Storing Items using Bins, Baskets, Boxes, or Plastic Tubs

Looking for ideas to store all those things you need to hang-on to?  Consider storage bins, boxes, baskets, and plastic tubs to get the job done.  These come in a variety of styles, shapes, sizes, textures, and colors to fit any decorating scheme.  You can plan to coordinate or contrast items in a home or work office by your selected materials,  You first need to decide what to store and where it will be stored before picking a storage solution.




Storage Boxes and Bins
 of Wood, Cardoard, and Plastic

If you are looking to store various items in plastic, fabric, wicker, or wood, you can find small bins to large tubs with snap-tight lids.  These may have in a single large opening to store big things or contain multiple sections for storing various sized items.  Many of these storage items made for office or home will even have a place to slide a label into to mark contents.  For plastic bins or tubs that do not have the label holders, you can also create tidy labels on a printer and then stick them to the plastic.

Cardboard boxes are good for archiving files as long as the files will be kept in a dry place, such as a closet or shelf in a storage area.  Moisture will quickly ruin the boxes and the files if stored in a garage or basement.  Just be sure to write what the contents of the box are on the outside with thick dark markers, so you can remember what is in each box.  It will save lots of time when looking for items in the future. 

More storage options include: baskets, trays, cups, pigeonhole cubbies, and jars which may be suitable bin options for storing your mail, tools, paper, and other supplies.   The most common use for cups and jars in the work area is to store pens, pencils, and small tools.  The most common use of baskets, pigeonholes, and trays in the work area is as paper in/out bins or for sorting.  Baskets or trays may be stacked on your work surface or placed on a shelf in the work area.  You may also want to consider sorting and storage baskets off the surface by using a hanging unit put on the wall or door to save space.  Plastic, wood, or wicker pockets that hang on the wall may also be an alternative for in/out and urgent/current work projects.

When choosing a bin, box, or tub - insure it is appropriate to the items being stored there.  You may want to allow some extra space for growth potential in case you want to add more later on.  When storing these, do not stack them very high as this makes it hard to get to the item on the bottom, as well as presenting possible safety issues.  No more than three high is a good standard consideration for stacking.