Storage Containers

With 3 little girls wandering around the house and building their curiosity I really needed a way to contain all the kid "stuff".  Here was my low cost solution:

Supplies:

1. Scissors

2. Cardboard box

3. Wrapping paper & tape OR Contact paper

4. Box cutter (if you have one, otherwise scissors will do)

I used different size cardboard boxes, according to what items I needed to contain.  First I figured out where I wanted the opening & cut that part off of the box with a box cutter or scissors.  Second I wrapped the outside in wrapping paper for decoration.  You could also use contact paper, this would be great because it is already sticky.  I used all the same wrapping paper so that even though my boxes are different sizes, all of them together would have look cohesive.  Also, I labeled the boxes after wrapping them, but obviously this is not a necessity.  My daughter was 4 when I made these & she was starting to read, so it was fun for her to have simple words around her to practice.  

For the handles on the Diaper's check this out!

Cardboard Dresser

Moving into a house with almost No Furniture called for a little creativity.  A new friend gave me the idea to use cardboard boxes with plastic drawers, so I took that idea and ran with it!

Here is what I came up with:

to keep the drawer on the top I made "supports" from cardboard and taped them inside.

Here is the finished product in use:

Update:  Since making and using these for awhile, the support for the shelves came 'un-taped'.  Now I use the drawers inside of our current closet at the bottom to organize folded clothes.  And I use the larger outside for storage because 1 fits inside the other like a large drawer...pictures coming soon.

Creative Cardboard Storage

Our first house in Chiang Mai had little to no furniture, and we were not in a position to ALL new furniture.  My bedside really needed a little table to hold my books and little daily usages (i.e. hair clips, jewelry, chapstick, etc.). Here was my so here was my solution...

                            Supplies you will need:

1. Three boxes that are about the same size. One of mine was a little smaller than the other 2, so I put it on the top & kept the larger on the bottom for a stronger base.

2. Scissors


3. Tape, either duct tape or clear packing tape.

4. Glue gun, I did not use one, but would have been helpful and I have had to re-attach fabric since assembly.  

Start by construction each individual box, by cutting out one end that you want to be the opening.  Then tape the top 3 flaps down on each box.  Keeping the tops and bottoms together will give more support when the boxes are together.  

Now tape (or glue gun & tape) the 3 boxes stacked on top of each other.  
**Also, I cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the top and taped it to the top for extra support.  For instance, I like to have a cup of water on my bedside table, so I wanted it to be extra strong**.

Lastly, cover with fabric of your choice.  I chose a black "felt-y" kind, and I probably would not have chose that if I could go back because of the amount of dirt and dust in Thailand.  Be smart and thing about how this fabric will hold up.  The good thing about this fabric is that it is thick and durable.  

I added a couple of baskets inside (they could have been a bit bigger) to put all my little trinkets (yes, trinkets!) mentioned above.

So, there you have it!  A simple and almost FREE cardboard table for your bedside or anywhere else you would need extra storage.  Similar to something you could buy at Target in their "storage" aisle!