15 Affordable Storage Ideas to DIY with Upcycled Items

Happy New Year! and welcome to a new event we’re helping to host this year — Upcycle Sharin’ monthly challenges! Every month we’ll have a new theme where YOU will get to share your upcycled projects and get a chance to win fun DIY prizes! (Scroll down for more details on how to enter the monthly challenges and what our amazing prizes are for this month.) This month’s theme is affordable storage ideas with upcycled items.

Because we’re actually in the middle of a move halfway across the country, I didn’t get a new project done for this challenge. So I’m sharing a collection of affordable storage projects I’ve done in the past.

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Upcycled Affordable Storage Ideas

Shelf Makeovers

Kitchen Shelf Makeover

I found this simple shelf in a thrift store last year. It’s not the kind of thing that I usually buy but it was the exact size I needed for kitchen storage. I used stainless steel contact paper to make it look a little industrial.

Spice Rack Upcycled to a Nail Polish Organizer

I love finding old spice racks at thrift stores. They can be used to store so many other things besides just spices… nail polish, essential oils, craft paints, beads and other tiny craft supplies. 

Vintage Craft Supplies Storage Ideas

This next shelf was in my California Condo studio for years. I originally bought it at Room With a Past. It looks old but it’s not really. I’m pretty sure it was a CD shelf. It was stinky when I bought it but I fixed that. Then I filled it up with mason jars, pickle jars, spice jars from the “dirtiest thing I ever bought“, and all the salt and pepper shakers that I collect through the year to turn into Christmas ornaments.

CD shelves are the perfect size for craft supplies!

More shelf upcycle storage projects:

• Storage Bins from Repurposed Kitchen Cabinets
• Drawers repurposed as shelves to store bottles of paint

{{{See a complete list of what’s in my tool box and supply cabinet.}}}

Upcycled Cardboard Box Storage

I love using these bankers boxes for home storage. They’re the perfect size to fit on closet shelves and in the cubbies of Ikea shelves. I have a whole row at the top of my laundry closet. Since I have to look at these boxes almost every day, I wanted to dress them up a little. Now they’re pretty!

A few more upcycled cardboard box storage ideas:

• with Contact Paper
• Basket Made with a Cardboard Box
• Make a Cardboard Box Storage System

Miscellaneous Box Makeovers

Y’all know I love jewelry box makeovers but I’ll pick up any little box I can find. These would be great if you still use recipe cards or you can hide little home office supplies on your desk.

Painted Wooden Recipe Box 

Painted Metal Recipe Box

• Mystery Box — Maybe it was a Tea Box
• 16 Thrift Store Jewelry Box Makeovers
• Black Storage Box for Living Room – This is the box in the photo below. I didn’t buy it with this in mind but it fit perfectly on the end table I painted with chalk mix in latex paint.

Other Upcycled Affordable Storage Ideas

Remote Control Storage

Here’s another upcycled storage idea from my living room. This storage method doesn’t hide anything, just corrals all our necessary (?) remote controls.

Now for the rules…

Our Monthly Upcycle Challenge Rules

Each month will have it’s own theme.

• JANUARY – STORAGE SPONSORED BY HOMERIGHT
• FEBRUARY – HARDWARE SPONSORED BY D. LAWLESS HARDWARE
• MARCH – GREEN SPONSORED BY DIXIE BELLE PAINT
• APRIL – GARDEN SPONSORED BY FISKARS
• MAY – BUILD SPONSORED BY SIMPSON STRONGTIE
• JUNE – PAINTED  SPONSORED BY DIXIE BELLE PAINTS
• JULY – RECLAIMED WOOD
• AUGUST – FURNITURE – DIXIE BELLE PAINTS
• SEPTEMBER – FALL SPONSORED BY D. LAWLESS HARDWARE
• OCTOBER – OLD IS NEW AGAIN SPONSORED BY DECOART
• NOVEMBER – COLORFUL SPONSORED BY UNICORN SPIT
• DECEMBER – HOLIDAY SPONSORED BY MY PATCH OF BLUE SKY

SUBMITTING YOUR PROJECT: You will have from 12:01 am PT on the 1st day of the month to 11:59 PT on the 15th to submit your project. Bloggers can link a blog post. Non-bloggers can upload a photo.

VOTING: Voting will begin: 12:01 am PT on the 16th of each month.  You can send the link to your friends and family to vote for you, but it is only three votes per IP address. The voting will close at midnight PT on the last day of the month and anyone can vote, whether you submitted a project or not.

WINNING: The winner will be selected based solely on the number of votes. The person with the highest vote will be advised and notified.  They will need to provide shipping info so the prize can be sent to them directly from the sponsor. Each month’s prize will have a minimum retail value of at least $100. 

JANUARY PRIZES:  This month’s prizes are supplied by HomeRight.

• Super Finish Max Spray Painter
• Medium Spray Shelter

I have this paint sprayer and the small spray shelter… love ’em both! Check out all my projects using these supplies HERE. My favorite was this jewelry cabinet I spray painted. 

RULES:

You must be 18, or over, to participate.  This challenge is in no way associated with Facebook.  Prizes can only be shipped to US or Canada. By submitting your photo, you are agreeing it is your image, and you are the creator of the project.  You may NOT submit anyone’s project for them or an image you do not own.  If you are found using images that are not yours, you will be disqualified, link/image will be removed, you will be removed from the group, and you will be responsible for any legal copyright issues/fees if they arise. Each corporate sponsor will be responsible for shipping the prize, and not an individual blogger. Bloggers will not be held liable for packages not received.

Enter Your Upcycle Storage Project

Thanks for reading and good luck in the challenge!

‘Til the next project,

 Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim

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