UHeart Organizing: Upcycled Toiletry Storage

When it comes to organizing and searching for storage solutions, I always recommend shopping your home first.  It is amazing what you might find to solve a problem at hand.  Recycled food packaging is always my "go-to" and if that doesn't work out, I start looking through cabinets, drawers and my donate pile.  If all else fails, I may even try to DIY something just to save a little cash and create something specific to fit my needs.  My friend Karen blogs at A House Full of Sunshine, and she recently upcycled some unused storage boxes she already had on hand.   She is here today to share more about her special toiletry project and inspire us to search our homes prior to heading out to the stores as well.

My bathroom storage situation has been feeling a little uninspired lately. Bottles and jars that start out lined up neatly inside the cupboard seem to always end up in a messy clutter all over the shelf. 

I wanted some way to dedicate an area for face products and fragrances and make those bottles look neat and orderly, but also keep them easily accessible so I could see and grab what I needed.

Solution: a pair of old CD storage boxes. I don't know about you, but CDs are practically redundant at our place now. Time to repurpose! (If you don't have any unwanted CD boxes lying around, these pretty birch boxes would be a fun starting point as well.)

I used thin masking tape to mark out a simple geometric pattern on each box.

I also taped two of the inside surfaces with clear packing tape, to preserve the wood finish for a bit of contrast. Because it's not a painted surface, there's no danger of paint lifting off when you remove the tape, so you don't need to worry about using painter's tape.

Since the wood had a varnished finish, I gave the boxes a quick coat of primer to ensure the paint would adhere properly.

Then I rolled on my colors using a small foam roller. I chose a pretty peach...

Soft mint...

And lipstick pink for a pop of fun.

Time to remove the tape.

I love the contrast of the blonde timber against the colour-blocked pastels.

The last step was to spraypaint a pair of adhesive bookplates with gold, and print some labels to slip inside. The font I used is Peinture.

I debated about what to "call" my boxes (Face and Fragrance? Skin and Scent?) but in the end went with "Lotions and Potions" purely for the fun factor.

All loaded up with bottles of product, these sweet little caddies would be fun peeking out from a bathroom cupboard, but I think they're also pretty enough to display on a dressing table in plain sight.

I hope you feel inspired to repurpose some unwanted storage boxes in your home and tame that lotion and perfume clutter.

Thanks so much for having me here today, Jen!

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Hi friends, I’m Karen from A House Full of Sunshine. Do you see that grin I can’t wipe off my face? That’s how thrilled I am to be here! I live in Australia where I’m blessed to be a stay-home mummy to my three little people. I’m also a part-time interior decorator and a former teacher of Creative Arts. Basically, I’m happiest when I’m squeezing every drop of creativity out of life – whether that means decorating a room, inventing a fun new activity to do with the kids, thinking up pretty organizing solutions or putting together a DIY project. I believe life is meant to be beautiful, and home is an expression of the heart. My blog, A house full of sunshine, is the place where I share my adventures in creative home-making with kids. The coffee’s on and the welcome mat is out – I’d love to see you there!