Chic, Cheap DIY Storage

I live in a one bedroom apartment and am always looking for storage ideas. There is never enough storage and I'm finding myself coming up with smart storage solutions. I'm still a college student so you know I don't have a budget, let alone much extra money! (haha, seriously) I came up with this crazy great idea of wrapping an empty can with rope! Who would have thought how chic it looks. I plan on saving all of my cans, coffee tins and anything that could work covered in rope!

I put my make-up brushes in this one but I want to create more and fill with craft supplies, bathroom "stuff" such as cotton balls, nail polishes, or any other bathroom junk. These are really easy to make, (this one took me 10-15 minutes to make) and it turned out really cute! Next time I would try to apply the rope peices closer together so there isn't so much silver space showing in between. But other than that this DIY project is really easy, cheap and cute. There is always room for storage and this is a quick, easy fix for those small things that need a place or even as decoration. They are cute on their own, especially if there was an arrangement of different sizes. 

Supplies Needed

Empty can 

(coffee can, soup can etc..)

Hot Glue Gun

Rope 

(available at any craft store this was only $4.00 and will cover lots of cans)

How To

Step 1: Clean out your can and rip off label

Step 2: Scrap off excess adhesive. Make sure dry before starting glue process

Step 3: Start applying hot glue starting at top of can (sorry I don't have step by step pictures, I got to excited!)

Step 4: Keep applying glue, while adding rope. Work your way down the can. Make sure to apply enough glue and apply rope tightly together.

Step 5: Finish off rope at the bottom. 

Step 6: To add a nice finish, I added a layer of the top of the can so it covered the ends of the rope and added a nice looking touch (if that makes sense)

Easy, Cheap Storage Idea

As I have said before I live in a tiny one bedroom apartment, with my boyfriend Joe. We have very limited space, especially when it comes to storage. Because we live in MN, which is my excuse for having an over abundance of winter accessories: hats, mittens, scarves etc., I have winter accessories all over my apartment. You can imagine how much Joe loves that. Rather than giving my things away I found a way to keep them and keep them out of sight!

I almost forget myself that I'm still a college student and am always on a tight budget. I literally don't have the money, nor would I want to, go buy everything (where is the fun in that?) I found myself wondering around Hobby Lobby (shocker) when I found these baskets, another obsession of mine we will get into another day, and just had to have them. I decided on using them for my winter accessory storage but still didn't exactly have in mind what I would do. I wanted to get cute hooks to hang them on but I don't have a screw gun so that was out of the cards. Instead I bought 5lb 3M hooks in a silver finish. I have a small section of a wall right next to the front door that was the perfect fit for these baskets. I was a little skeptical about the 3M hooks holding up but they have done the job. It is now about 2 months later and they are still hanging just as perfect as the day I put them there. This really is a nice storage solution if you don't have much space and it's nice to look at.

What You'll Need

3M Hooks (5lbs, bought them at Home Depot)

Baskets (in sizes of your choice, make sure they have some sort of handle for hanging)

How to: 

Step 1: Find a wall to hang 

Step 2: Follow the directions of applying the 3M Hooks. Tip: actually wait the amount the directions say to before hanging your baskets. It would be a shame if they ripped or ruined your wall!

Step 4: Hang baskets! Yes, it's that easy. I choose to buy 2 different size baskets but you could get the same size or even 3 different sizes, if you have the wall space. I put hats/mittens in the top basket and scarves in the other.