Make Do-It-Yourself Shelves and Storage Units Quickly

Selling your home but worried that potential buyers will notice the lack of storage space? Maybe you’re thinking of purchasing a home but it simply doesn’t have the storage space you’ll need. No problem. You can build storage space quickly and make it to match just about any decor. One way is to use sturdy cardboard boxes and glue them to each other. You’ll need several identical boxes to begin. It’s okay if all the boxes don’t match. Use the largest ones, as long as they’re identical, for the bottom, then slightly smaller ones for the middle and so on until it’s complete.

Glue or tape the boxes together to make them more sturdy. Paint or wallpaper them to coordinate with the room. These cubby holes are great for storing clothes and shoes in closets. If you have no closet, simply make the arrangement against a wall.

Something similar can be done with milk crates which can sometimes be found or purchased at a local grocer. The crates are made of hard plastic and hold up well. They can be painted any number of colors and are perfect for a child’s room or laundry room. Wire the crates together then secure them to a wall with screws. Stack them up as a pyramid, using one less crate for each row.

Build shelves instantly by using planks of wood and blocks. Lay blocks on the floor then place a plank on top. Stack more blocks then another plank. Don’t build these arrangements too high and be sure that the floor is level where they sit. Things you can use instead of blocks are bricks, urns, crates, plastic drawer units or even small plastic trash cans. Using crates is ideal since you then have shelves along with storage cubbies all in the same design.

For kitchens use smaller planks of wood with cups, glasses, upside-down bowls, or even plant pots as separators. These are great for stacking dishes, food items or collectibles.

Free-standing cubbies can be made from sets of rectangular clothes baskets. Simply wire them together and stand them against a wall. Popcorn tins can be done in a similar manner to make cubbies for toys in a child’s room. Look around to see what else you may be able to turn into shelves and storage units. One-dollar stores have many choices of plastic baskets and containers from which to choose.