In the home office… (Continued From Previous Page)
61. Keep plastic or wire baskets with handles of various sizes handy for
filling with items you might want to carry back and forth to and from
another room to work on.
62. Some people use wicker file boxes now, stacked on top of each other,
as small filing cabinets. These are easily carried from room to room also.
63. Another option is to have a bookcase with open divided shelves, or
cubicles, filled with individual baskets. These baskets can be rectangular
willow or rattan baskets with a couple inches depth and thick pole or
dowel handles or grips. You can easily pull them in and out or carry them
to your desk. Hang stringed labels on the outside of each handle that
identify the general contents. (Office supply stores sell the string
labels.)
In the pet's area…
64. A round rag bowl basket will suit the cat's sleeping habits (no lining
needed) and keep more pet hair in the cat's bed and off the couch. Many
cat's like small snug baskets in which they can curl into a tight ball.
(Tip: Let your cat "discover" the basket.)
65. Store the cat or dog's toys, collar and leashes in a fancy shaped bowl
basket that matches the carpeting.
In my pet's areas, I have a multi-colored
round rag bowl with bits of pink, blue and other colors that blend nicely
with my solid blue carpet. When I first brought this rag basket home as
part of my previous sales inventory, my cat immediately, and often,
demonstrated its use as a cat bed for all viewers. After that, it was
clear I'd be keeping the rag basket (else risk the wrath of my cat). After
many cat naps in the makeshift bed, he grew tired of the basket and I
turned it into the ideal place to hold his many small sized toys. They're
accessible to him, easily picked up and thrown in by me when I vacuum, and
the basket colors blend in nicely in my family room décor.
66. A small oval or cylindrical shaped basket with a handle can hold those
small bags and containers of cat treats. Put it on an end table (Just be
careful your guests don't help themselves--feline or canine or even
human--oops!).
67. Large shallow baskets with scooped shapes, or even round or
rectangular, transform into perfect dog beds. Just add a cushion or even
an old blanket. Naturally, this makes it more comfortable for a dog, but
also easier for you to clean (just throw the lining in the washing
machine).
68. Use a wire and rattan flat back multi-tiered shelving basket to store
fish food and other aquarium supplies on the wall. This looks like a spice
rack with two or three shelves. But get one with tall enough shelf spaces
for your storage needs.
In the foyer…
69. Use a basket to hold umbrellas. Line with plastic to catch water.
Attach it to the wall to save floor space or to brace it in somewhat of a
vertical position. (I once gave away a cone shaped basket that was
uniquely perfect for this purpose. It was shaped like an umbrella that
would have been in a semi-closed position, just as when you step out of
the rain and half retract your umbrella into its closed position while it
dries. Cylindrical shapes also work fine.)
70. Hook a hanging wall basket to the side wall of the interior of the
hall closet, or even visibly in the hall or entryway, for storing family
and guest mittens and other cold-weather small items.
71. If you have a coat closet in the foyer with a top shelf, long
rectangular baskets set beside each other are perfect for this spot. That
top shelf often extends deep back into the closet and is hard to reach
without a stool. But you can easily reach up and pull out front-to-back
size baskets.
72. A planter shaped basket is just that---ideal for setting on a small
table in the foyer with a hardy indoor plant for decoration (or a fake
one). Check in the garden section of retailers for plastic liners or
dishes to catch water; they're sold in several sizes. Or fabricate your
own liner from a piece of plastic and staple or glue to the inside of the
basket.
73. Or try a big, round cylindrical shaped basket that's sturdy enough to
hold a small tree suitable for indoors. (Don't forget you can step
outdoors too and put the same basket on your covered porch or deck with a
plant. Or put baskets filled with plants on the edges of outside stairways
or windowsills; it's container gardening at its most decorative.)
In my foyer, I have a short, round basket made of palm leaves dyed an
earthy color that looks marvelous with a green leafy plant sprouting from
it. Both the basket and the plant complement each other. For a long time I
kept an Aloe Vera plant in this basket. (My baskets usually long outlive
my plants.)
74. Step baskets are for the staircase. They're shaped like an upside down
letter L. The top portion of the basket sets on one step while the bottom
sets on the step below it. And the functional purpose is you can
accumulate a whole bunch of junk in one basket before taking it up or down
in one trip for redistribution of the contents.
In the garage…
75. Store nails and screws in small baskets with solid sides and bottoms.
76. Use a rectangular basket (again about the width and length of a toilet
tank) with a handle for household cleaning supplies or even gardening
supplies. It's portable.
77. Large hanging wall baskets can save floor space by holding gardening
gloves and small tools, rags, or a dozen other miscellaneous items now
cluttering your garage. Fill one with rolls of twine you use in the
garden.
In my garage, I have one round Easter egg style and size basket with a top
handle (that always looked ragged and rugged). I use it to hold
miscellaneous small attachments for my full size vacuum cleaners, rug
shampooers, car vacuum, portable spot shampooer and so forth. Since many
of these attachments seem to be similar and often interchangeable, I only
have to go to that one tidy basket to find a piece when I need it. No
longer are they strewn about everywhere.
78. Line storage shelves with medium sized rectangular baskets, with or
without lids. They'll serve the same purpose as plastic bins or
containers.
79. Big open rectangular, square or circular baskets can hold an
accumulation of basketballs, footballs and more. Big or roomy are keywords
for this function. So is heavy-duty. Willow is good. And ones without lids
will make it even simpler for kids (or adults) to toss in sports
equipment. If you need extra room in the garage, slide these baskets under
a work table. Look for large wire cylindrical-shaped hampers too on wheels
for this job. (Wal-mart sells an inexpensive lined metal hamper on
wheels.)
In the car…
80. A rectangular basket (about the size of the top of your toilet tank)
works as a caddy in the center of a one-piece rectangular seat. It can
hold drinks and to-go meals (no more digging out spilled fries from
everywhere) or even tissues and sunglasses. Or put it on the passenger
seat when you're driving solo.
81. Rectangular or square baskets also can neatly store cassettes or CD's
(though you should put it in the trunk when you're away from the car to
prevent theft and a broken window).
82. Picnic baskets make great organized storage for first-aid kits and
emergency repair kits. Even a small picnic basket with handles should be
large enough to throw in your jumper cables, a few tools, some flat fixer
and a flashlight. Put it in your trunk.
83. And of course, use picnic baskets for picnics, or carrying your snacks
in the car.
So the car isn't really in your home, but some of us are in the car so
much that perhaps it ought to be considered a second home. In my car, I
use this heart shaped hinged lid basket. I keep it in the trunk with odds
and ends like flashlights and tire gauges. It keeps these small items
handy and they don't roll around.
84. Straw totes aren't just for the beach. Fill them with your files,
books, sunglasses, and more and use them to tote items to and from the car
(and to and from appointments).
85. Also, many basket sellers carry pack baskets. Strap them on with the
harness (sometimes sold as an extra accessory) as a backpack; take them
off and they look like an ordinary basket. Or just throw them into the
backseat--of the car, boat or snow mobile. Another good basket for the
road is the fishing creel. These baskets are like a mini trunk with hinged
lids, clasp closures and handles for easy toting. |
