Out of storage space but don’t want boring plastic bins?  Here are some beautiful ways to add more storage in your home using re-purposed items, like I did.

I love to find items I can re-purpose and save from being thrown away.  And since everyone seems to need more storage, I thought I would share some of the re-purposed items I have in my own home to add more storage (and one I plan to find soon).

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Wicker trunk and antique cabinet.

I store my photo albums in the wicker trunk.  It is the perfect height for them to stand upright.

I inherited this cabinet, but old cabinets are easy to find at flea markets and garage sales. They are very easy to refinish or repaint to match your decor. We store our piano sheet music in it. 

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Find pieces that match your space. 

These are inexpensive cabinets from Amazon, because they are short, fit nicely in our extra-wide upstairs hallway.  (See them here and here.) This had just been wasted space before.

We store board games and puzzles in these so they don’t clutter up the kids’ rooms.  They are screwed together and since I don’t sew, I bought a pre-made cushion insert and wrapped it in a piece of bright fabric brought back from Africa for a quiet reading bench.

Here is the full post I did on creating this storage: How to use a wide hallway for game storage.

Have your coffee table do double-duty with built-in storage. 

We keep DVDs and Wii supplies and remotes in one side and cozy afghans and blankets in the other.

Use multi-purpose storage for items you don’t use often (like Christmas decorations). 

This old beat up trunk has such character.  I put a cedar block inside (the kind you buy to hang in a closet) because it smelled so musty, but now it is a great storage area for my boxed Christmas dishes and glassware, as well as my large plastic party platters I use for our Christmas open house.  

It is perfect since it also functions as a side table and I only need to get to the items inside once a year.

Another great idea is to use vintage suitcases.  

This is the one I plan to find on my next visit to the local flea market.  A great excuse to go!

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Use a skirted table to hide small boxes.

We used our small skirted table to store photo boxes. I just stacked them up underneath. They were in easy reach yet stored neatly out of sight!

I hope I have given you some good ideas on how you can add more storage that is both functional and beautiful. 

So, what to do with all those plastic storage bins?  Here are some ways to use them in 5 forgotten garage storage areas.

Leave me a comment and let me know what unique items you use for storage.  I’d love to hear what you have found or re-purposed!

~ Pam