So you’ve moved into your new apartment, organized your furniture, put away your clothes, put pillows and sheets on your bed, and you realize that you have WAY more stuff than you thought! Where are you going to put it all? Here are some great storage ideas to addsome flare to that small space without causing a mess!

Never underestimate the use of walls for storage – Get wall hooks and hang up bags/purses to keep them out of the way. Try the back  of your bedroom door for this. You can keep small things in these bags later if you need to, so don’t forget about them quite yet!

If you’re a bit of a handyman, make some shelves for yourself. Or go out and buy some plastic or wood crates for a just a few dollars and hang them up on your walls. In the bedroom these are great for books, personal items, photos, and so on. Try one out in your living room near the TV for DVD storage.

Utilize the space under your bed! Boxes with seasonal clothes or extra blankets can help keep these things out of the way when not needed. Bed lifters are also available at many department stores and can give your bed an extra boost to allow for more space. Also, this will help free up a huge amount of closet space!

Make sure you are using your existing storage space to its fullest potential. Our apartments at University Square and Hillside Terrace have huge walk-in closets that will give you great space to start organizing! Closet organizers and wire hangers can really help use a closet for all its worth. Fold clothes and towels neatly on shelves to make more space. In your kitchen, stack Tupperware and other containers according to size, and stack covers separately. Think of your pantry like a game of Tetris –there’s a lot of space in there for you to use! Stack cans, line up boxes, etc.

Not enough closets in your new place? Try a makeshift one! You know that corner you’ve been slowly collecting junk in? Section it off from the rest of the room by hanging a nice blanket or tapestry. Not the most beautiful closet in the world, but it’s better than that eyesore  of a junk pile you were staring at before!

Got a mess on your desk? Decorate the outside of an empty can (make sure no sharp edges are left!) with some paint and pictures. Place your pens, markers, scissors, etc inside and voila! More space on your desk.

And for the shoe fans out there, here’s a great shoe storage box project for you!

Now go organize, and remember to have some fun with it!