Square Footage - Making the Most of Small Spaces

Bed risers make efficient use of square footage in the bedroom. Plus, getting in and out of a bed is so much easier for adults when the bed is elevated. In addition, bed risers are super strong. (We've been using the same set of risers for over five years and not one problem ever.)

Something to remember when purchasing bed risers....They normally are available for purchase in sets of four only, however, any bed over twin size routinely has at least one additonal "leg" serving as a center support underneath. Amazon has made it convenient to get the correct number of bed risers necessary as they sell the single bed risers at a very affordable price. (as shown below)

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

We maximize our square footage at home with the use of magnets. A magnetic knife rack is convenient in our kitchen for keeping our knives in sight and, of course, well out of the reach of small children.

In the bathroom, our nail clippers and small scissors are kept orderly with the use of magnets applied inside the medicine cabinet door.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

This is one of the most clever space savers I've seen in a while. This is called the Storage Dynamics Shoes Away Hidden Organizer and it's available through Amazon. Great way to expand square footage by storing 16 pairs of shoes and keep them dust free, save closet space AND store shoes out of sight at the same time. Clever design!

Find an old mailbox, the type that hangs on the wall to utilize as small office storage space. Look in flea markets, at garage sales and thrift shops. Check online sites like Ebay or Etsy.

Clean the exterior of the mailbox with mild soap and warm water. Rinse well and allow to dry. Shine with a metal polish if desired. Protect the patina for the small office storage space mailbox by spraying the exterior with a satin finish polycrylic.

Write your last name on a piece of paper for the name slot or use the paper as a label to identify the contents. Hang the office storage mailbox on the wall. Insert letter and business size envelopes into this stylish new small office storage.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

Anytime I find a vintage wooden spice rack at a thrift shop or garage sale, I snap it up. They can be used is so many ways to make the most of small spaces. They can store cosmetics in a bathroom, lots of nail polish can hang on the wall in a teens bedroom.

I have several in use currently at our home. One repurposed spice rack hangs inside a storage closet in the hallway. The shelves with their handy built-in dowel "railing", are the perfect size to store my small bottle of latex craft paint. I can take stock quickly of the stock paint I have on hand.

Here's one thrift shop spice rack I found recently. It's just waiting for a quick coating of spray paint and I'll put it to use once again.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

Free up valuable counter space in a small kitchen by making a trellis style pot rack of bamboo. Utilize "S" hooks to hang the pot. Perfect for the galley type cooking space.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

Our tiny galley style kitchen is big on organization. It has to be......Products like this under cabinet coffee filter dispenser (pictured) and the paper plate dispenser (shown below) make the most of every inch of storage in this very small space.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

These tipsy pot planters are not only fun to look at, they are practical too. I found this idea on the internet and this picture is of my little herb garden just off our lanai.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

I don't have space left under my bed to store wrapping paper, nor do I have an entire area I can devote to wrapping packages.

The geniuses at Better Homes and Gardens came up with this practical, inexpensive solution. Read on to learn how to make this portable gift wrapping station. It'll be done in no time!

Things You'll Need:

5 gallon bucket
1" wooden dowel (15" long)
Small saw to cut dowel
Bucket apron
Drill & bit
Gift wrapping paper, ribbons, assorted tapes, etc.

Assemble the materials to make the portable gift wrapping station. Cut dowel to 15" length. Place the apron on the bucket, making sure to position it so the handle ends are located where the apron is sectioned.

On each side of the bucket drill a hole large enough for your dowel to fit through. The dowel serves two purposes...it will hold your spools of ribbon and serves as a handy divider for the contents of the bucket.

Hold the handle upright. Stick one end of the dowel through one hole to the left of the handle end. Push dowel in so it's protruding about 4" inside the bucket. Thread the ribbon spools on the open end of the dowel.

Continue pushing the dowel into the opposite hole making sure this time the dowel is to the right of the handle end. This allows the handle to remain upright. Make sure the extended ends of dowel are the same length.

Start filling pockets with scissors, adhesive tape, packaging tape, special pens, a 3-hole punch, shipping labels, address book, etc. Fill the pockets of the portable gift wrapping station with all the items normally used to wrap packages.

Stand up rolls of wrapping paper on one side of the dowel inside bucket and gift bags on the other side. Store this portable gift wrapping station away in a closet until ready to use.

Tips & Warnings

Store small bows in a plastic cup and insert the cup into a pocket to prevent them from crushing.

This makes an easy, handy gift for a friend or relative who could use a little help with organizing and appreciates practical gifts.

When drilling the hole for the dowel, the idea is for the dowel to fit snugly to stay in position. Use a drill bit that is a tad smaller than the circumference of the dowel. This allows the ribbon spools to move smoothly.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

Free up valuable space on nightstands by utilizing hanging lamps over each bedside. Swag lamps are easy to find and easy to hang.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)

This DIY lampshade is a simple and inexpensive project to replicate and an innovative way to extend square footage. Thrift shops are a viable resource for lampshades. Apply latex spray paint and adhere self-adhesive cork circles to the surface and you've made a lampshade that doubles as a bulletin board.

(Photo credit Pam Irie)