Hi, everybody! I'm Paige from Little Nostalgia (blog no longer active) and, first of all, Happy 2016! Even if being more organized isn't one of my "official" resolutions, I like to kick off a new year with a couple of decluttering projects. We always have a bunch of extra stuff to put away after the holidays (hello, gifts!), so this is a good time to lighten the load. I was getting ready for the day recently and realized, my god, I need a new makeup system, and I should probably throw away some of this sparkly nail polish I haven't worn since college. Thankfully, IKEA had my back. This isn't really a DIY project so much as it is putting things into other things, but that just makes it an easy first task of 2016. Let's roll.
Supplies
- stuff that needs to be organized
- several IKEA Skurar candle holders
- a smile, because organizing is a happy activity
Step 1: Gather your hoard.
Choose whatever you've told yourself you're going to organize in 2016. For me, that would be this ridiculous excuse of a makeup bag.
Don't ask me how I ever found anything in that pile because I never did. Also note that my eyeliner came uncapped at one point and scribbled itself all over the inside of the bag. Awesome.
Step 2: Go to IKEA.
If you're me, you're there all the time anyway. (No IKEA near you? You can order them online, too!) I was looking for anything to wrangle my messy makeup situation (among other organizational needs) when I wandered by the Skurar display in the candle department and thought, "Hey, those would look really cute in the bathroom!" And lo, I had my solution.
Know that there's a very similar plant pot version of this item that's available in two larger sizes. If you're short on cabinet space like I am or want something to leave out, be sure you get the little 4" diameter ones.
Step 3: Sort!
Your process here will vary depending on what you need to organize, but I recommend starting with a good purge no matter what. I was pretty ruthless and tossed stuff I didn't like, stuff I liked but never used (glitter eyeshadow, holla!), and anything that was almost gone but still being carried around.
Once I had my keepers, I sorted them into three groups: brushes and tools, eyes and lips, and general face. For reference, I can get a standard powder compact in there with room to spare. And you can see all 900 of my brushes:
Step 4: Display (or store).
These have been in action for about a week and sometimes I put them away in the cabinet, other times I leave them out. One lovely side effect of getting organized is the ability to choose containers that are pretty enough to double as decor. Because they're pretty small, they don't crowd the vanity even when all three of them are out.
Cute, right? IKEA is the best. Not having to dig through a slouchy makeup bag has been saving me time, too.
How are you getting organized this year? What IKEA hacks are you using? Who else has a sad makeup situation?
Paige Ronchetti is an interior decorator and blogger who writes about DIY projects, decor inspiration, and personal style over at Little Nostalgia (blog no longer active) When she's not blogging, she's working with local clients through The Room Kit, her budget-friendly interior design business. Her favorite books are Harry Potter. Follow along on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
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Great storage solution! Keeping things tidy and in order just helps everything run more smoothly.
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