Simple Space-Saving Storage Solutions

No Installation required!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Links are provided to help you find the items I write about in this post.

My broom closet would not stay neat and orderly. I tried. I leaned all the brooms in one corner, the dustpan against the wall. The vacuum, the shop vac, and the extra leaf from the kitchen table all jostled for space with the ironing board, and it was just a matter of time until the iron fell off the shelf and hit someone on the head! I created some space by decluttering and donating things I don’t use, but this didn’t change the fact that it is a small space! The lack of space extended beyond my broom closet. 

I recently heard that houses today are approximately one thousand square feet larger than they were fifty years ago, while the average number of people living in each house has gone down. My husband, who was sitting near me, turned, and laughing, said “We are living in a house from fifty years ago!” He is right! No extra thousand feet for our family! Our cute 1960’s house is perfect for us, but it is under 1200 square feet, so I have to make thoughtful choices about storage. For example, my husband and I share a small closet. Yes, there are two other bedrooms, and they also have closets, but with a growing family those closets will soon hold kids clothes, so we avoid depending on them for space. I don’t mind the space constraints because I want to live mindfully, not buying endless piles of stuff, instead just keeping what we need…a practice that becomes a necessity in a smaller space. That being said, anything that maximizes our space and makes tidying easier is awesome.

I wanted storage options that were simple, cheap, easy to install, and very effective. I did not have much to spend, and I didn’t want to make holes in the wall. Not much to ask for right?  You might be surprised with what I found! Each of these storage solutions and organizing hacks do an amazing job for very little cost, and no drills or hammers are needed, perfect if you are living in a rental. Win!!! These five storage solutions and tips meet all of my requirements and are working out perfectly!

1. Over The Door Ironing Board Hanger

I own a clothing iron and ironing board. I’m guessing many of us have these two items in our homes. I really don’t do much ironing, but I do need it for dress shirts, etc. My ironing board takes up space, and tends to be in the way whenever I try to get stuff out of the closet. There had to be a better storage option!

A quick solution to get your iron and ironing board out of the way is an over the door ironing board hanger specially made for those two rather awkward items. Over the door ironing board hangers do a great job of minimizing the space used to store your ironing tools, and making them super easy to access when you need to use them. The hangers do not need to be permanently attached, so there is no drilling or damage to your walls, perfect if you are in a rental!

2. Rental-Friendly Broom Storage Solution

Brooms, mops, and dusters are a major hassle in my closet, so they were a big part of my storage solution search. One solution to the jumbled pile of brooms is a wall mounted broom rack. My grandmother has one in her closet, and it keeps her brooms and mops neatly lined up on the wall. Its like magic!

The downside of these racks is that all of the ones I have looked at so far need to be permanently attached to the wall, so it takes time and tools to install. This could also be a problem for renters who do not want to damage the wall. I continued to search and found a  second solution for organizing brooms. This DIY storage hack is perfect for maximizing your space with minimum effort.

So what is this amazing hack? An over the door hook. The key to making this work is finding a hook with prongs that will fit through the handy holes at the top of your broom and dustpan handles. This over the door hook on Amazon should fit most holes. If you find your broom won’t fit over the hook then a quick visit to the hardware store or Walmart for some zip ties should make it work. My brooms, mops, and dustpan are now easy to find, never in the way, and always organized. This picture is from Pinterest. See the original post here.

3. Jewelry Organizer

The traditional way to store jewelry is in a special jewelry box on a dresser. Lacking space on my dresser for a box large enough to organize my jewelry I began looking for another solution. Another storage trend that I have seen in videos and blog posts is tree-like stands or hooks on the wall, displaying jewelry like artwork. While this is a great solution for some people, I find this solution too chaotic and distracting. It makes the space feel cluttered. My perfect solution would be out of sight, take very little space, and keep my accessories organized and easy to find. 

Hanging jewelry organizers are just about the perfect way to store a jewelry collection. Hang them over a clothes hanger and place your items into individual pockets, ensuring they remain undamaged…no more tangled necklaces! The clear plastic pocket fronts make finding the perfect accessories for your outfit quick and easy. Sometimes when I am not sure what to wear I pull the jewelry organizers out, lay them on the bed, and take a moment to look at my whole collection at once, so there are no forgotten jewels tucked in a corner. This also helps with paring down my collection and rehoming pieces that I never wear. I am able to minimize my collection, only keeping items that spark joy and see regular use.

4. Hanging Closet Shelf

Organizing clothes and shoes in your closet is probably an ongoing battle. I know it is for me! A simple solution that I use in my closet is hanging closet organizers. These handy shelves simply velcro onto your existing hanging rod, providing instant shelving. We use these for our shoes, sweaters, belts, etc.

5. Donation Box

I know, I know, this is not really a storage solution or hack, but really, you don’t have to organize or store what you don’t have. So I think this is a perfect solution! As you evaluate each area you need to organize think about the items in that area and set aside any you no longer need. Donate or dispose of them responsibly, and your storage problem will get smaller while your space gets just a bit larger.

How about you? What do you do in your home? I would love to see some of the clever hacks you use to keep a tidy home and save space! Happy organizing!