De-cluttering and decorating in one swoop

“De-clutter” and “re-organize” are my favorite household verbs as of late. There’s nothing more therapeutic than purging your home of useless items from old CDs, excess kitchenware and those old posters hidden under your bed.

It’s so easy for me to keep everything because I think, “Oh yea, I’ll totally make something out of that Kurt Cobain poster and pile of pheasant feathers.” Oftentimes I do repurpose items, but sometimes you have to let go. And while it might be a struggle at first, the reward is such a relief.

I feel ten times lighter after a drop off at Goodwill—so light, that I dance in front of my new hand-me-down mirror (thanks Aunt Sharry) when I get back home. I’m a really good dancer too, so it’s pretty neat to watch.

I also feel that when the apartment is messy, I have a hard time focusing or being creative because I am constantly thinking that I should tidy up.

My biggest priorities right now are the kitchen and the second bedroom. The second bedroom serves as the craft room/office/land of the litter box. Right now I have one shelving unit with supplies, books and fabrics scattered about. I plan to purchase more containers and boxes to give everything a designated place and to possibly add more shelving in the near future.

As for the kitchen, I curse under my breath at my poor cat whenever I reach into the cupboard crawling with poorly piled pots and pans. If I’m trying to get to the baking sheets on the bottom row, forget it. You’ll find me sitting on the floor, knees bent and propped on the bottom of the cupboard, pulling and making the most unnecessary noises for the task at hand.

So, when I was looking through ReadyMade Magazine the other day and cut out pages for my “Idea Book,” I found a photo with a couple mountable Ikea rods and S-hooks used for kitchenware storage. This was the perfect solution to my problem. I could keep the pots and pans I use most out in the open for easy access and reorganize my cupboard so I don’t offend any felines when I want to roast some veggies.

This also presents a very clean and industrial look on the walls. I can hang flowers to dry when I need a pop of color or keep a basket filled with garlic and shallots for convenience. There are so many options when you work with hooks; use your imagination!

Instead of buying the rods from Ikea, I decided to make my own version. This was a bit pricier than I anticipated, mostly because the S-hooks were about $3 a pop and I bought ten. You can always try to find them cheaper online, but I can’t resist a trip to the hardware store. Creating these two rods minus the S-hooks cost less than $20, which I thought was a good deal. There are several different ways to create your own rod—mine is strange, but it works.

Materials:

• String
• Two 1/2” x 34” Zinc-plated rods
• 4 Garage storage hooks
• 8 Screws
• 10-15 S-hooks
• Tape measure
• Level
• Hammer and nails
• Stuff to hang

How-to:

• Use your largest pans to figure out the spacing of your two racks—mine are about 23” apart.

• Use tape measure and level to determine your garage hook placement. I made pencil marks and used the rod and level to adjust the alignment.

• If you do not have a drill, use a hammer and nail to make the initial holes and then screw in your hooks.

• Place the rod on top of the hooks, and you will notice that they roll backwards to the wall. This is why I used string to fasten the rods forward—the string also helps soften the look of the edges.

• Attach your S-hooks and hang your pots, pans, baskets, dried flowers, measuring spoons, etc. Enjoy easy access and less clutter in your cupboard.    Hooray!