Monday, June 20, 2011

40 Kitchen Cabinet Basket Bliss

It's totally funny when you have an idea in mind that goes way wrong for the better.  Seriously, happens to me ALL the time!  I come up with a crazy off the wall idea, get home to implement only to find out that my "GREAT" idea, isn't so great.

But the best part is when the great idea turned bad idea get's turned into an even better idea!

I started out with a plan to add some labels to the shelves in my kitchen cabinets, since the food cabinet has a tendency to get a little out of control.  I wanted to categorize the shelves to hold different types of foods, and allow my family to easily take out and put items back.  Of course this all started the weekend of the bake sale for the lemonade stand when the hubs grabbed some cookie mix from one shelf and didn't know about the other kind that was on another shelf.  I know, someone call 911 right?  We were without chocolate chip cookies at the bake sale, and I know it was a life changer... OK, kidding, but it did prove the point that the hubs cabinets needed a little guidance.

So I started out with these pretty label holders I found at JoAnn.


I was just going to screw them into the shelf fronts and categorize, however, when I held them up, even the narrow ones were a smidge too big and just wouldn't look right.  Enter sad face.

That's where the idea went bad.  But then, I remembered that I had scored a couple of baskets on sale at Michael's for $2.99 each that I was also going to use in the cabinets to corral some of the items!




To attach the label holder to the basket, I just poked a small hole through the basket with a screw, and used a pretty decorative scrapbooking brad to pop through the label/basket:


Then, I determined the contents for each basket and printed out labels:


I couldn't wait to get them back into the cabinets!!



The baskets fit perfectly inside the cabinet, and now I know the contents thanks to the great labels {since I am a shorty and can't actually see the insides of the baskets}



Of course, I had a little helper!  The kitchen is one of his favorite places so he had to supervise to make sure the project was kid friendly!


The end result made me smile big, since I knew it was easy, better than my original plan and simple to maintain going forward!  Love when that happens!!


Let's talk about success stories!  Have you ever had an idea go completely south, before it became an incredible end result?


40 comments:

  1. So cute! Great idea (as always)! And I love the menu board...def getting one of those!

    Dana
    3rd Grade Gridiron

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  2. The baskets look great - perfect fit!

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  3. I like it alot! I was wondering where to get those kind of labels. Thanks for sharing your inspiration and your little one is too cute!

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  4. I love Michels's. I used to go all the time when my sister and I went to the mall, because it's across the street. Sadly, the closest Michael's to me now is over an hour drive away. SO SAD!

    I absolutely love this. :D

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  5. love the baskets and I also love the label holders. I have the same ones and they look so cute once you put them on something.

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  6. When bad ideas turn into genius ideas... well darling its just perfection! This is an awesome storage solution and you bet your butt that i'll be following suit! <3 It looks sellar!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  7. Jen, the end result looks great! And thanks for another great idea.

    Oksana from www.ordermatters.com/blog

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  8. These look great Jen! And just FYI - I read all your posts about the home organization binder and totally went out to buy supplies for my own this weekend! It's a work in progress, but looking good so far!

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  9. Oh my gosh, what a GREAT idea. I'm going to have to do this. Our pantry always gets out of wack with where everything is!

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  10. I can't believe you found baskets that fit so perfectly in depth and width for your cabinets. Hurray!

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  11. Love, Love, Love the tag idea! I am more of a minimalist but your photos makes me want to be more creative! Thank you.

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  12. I just recently found your blog, and I LOVE it!! Would you consider doing a post on how you made your menu board? Thanks for all of the inspiration!!

    Stacey

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  13. I love that chalkboard! Did you DIY, and if so, is it somewhere on your blog? I had planned to make a DIY chalkboard this weekend, but after the guy at Lowe's cut my board down to size for me, I ended up with a 36" frame and a 35" board. Sigh... :)

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  14. Great idea!
    I love your menu board also. I used to make menus for my kids. They loved knowing what was coming next. A little seemingly insignificant thing that was a little security for them. Of course it helped me to be a better planner, shopper and cook as well.

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  15. I just did a quick search and found the post about your chalkboard! :)

    Here it is for others who were asking...

    http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2011/03/project-teal-chalk-it-to-me-again.html

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  16. IHeart this idea. It looks awesome Jen! Thanks for sharing!

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  17. I would tackle my home office. My cabinets in my kitchen are ultra organized but even I am having cabinet envy right now! Donna

    http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

    dkmtheriot@yahoo.com

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  18. I have been looking for label holders like those. I never thought to look at JoAnn's. Thanks for the tip. Your baskets look great!

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  19. I love your basket system. I wish I had the space in my kitchen to do this.

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  20. I LOVE baskets! They help me keep super orgnazied! You have a great blog with great ideas. Thank you for sharing.

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  21. Fabulous idea! I love it! Those baskets would look great inside my kitchen cabinets. I have a dark basket that I use to contain medicines and thermometers, etc. However, it is more expensive than the ones you showed from Michael's. I think I need to go there tomorrow! Thanks for the great idea!

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  22. Jen, I completely HEART the chalkboard beside your counter for the weeks dinner menu! Did you make that?

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  23. Here is a link to the chalkboard menu we created from a cabinet door:

    http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2011/03/project-teal-chalk-it-to-me-again.html

    Thanks so much!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  24. This is a great post! I'm gong to get these label brackets for my baskets - I tried pretty paper and ribbon holders but apparently those are too tempting for a 1 year old not to pull on :)

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  25. Those would be perfect for a project I am working on. Thanks for the greatest ideas. I find myself wondering over here all the time.

    Rhonda @ The Messy Roost

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  26. Oh, I really like this idea. Now, I am going to check and see if it would work in our kitchen. Very cute!

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  27. Such a cute idea! I love all your ideas. This is actually a very pretty shot. What is your chalkboard made from? Thanks! :)

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  28. Heather,

    Google has failed me. I absolutely want to find containers like those in your last image! The lace topped pails on the countertop are fantastic and the one at the upper left of your cupboard is gorgeous. Do you have any idea where you got them or what magical search term would help me?

    Many, many thanks for your wonderfully inspiring blog & Happy First Day of Summer!

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  29. @Julie:

    Here is a link to the white vases on the counter: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20186101

    The wire basket for fruit is here: http://www.pbteen.com/products/wire-beauty-storage/?pkey=cjewelry-beauty-storage-tools

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  30. Love it (as always)! Any chance you know the brand of the baskets? I was planning to do the same thing in my pantry but hadn't found the perfect size baskets (or the perfect price). Were they on sale?

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  31. *face palm* That's what I get for writing a comment while talking to my friend, Heather, on the phone!

    May I claim a do over, please?

    JEN! Thank you for finding me those links. Our Denver Ikea is opening next month and I can't wait. My children will be so sick of meatballs by August. :-)

    As always, you rock.

    Luv,

    Julie

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  32. Those are fantastic! My storage space in our kitchen is so limited. The older the kids get the more I realize I need some more tricks up my sleeves. Better get crackin. Love these.

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  33. Ok I love this I have plenty of cabinets but unless there is a system put in place it really dont matter. We just moved into out new house with a big Kitchen and no organizational plan then is going on my planning board :)

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  34. A basket in a kitchen cabinet, that’s what you call thorough organization! :D I don’t find this OC at all. A simple act of organizing is already a way to make life a little easier. Plus, keeping an organized cooking place is very satisfying.

    Lara Bathurst

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  35. what are scrapbook brad's?

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