Post 29: Creative packing in small spaces

CREATIVE PACKING IN SMALL PLACES

July 25, 2017

Well as time has moved on, we have learned a lot 🙂 Especially about creative packing in small spaces

We have gotten very creative with storage. Things were moved from one cupboard to another many times. Until the most workable space was found. LOL.

We have tall narrow cupboards with only 1 shelve in the middle. Then short cupboards with no shelves at all.

A cupboard over the fridge was found to be a “toaster over”.  The heat from the fridge cooked all our breads and treats  making them go bad very quickly.

We have storage under the seats for the dining table.

We found BONUS storage under our Queen size pull out sofa bed and under the lower half of the Queen size bed in our bedroom.

So, we have found various solutions through experience and trial and error. :))

TALL NARROW CUPBOARDS 

(Used some creative packing on 🙂 )

Right now we are making due with boxes cut off to about 1.5 inches high that are the length and width of the cupboard. These work well for storing all of Bills spices that he has in clear, labeled bottles. We then can stack 2 boxes so they are easily removed to get to the lower one if he needs to. Bill found a wire rack in the local Dollar Store to put above this so now we have a shelf as well.

We are actually looking for a plastic containers to replace the boxes, but we have not found one yet with straight sides, only curved sides. Still looking. When we find one, we will let you know where. Someone needs to open a store to cater to creative packing in small places. lol

SHORT CUPBOARDS

We stopped by the local Dollar Store, or what ever you call them in your town 🙂 and bought some wire racks, so we made a shelf in that cupboard easily. We put cups underneath and plates on top.

CUPBOARD OVER THE FRIDGE

We now use for dry goods like boxes of plastic wrap, tin foil, garbage bags that sort of thing.

STORAGE UNDER THE DINING TABLE SEATS

Joy was quite pleased with her brain wave idea regarding the storage under the seats haha.

Walmart sold 2 long shallow plastic storage containers about 2′ 6″ long and about 12 ” wide and 6 ” tall with tops.  The tops were slipped under the containers which we slide  in and out of the storages cupboards like a tray. (we wanted the tops in case we needed them later)

We use these for any cans, boxed, or bagged (dry goods) groceries that we need to store. It works perfectly as they are easily visible and easy to access. :).

STORAGE UNDER OUR BED

This storage space is quite deep. The width of our bed and about 2′ wide and 2′ deep. We use this for extra clothes that we can’t fit into our individual closets or drawers and that we don’t use very often.

Storage Passageway below the Trailer and opening from bedroom

Joy has a trap door on her side of the bed that leads to the pass through under the trailer. This door is on a ledge that is apart of the furniture in the bedroom. Almost hidden except for the handle. We came up with another bright idea of putting a normal size laundry basket under it in the pass through. When we have dirty laundry, we simply open the trap door and toss it down into the laundry basket. We know it is time to do laundry when the basket is full :). The basket can be removed from the outside access door to the pass through.

SOFA BED 

We also realized that when we pull the sofa bed out partially, we have storage under there. We just have to lay things flat that do not interfere with the part of the bed that folds down.

The last Storage solution we have, that is not apart of the Trailer, are 2 foldable hassocks that we purchased  from Walmart. They have tops that come off and we are able to store a lot of loose miscellaneous items in here along with light weight blankets.

They are great for placing in front of the two swivel chairs which came with the trailer so we can put our feet up. Thus, they serve a dual purpose :).