Storing dozens of holiday light strings each year without wrecking them is tough, but this method may be a winner. Just screw a dowel to each end of a wooden base cut to the size of a large plastic bin. Then wrap your lights around the dowels in a figure eight and place the stand in the bin. You’ll be amazed how many light strings you can wrap around the stands without tangles or damage.
A lot of laundry rooms have a narrow wasted space either next to or between the washing machine and dryer, and it’s usually a hideout for socks and lint. To take advantage of this space, build a simple plywood cart on fixed casters to hold detergents and other laundry supplies.
Extra-large Ziploc bags (sold at home centers and online) are great for storing comforters, patio cushions and out-of-season clothes. Here’s a slick trick for getting all the air out of the bag before you seal it. Put your items inside and push out all the air you can by hand. Then seal the bag but leave an opening large enough to fit a drinking straw. Use the straw to suck out the remaining air and then finish sealing the bag.
It’s hard to store fragile ornaments without breaking them. That’s the beauty of this solution: Use a plastic storage container and store each ornament in a separate plastic cup. By using cardboard to separate the layers, you can stack a lot of ornaments in one sturdy box without any tangling or breaking. You can reuse the same cups and cardboard year after year.
