how to pack and store your child’s artwork

Posted on: 14 July 2016

Having a self storage unit is a great way to keep clutter out of your home, but if you aren't keeping your storage space organized, you may just be moving your clutter from one place to another. Here are a few helpful hints to prevent your storage space from overflowing.

Practice The One-In, One-Out Rule

Whenever you are ready to add more items to your self-storage space, be prepared to part with a few items. This practice will keep the amount of things you have stored manageable. A good rule of thumb is to remove one item for every new item you put in. Look through your storage space and see if there are clothes, furniture or other items you can sell or donate. Once you remove these items, you'll have more than enough room to bring new stuff into the space.

Create An Organization System

Don't simply add your items to a big pile in the storage unit. Come up with an organizational plan ahead of time so all your items remain neat, tidy and easy to find. Place smaller items or clothing in plastic bins with lids. For large items, such as bicycles or Christmas decorations, hang strong cables or wires from the ceiling and attach S-hooks to attach the items to the cables. Consider investing in free-standing shelving units to organize boxes and other items in the unit.

Store Seasonal Items In The Front

If you keep your clothing for each season stored in the unit, keep these items toward the front of your storage space. You'll spend less time looking for the boxes, and you'll be able to switch the items out quickly. You can also do this with seasonal decorations. This makes it easy to find the accessories for each holiday without spending hours digging through piles of bins and boxes.

Label Everything

The easiest way to keep your storage unit organized and decluttered is to keep everything labeled. When you can clearly identify the items in each box, you won't need to rummage through everything to find what you are looking for. You can use a label maker or a marker and masking tape to mark each bin and box, or you can take and print photographs of the items in each box and tape them to the outside. Be sure to bring your labeling supplies each time you bring items into the unit so you can re-label boxes as you move them around and mark any new items you are storing.

These ideas are easy to implement and help to create a neat, organized space to keep your most precious items. Follow any or all of them to create an organizational system that works for you.