to line up your tubes of oil paints, brushes, and scrapey implements. I use one in my studio to keep track of all those pesky things.

Hello vintage muffin tin! You would be so useful for sorting little things! And for displaying and storing! You can find it at reginasstudio.

Not having any chickens, I would definitely use this vintage chicken waterer from SarahAnntiques for a new purpose. I think its design would still have practical application in dispensing small items or liquid, don't you?

Don't you want to start up a home business with this vintage office file box from solsticehome? Set it near your desk and all your clients (or neighbors, or children, or visiting handymen) will think you are the consummate professional.

If you need to start remembering to take things with you when you leave the house, this may be the solution. StoneSchoolVintage offers this Victorian cast iron door messenger. Your keys and gift return receipts will never be lost again.

I love the warmth of copper, especially in the kitchen. I would use TheVintageSquirrel's vintage copper canisters on my kitchen counter or desk area in the kitchen, but I wouldn't count on the labels to be accurate on their contents... there could be bottle caps, rubber bands, or cheese spreaders inside.

These antique tea tins from twoangelsinparis are so amazing I had to share two pictures (above and below). First, check out the patina and rust in the first picture, and the fantastic numbers.

And look what perfect little moss planters they are! I'm sure succulents would be just as happy.

VintageO has this slide/negative storage box for those of us with slides to organize, or those of us with small things to line up. I'm thinking my handmade gift tags would be very well organized...

Last but not least, can't you see putting a variety of things in these aluminum cups? Colored pencils, crayons, grease markers, pipe cleaners, even a plant in one to shake it up? WhiteWillowVintage suggests using this dressing/condiment server as organizational storage, and I couldn't agree more. I'll take it another step further - I know exactly what my mom would do with the ladles. She would hang them and let air plants, little bunnies, and any other seasonally appropriate item perch in them until it was time to rotate the display.

But let's not get too down about not having the money to spend on all of these lovely storage devices. I bet you have similarly useful and decorative items in your home. Maybe they're in the basement, the shed, the garage, the attic, or shoved in the back of the closet behind the bowling balls. Everyone has "stuff" they aren't using, at least not for its intended purpose. Have a few tea cups inherited from a great aunt? Pull them out and let them display your pebble collection. The milk crate in the garage can hold junk mail near the door. An old flower pot can be the utensil holder in the kitchen. It's easy to shop online for things you love, but you may find that you already have practical (even lovely) things at home. You may have to step outside yourself and pretend to be wearing the hat of a designer or buyer for a vintage shop. I'm signing off to go root around to find what's hiding in my house.