Who else out there, besides me, is always looking for ways to get and stay organized? Being able to easily see and access what we have saves us time and money. When we can grab and get what we need, we are so much more efficient, and when we know what we have, we save money by not buying duplicates of the same items. There have been times I’ve ended up with 4 bottles of granite cleaner, because the others were lost in the abyss of my cabinet under my kitchen sink. I like to be well-stocked, not over-stocked!
Organizational Secret Weapon
I’m going to let you in on one of my best kept organizational tools. Tension Rods! They are a wonderful and inexpensive way to improve areas all over the house. They aren’t just for hanging curtains without hardware. My first experience using tension rods was when I was in college in my dorm suite bathroom. My roommate and I made curtains to go under our bathroom counter to hide our toiletries, and we hung them with a tension rod between the wall and the bank of drawers. It was such a pretty way to hide clutter. I can still remember the cute pink floral fabric that coordinated with our Laura Ashley bedding!
Fast forward to well into my adult life… Several areas of my home have the tendency to get overcrowded and disorganized, and there were times that it got difficult to find things. After identifying areas that could benefit from tension rods, I measured and ordered them.
Spray Bottles
- I put the first one under the kitchen sink and hung all of my spray bottles of cleaners on it. Now they are easily accessible and don’t take up space on the bottom of the cabinet. Make sure you get one sturdy enough to support the weight of your spray cleaners. If the diameter of your tension rod is too large to easily hang the bottles, use s-hooks on the bar and hang the bottles off of the hooks.
Craft Organization
- With three kids and a crafty side to my personality, I have quite a collection of spools of ribbon and washi tape that were rattling around in a bin in my craft closet. I could never find what I needed, so I decided to organize them. In sorting them, I found several duplicates and triplicates that I had purchased because I couldn’t find the original ribbon in my mess. I had an old dresser that I decided to claim for my craft supplies. Using tension rods in dresser drawers, I can now see what ribbon I have at a quick glance. Read the entire how-to article here. They can also be used in the drawers to separate smaller items like bottles of acrylic paint and jars of glitter.
Gift Wrapping Supply Storage
- Who else a gift bag junkie? Every time I go to the Dollar Tree* I buy some. (*Dollar Tree is one of our affiliates. If you choose to purchase something from a link on our page, we may earn a little cha-ching. It doesn’t cost you anything, but we appreciate you helping us keep the lights on.) I just can’t help myself. I love to have several sized bags for every occasion on hand. To organize the gift bags, I hung tension rods in my craft closet, sorted the bags by size and occasion, and hung the bags from s-hooks placed on the tension rod. I’m going to be honest. I had so many bags, that I needed 3 tension rods to hold them all. Picking out bags has never been easier! Tension rods can also be used in a closet to hold gift wrap too. Place a tension rod along the narrow side of the closet, and stand the gift wrap up. Now it’s easy to see and grab.
Closet Organization
- Placing a small tension rod between the door frame and a wall can provide storage for scarves. Add s-hooks and have a place to hang necklaces, bracelets, belts, or even tank tops. (See our other unique solution for hanging tank tops.) I have one that goes across the length of a wall in the closet, and it keeps my boots standing tall.
Bathroom Organization
- Use tension rods in drawers to separate and organize makeup and brushes. Keep nail polish or other small items from rattling around in drawers.
Bedroom Organization
- You can even use small tension rods in dresser drawers to help keep folded clothes in their place. I use them for tee shirts and athletic pants. Instead of stacking the folded clothes in drawers, try standing them vertically with a few tension rods to divide the drawer. Clothes are a lot easier to see and access.
Kitchen Organization
- Placing tension rods in drawers is a great way to corral kitchen utensils and spices. Keep food storage containers separate from lids to save space. Hang tension rods vertically in a cabinet, and use them to separate cutting boards and cookie sheets. Use them under a cabinet with s-hooks to hang coffee cups for an easy-access coffee station.
The possibilities are endless. Use your imagination; make life beautiful; and get organized! Please comment with your uses for tension rods, and take a moment to share this article with friends and family. We appreciate you spending time with us to help save time, money, and sanity through organization!
For more easy organizational ideas, see what you can do with over the door shoe holders, check out our Organization and DIY pages! See what we have been pinning on Pinterest!
If you are looking to save time and money, order things like gift bags, tissue paper, party supplies, craft supplies, and even cleaning items from the Dollar Tree, and have them delivered directly to you or your store. As an affiliate, we can earn a little when you shop through the link. It’s the same price for you, but it helps us continue to bring helpful tips your way, so ThAnK YoU!
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