“What’s Green Organizing?” you ask. Well, it’s the same as re-use, re-purpose, recycle. Many items we toss can be re-purposed as organizing tools. “So,” you say, “they do not look as good as the storage containers I can buy.” Well, they look different, not worse than the purchased ones.

Clear re-purposed boxes enable you to easily see what’s inside, like napkin rings. Or jewellery in the smaller clear boxes. Maybe thread & other sewing tools. Right. With the return of popularity of beading, these boxes are useful to hold materials for this hobby too.

Salad boxes are great for small toys like Leggo & other items that will not fall through the air holes in the box. Of course, you could put a “floor” in the box first, if you wish.

Cookie tins, of course, can be refilled with cookies. However, there’re other items they can hold just as easily. Depending on what you wish to store, you can select from square   or round tins. So… So… Square ones could be used to transport a square   cake so it arrives at its destination undamaged. Some are the right size to hold 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper. Pencils & crayons for little ones, or scissors, or even cookie cutters-the list can go on & on.

Any of the cans & shoe boxes can be d?coupaged with pictures cut from magazines, gift wrap, wallpaper to match the room, shelf paper, or if you feel particularly creative, you could use scraps of fabric or even paint. Once they aredecorated to match your d?cor, cover with clear mac-tack to preserve the artwork.

Of course, you will clean out the container before starting to decorate it, & make certain the cans do not have any sharp edges.

Cans may be used for pencil pots, or artist’s paint brushes, scissors, to hold paper clips, pins, & any other small item you need regularly. Detergent boxes make excellent magazine holders. So… So… Simply trim the box for easy access to the magazines or catalogs it will hold. Clean it out well & decorate as outlined above.

File folder & envelope boxes that have separate tops & bottoms are very easy to re-purpose. And so… Simply unstick the corners of the top, turn it inside out & staple the corners where the glue was. They’re fine this way, or you could decorate them if you wish. These boxes are useful to hold stationery, income tax file with all the backup documentation, project background you want to keep but takes too much space in a filing cabinet. I’m sure you can come up with even more ideas. Just be sure to label the box as to its contents. Clear? I prefer the narrow end of the box, then stack the boxes with the labels facing out.

Egg cartons, the molded half, can be often used to store jewellery. Keep earrings in this, & you’ll never loose the mate to the one you want to wear. The cartons are stackable in your drawer, so even save on space! Back beads-they can be stored in egg cartons too.

Once you get going with green organizing, I’m sure you will find more reusable items in your home to keep out of the landfill.

Wishing you an organized life!