D.I.Y. Home Organization Tips and Tricks: Magnetic Containers

Posted by Alexandra C. | Wednesday March 14, 201210 comments


I've said this before, but for me, getting ready in the morning is pretty much an Olympic sport. It's kind of a combination of a fancy balancing act, some crazy footwork and of course all the while, digging through boxes for the needle in the haystack (i.e. my eyeliner). 

This same goes for when I'm cooking. I tend to make a bit of a mess (just ask my family) and I end up with a bottle of vinegar here, my salt shaker there and spoons littered all over the counter. 

At last, I've found an excellent solution! This quick and easy DIY home organization tip is so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. It's perfect for your bedroom, the bathroom or even the kitchen!
 
Here's what you'll need:
 
 
Magnets
Containers
Hot glue gun 
Label making materials (scissors, paper, markers)

Step 1: Chose a container and magnets


Find a container that's the right shape for whatever item you're going to be using this project for (i.e. will you be storing spices or cotton balls?). I'm using small containers with a lifting lid, tall ones with a snap lid and a large one with a screw top lid. Because you'll be using the containers to fill with items, be sure to chose ones with a good, solid, stable lid that won't be flimsy and open up on you. It's also helpful to find containers that have a flat base instead of a concave one. 

Depending on the container you chose, you'll need to chose specific types of magnets. Containers can be heavy and remember that you'll also be filling the container with something, making it even heavier. You can find magnetic strips at the dollar store and craft stores, but I also suggest finding small, round, circular and thicker magnets at an arts and crafts store as well. 

Step 2: Glue 

 
Hot glue gun the back of the magnet and place on the base of the container.

Step 3: Magnets 


You'll probably need to fill the entire base with magnets. Before filling up the container, try testing them out on a magnetic surface to see if you need more. On heavier containers (like the red lid one), I use magnetic strips as well as the round, thick magnets for a strong hold.

Step 4: Label and show off!


I decorated the lids of the containers with fun labels. You can easily identify what it is each one because the sides are clear but you don't want to mix up cayenne and cinnamon one day but accident so it never hurts to have a label! I love having the different sizes of containers for different items as well. For a spice I might not use a lot of, like saffron for instance, a small container is perfect but a nice large container is great for my go-to oregano! I suggest putting them on the side of the fridge for easy access! 

You can also see that I didn't limit these for spices! I'm also using a taller container Q-tips but I think this would be great storage for my cotton balls or pads I use for removing makeup. With a tall enough container, I think this would work for storing eye and lip liners as well. I also think this project would be a good fit for any small pieces of jewelry like rings or earrings. I put these containers on the metal part of a desk and it worked really well!

Do you chicks have any clever storage tips for me?
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10 Comments

on March 21, 2012  staceb  1,174 said:


Creative!

on March 17, 2012  Charmheart16  3,985 said:

This is such a great idea! I love to cook but always hates having to search through a drawer full of spices. I would get a spice rack but this idea is so much better and definitely more budget friendly. Thanks for sharing Alex.

on March 17, 2012  bdeyell86  2,033 said:


Such an amazing idea.

on March 16, 2012  LadyChick234234  3,701 said:

Love this idea.

on March 14, 2012  jello814  1,321 said:

This is such a great idea. I have magnetic containers in my house that I attach to the underside of a metal shelf so I am able to utilize the space above and below the shelf and free up a lot of counter space.

on March 14, 2012  curlysue10  7,326 said:

Recently I got an e-mail from a friend with neat storage tips. I just used one of those tips to create cute and clever storage in the bathroom. I used that strip of craft magnets that you have in the pic from Dollarama and put it on the inside of the door to my bathroom cupboard and voila, a neat way to store magnetic things like bobby pins!

on March 14, 2012  Bren  26,031 said:

I really like things all in order and symmetrical so this is for me! I've actually seen all those exact containers at Dollarrama this is a DIY I'm going to do thanks Alex great idea

on March 14, 2012  Becky  13,128 said:

This is a great idea! I can totally screw on a metallic bar on my kitchen wall and incorporate this idea, or my husband can, you know what I mean. Same thing! :-) Still a great idea :-)

on March 14, 2012  takoda  28,648 said:

This is a great idea, I'm always losing something.

One tip I saw on a TV show called The Chew the other day was, if you're going to
buy storage containers, buy clear one's so you can see just what's
inside of them. To make this even better, say if you're storing a lot of
shoes, take a pic of the shoes and tape it to the out side of the clear
containers. That way you're not opening six box's trying to find one
pair of shoes.

on March 14, 2012  Aliza  14,011 said:

I LOVE this idea!! I always see the magnetic spice jars and want them.. but never get them.. I can't wait to try this!

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