Because if you’ve got stuff . . . you gotta have some place to hide it when company comes over.
Five of my favorite storage ideas are:
Vintage Suitcases
It’s not like you’re actually going to take these vintage suitcases on a plane or anything, so when you collect them you might as well use them for storage, right?
These are filled with vintage tablecloths and my fabric stash. Yes, I do occasionally fire up the sewing machine and do a bit of sewing.
Tip Of The Day: If you find a vintage suitcase that is a little musty, I have had luck with leaving a box of baking soda (I like the ones they make for the fridge that the little sides pop off) in it for a few days to absorb the stank. I’ve also heard via Pinterest (and all things on Pinterest are true) that kitty litter works the same way.
Vintage Picnic Baskets
I find vintage picnic baskets ALL THE TIME at thrift stores and yard sales and I have never paid over $5 for one and most of the time it’s more in the $2-$3 range. These ones are Redmon, which was a pretty large maker of picnic baskets back in the day.
I actually have around 10 picnic baskets now and I’m pretty sure I’ll find another one when I go to a church rummage sale later today. Church rummage sales are picnic basket nirvana.
I like picnic baskets for storage because they have handles so you can tote them all around the house. These have various seasonal decor items tucked away in them.
I used another vintage picnic basket on my Holiday Front Porch For The Picnicking Ski Bums post this winter.
Toolboxes and Totes
I started collecting toolboxes, totes and metal tins a few years ago. I try to buy the non-greasy, not actually ever been used in a grimy garage kind.
I suppose they might not be hard core “farmhouse”, but in my mind they cross over from industrial to farmhouse to eclectic to I-gotta-have-them.
These toolboxes are on a weird built in shelf in my office/craft room and hold all my old family photos in them.
I’ve also used toolboxes for gardening here and here and in my kitchen to corral all the electronic devices that have taken over my life.
Cheese Boxes (or any wooden boxes for that matter)
My sister was a hard core cheese box collector. Hard. Core. She probably had close to thirty of them lined up on a shelf that went all the way around her kitchen.
This cheese box sets on my desk as a file folder holder. It’s one of the larger 5 pound cheese boxes from her collection.
Another example of using a cheese box for storage can be found in my Industrial Style Child’s Bathroom where I use it to hold an oil can.
OK, truth be told, the oil can didn’t stay there for long, I moved it to on top of the medicine cabinet and put q-tips and cotton balls in the cheese box instead.
Sometimes function wins out over “design”.
Rotating Metal Bins
Ever since I showed you the metal bin that I bought at Harbor Freight in my Industrial Rotating Hardware Bins For Less post, I have been addicted to this puppy. They are great for having things super duper handy on your desk, craft area or kitchen. But, what they don’t tell you (and I will) is that they are CUTE!
I smile every time I walk past this thing! Plus I want to spin it, so there’s THAT!
Erica
I also use breadboxes as storage! You know, the cute metal ones with the floral graphics on them. Now, if I could just come up with a cute way of labeling them so that I actually remember what have stashed in them!
Erica
Pam
Breadboxes are a good one! I almost bought an aluminum one the other day, but thought “I don’t buy enough bread to put it to good use”. I should have thought outside the box, lol.
Jennifer @ Town and Country Living
All great ideas, Pam! I have 2 picnic baskets and never thought to put anything but food in them. Now I can put them to good use throughout the year! Thanks for the tip!
Yvonne @ StoneGable
Hi Pam! What great ideas! I love the industrial rotating bin. Just ordered one! Thanks for sharing. I uill probably use it in my kitchen. So fun partying with you!
Kris@Junkchiccottage
Pam,
Love all of these. My faves are vintage suit cases thanks for the tip on the baking soda.
Kris
Lanita Anderson
Love the idea of using picnic baskets for storage! I’ll have to be on the lookout for them when I am out “thrifting”!
Blessings,
Lanita
Morning Waters
I Love the old suitcases and have a surfeit of them myself. But my most favorite are the small train cases. I CANNOT pass one up! I do use them for storage, one has my art journaling stuff, one has my millinery stuff, one has my go away on vacation shower stuff. My other favorite is hat boxes. I have a stack of different patterned graduated sizes holding my vintage scarves and shawls.
Kay
I just saw something on the shot of the cheese box that I love: the flowers in the glass jar. I’ve seen so many pictures of flowers in different kinds of glass jars and have never really cared for them and now I know why: they’re kinda boring looking but not the one in your picture. Now I know why. You left the label on the jar. Yep, the label adds another pop of color and interest. From now on, I’ll keep a couple of colorfully labeled glass jars for holding my flowers. Thank you for your idea!
Pam
That jar is an Aunt Nellie’s Pickled Beets jar. I had bought the beets for Thanksgiving dinner and thought the label was so cute that I kept the jar. You can see a close up view of the jar on my Vintage Style Garden Decor post.
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
I love all of your wonderful ideas, Pam…and love to use them in my home, too…so much more character than ordinary storage. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
taryterre
LOVE the vintage suitcases and picnic baskets. But I too collect old toolboxes, so they are my favorites.
Musings from Kim K.
You need to report back on whether another picnic basket made it to your house after your church rummage sale adventures.
Pam
NO!!! It was the most depressing church rummage sale! Just a lot of junk and not the good kind of junk 🙂
Nancy
OH my, I’m crazy about those old suitcases! Wonderful place for storage, no doubt about it! Love your ideas~
Nancy
Debbie
I store things in old suitcases, wooden crates, old wore locker baskets, metal boxes formerly used for money, vintage picnic tins, and also woven picnic baskets. I use manila tags from the office supply store tied on the handles to label them. An odor tip for the suitcases is Safeguard soap. Put a bar in the suitcase and it will really smell better after a while, plus you’ll always have soap in the house. (More storage…lol) The things I store are old vintage linens, fabric, notions, lace, trims, bindings, vintage patterns, toilet paper and paper towels, extra office supplies…….and my grandmonsters have a HUGE vintage suitcase in their bedroom here at my house for toys. They also EACH have their own train case to secret away their treasures from their siblings.
Pam
Fabulous storage ideas Debbie!!! I like the manila tag idea. It would keep me from having to dig down to the bottom of my stack of suitcases to remember what I have in it (like I did when I wrote this post).
Debbie
(wire, not wore – I hate when I make typos!) lol
Sweet Auburn Life
Hi there, found your blog through Farmhouse Friday series and am enjoying catching up on all the great posts I’ve missed. Love the stack of Redmon picnic baskets. I’ve never seen them before, they must not have made it to Ireland! Looking forward to seeing more from House of Hawthornes!!
Pam
Ah, thank you! Stop by any time!
Arlene
I also have a large stack of vintage suitcases, I keep them in my bedroom. I store off season clothing in them like tights, long johns, winter jammies, etc. I have a stack of the woven picnic baskets in my kitchen. LOVE THEM! I keep all my picnic ware in them – paper plates, bowls, cups in one, napkins in another (I am a napkin freak) and plastic cutlery in another. It is so handy instead of digging through the cupboards plus it frees up space in the cupboards for other things. When my kids & grands all come home for the weekend, we use disposable stuff and everyone knows where they are so they can help set the table. I love the spin caddy. I’ve got to make a trip to Harbor Freight to get one one of these days.
ananda
wow these are so beautiful pam!! want the ALL! =)
ananda
wow these are so beautiful pam!! want them ALL! =)
Michele @ The Vintage Vixen
Love your ideas and your finds!!! Really enjoying the Farmhouse Friday feature!!!
Mary
I love all your storage ideas, especially the suitcases! Have a lovely week.
Mickie Ayer
I use suitcases for storage too. I also like the wicker picnic baskets that look like suitcases. But another favorite are the small wooden wine boxes with slide lids. I have a question…has your sister missed that cheese box yet??? Love the size and the badger on it…”nice find”.
Megan
You have so many cute things Pam, and what is better than things that are cute AND can be storage?! Thanks for the inspiration! ~Megan
Tiffany
Hi, Pam ~ This is the first Farmhouse Friday post I’ve read, and I’m officially addicted! I love the idea of using picnic baskets for storage and style. In fact, there’s a church rummage sale in town this weekend. You KNOW I’ll be there! I also love vintage-but-never-used tool boxes. They’re always so chippy and beat up. I’m also a huge lover of vintage lunch boxes for storage and style. Thanks for the great post!
Lisa Batten Kunkleman
Well, you’ve messed me up. I’ve been in “clear out before you leave your children with all this stuff to tend to” mode. My husband and I have been collectors forever and it appears we are not alone. If one reads many articles, books, or blogs on simplification and organization, words like toss, recycle, donate appear much more often than collect, repurpose, and show the world all your “stuff.” It’s nice to see you and your followers appreciating old things and actually using them. You’ve shared some terrific ideas. Thanks. Aaaaaa there goes some guilt right out the window beside my bookshelves packed with hundreds of alphabetized by author books. My own organiziation stuff.