There is simply no such thing as too much storage space. We are a generation of people who love stuff. On average, each household has at least 300,000 individual items crammed under one roof. This includes everything from your crockery and cosmetics to clothing and furniture. 300,000 items--that’s a lot! 
 
Unfortunately, we do not all have spectacularly large homes with endless closets, kitchen cabinetry and underfloor storage. Our houses can quickly begin to feel cluttered and claustrophobic as items you might hide behind closed doors begin to spill out into your living room, bedroom and other spaces you ideally want to keep clear for relaxation. 
 
Nevertheless, we like to offer you solutions here at The Plastic People, and so in this latest blog, we are thinking about a range of DIY and affordable storage solutions that can help you maximise your home and garden space. We are going to cover everything from readymade storage boxes to how you can easily create additional shelving in your home on a tight budget. 
 
Whatever your storage needs, we are sure to have a tip to help you! If you have any additional storage you think we should share with our readers and audience, please get in touch. You can reach us on all social media. Our Twitter and Instagram are @barkstonplastic, and you can head to our Facebook by clicking here.
 
Get your pen and paper ready for note-taking and, without further ado, let’s dive into the world of storage, organisation and home management! 
 
Garden and Outdoor Storage Ideas
 
We’re going to start our journey into the world of storage solutions outside. This is because, typically, our garden spaces are neglected when it comes to decluttering. Admit it: we all have a shed that is full-to-bursting with everything from garden tools to old children’s toys and even a deck chair or two. But, it doesn’t need to be this way. 
 
Thanks to advancements in plastics in the last 40-50 years, storage boxes and sheds have reached rock bottom prices. You can pick weatherproof and virtually indestructible garden storage boxes for the sum of £50 now--and these are fit to store everything from sports equipment and wellies to your gardening and landscaping tools. 
 
The price of sheds, too, has decreased dramatically in recent years. No longer do you have to worry about putting together a wooden shed panel by panel when you can purchase flatpack plastic sheds! These are weatherproof and surprisingly spacious. Here at The Plastic People, we also provide plastic bin hideaways to keep those out of sight. Click here to check out our range.
 
We recommend making sure all your garden storage boxes and sheds are lockable as this prevents any of your outdoor furniture and items from going missing in the dead of night. These storage items will also keep your outdoor space clear for a seating area, BBQ space or even miniature sports pitches if you have young children! If you need some tips on how to use the space and create a garden room, check out our blog on the subject by clicking here.
 
Other ideas that are perfect for smaller garden spaces--or for garages--include creating hanging racks for spades, garden forks and the likes. These can be DIY and incredibly low-tech too! Simply drill a few nails into the wall and balance the garden tools by their handles. If you are really low on space, try digging a hole and burying some of your possessions too (only joking)!
 
DIY Storage Ideas 
 
DIY storage is the cheapest way to maximise your space indoors. You can create your own shelving, storage boxes or simply follow some of our neat tricks to hide your clutter from sight! A few key things to keep in mind before we begin:

 

 

 
On the topic of shelving, DIY shelves are the easiest and cheapest way to immediately create additional storage in your home, even if you are limited in terms of space. Planks of wood and sheets of plastic are cheap and easy to come by. You do not need any building experience to drill a couple of well-placed holes into the wall. Alternatively, there are various tools now, such as ‘no nails’ glue which can stick these small storage items in place. 
 
We recommend thinking about plastics when creating home shelving space. In particular, acrylic (perspex) is the ideal material for shelving. Acrylic is ten times stronger than glass, lightweight, and is available in a range of colours (including clear). What’s more is we cut acrylic to any size or shape, doing all of the hard work for you! To check out our cut-to-size and shape services, click here.
 
Make sure to remember the power of hanging items too--as we mentioned in the last section. Having pots and pans draped from your ceiling in the kitchen is a space-saving superstar, but also gives your home a modern and chic look. 
 
Repurposing old objects is a cost-free storage solution too! Filing cabinets, bins and smaller reusable items such as mason jars make great containers for a variety of items. Never chuck things away if you think they might be useful! A quick wash in the sink and a lick of paint will make any old device look particularly brand new. 
 
Readymade Home Storage Solutions 
 
Now, we have already covered a lot of storage ideas, but if you are less of a DIY master and simply want to purchase a few items to make your life easier, we have a few ideas for you: 

 

That brings us to the end of our exploration of home and garden storage ideas and solutions. We hope you are feeling more ready to tackle the growing clutter we all find in our homes! Make sure to stay up-to-date with our home decor and lifestyle blogs by signing up for our bi-weekly newsletter. Click here to register your interest with us today!