Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Tool Time Tuesday...Vertical Storage

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Happy Tuesday! Today's tutorial is storage and recycling all in one. Not just any storage...vertical storage. All the flat surfaces on my shelves and tables are stacked high and I needed space for all my spray cans. They were down stairs in the basement on my husband's work bench, but I'm the one who uses them the most. It will be much easier if the cans were in my craft/sewing room.




I found this old plank in my dad's shed and it is just what I wanted...
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Old and beat up. Not sure if I want to leave it natural like this or rub it with a clear stain to bring out the natural color of the wood. Will see!
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Here is the recycling part. Coffee cans and more coffee cans all ready to be spray painted
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First peel off the paper to reveal the metal.



I picked a bright and cheery red, the new accent color in my sewing room



Take your cans and the wooden board...



and line them up to decide the distance apart.



I also added one of my pipe straps for a handle at the top of the board.



Since I was using many cans, I cut out a template to speed up the process. Trace the can on card stock or card board.



Cut it out and...




fold in quarters.



Poke a hole in the center for marking.



The next step is to find the placement of each can. My can centered with an inch on each side and 1 1/2 inches between each can.



Mark the center.



Pre drill a hole.



Now you need to find the center of each can on the bottom.



Just place the same template on the bottom.



Mark and...


drill each hole.



This view is the inside of the can. Just take a small screw and going from the inside, screw it into the pre drilled hole in the wood.



and here they are all attached.



Now I can just lean it up against any wall or cabinet. This is dead space, but now it's my paint center with a pop of color too.



I still have space on the bottom for more cans...guess I need to drink more coffee!
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Here's a little update...I now use the vertical storage for string!!




Here is another post I did a long time ago with coffee cans that is another great spray paint can holder. Click here to take a peek at that one too.


I know I mounted my cans on a board, but you can also just screw them right into the wall over your work table or on the back of a cabinet or the side of a bookcase or on the inside of a closet door. Maybe even in your garage or on the wall going down to your basement.
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You don't have to use this for spray cans either. How about...
  • scissors
  • pens/pencils
  • rulers
  • tools
  • rolled up fabric
  • skeins of yarn
  • magazines
  • patterns
  • string
  • hot glue gun sticks
  • and all your special crafting needs
Start saving or I know some of you already have cans tucked away for a future project, so get them out, paint them up and start your vertical storage today!!
Have a wonderful Tuesday,
~Karen~

39 comments:

  1. I get it. Great idea. Love organization tips. Can't wait to use this one. Thank you!

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  2. Karen I have only just found your wonderful blog! It is divine! Your ideas are so simple really, and you think... why didn't I think of that.

    Your instructions and photos make everything so clear. A joy to look at, notch up another follower.

    LiBBiE

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  3. Karen you're just too awesome for words!!!

    I have a little smile on my face - want to know why? Because my word verification is "blest"!! That's how I feel having such wonderful friends - blessed!

    Hugs sweetie!!!
    Vikki xoxo :-)

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  4. Another fine idea. I look forward to Tool Time Tuesday!!!

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  5. Karen, If you get any more clever I don't think I will be able to stand it. Great idea for the coffee cans.

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  6. Wanta' come and organize my garage? You do, I know you do....you can use all these great ideas you have....please, pretty please with....

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  7. What a neat idea to get organized and it looks great to! Thank you for the idea.

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  8. Another great idea - I'm already trying to decide what I can put in my cans!! It might work out in the workshop as well - wonder if it would keep hubbie a little more organized? LOL

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  9. I like how you re-purpose items that would be thrown away and make them into useful things. Very creative.

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  10. Great idea! What a creative roller coaster you have inside your head girl!!!!!!!
    Greetings from the south

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  11. What a great idea...I am going to be doing some organizing and sorting in my office and store room - I think this idea will be just the ticket :)

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  12. Karen I wish my coffee came in cans. Mine comes in a bag..darn.
    I may have to change coffees huh.
    Great idea and love the handle,
    poor hubby's truck, you keep going
    to electrical supplies. He keeps
    having to restock his truck.LOL.
    ":O)

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  13. Oh darn, I don't drink coffee. Another wonderful idea!! Maybe I should ask my friends to save me some cans.

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  14. I love your blog! I stumbled on it thru a blog, through a blog etc. I am going to tell my bloging friends all about you. I love the organizing tips because I too love to organize too.

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  15. Karen,
    What a great idea. I love storage solutions. I have been trying to find one for storing all of my artwork, which is usually a large sheet of watercolor paper.

    So nice to meet you too. I can't wait to have a look around your blog, it looks beautiful.
    Karen

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  16. That is brilliant! I just finished a large project and had nowhere to put all my cans. I am certain I have the stuff on hand to complete this, thanks for the brilliant idea and for sharing.

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  17. I can tell I need to change my brand of coffee. Dark roast by Maxwell house in a blue plastic pail with a handle, just isn't going to work.

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  18. The weathered look of the board is pretty neat. Love the way you added storage and used up "unusable" space.

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  19. what a neat idea, I have missed popping by.....

    Gill in Canada

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  20. What a great way to use your wall for storage. I even love the color.

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  21. I have a couple uses for the plastic coffee cans - I use the blue ones with the handles as weights in the pool - fill up with water and exercise away.

    I also use the plastic ones to hold scraps for the compost pile (coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, veggie peelings, etc). I fill the can with water before I trek out to the compost pile so I also add some moisture at the same time. If the can gets too messy, it going into the dishwasher and back into use!

    liz

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  22. Fabulous, just fabulous! What a great idea! And it would be really cute on the wall as well!

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  23. Wow!! So great! Thanks for sharing the idea, and thanks for your kind comments on my blog. I love "meeting" fun new crafty people!

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  24. What a great idea - this is just what I need! Thanks so much for such a clear tutorial!

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  25. That is genius! I need to do this asap. I just clicked over from Craft. I would love to link to this if you didn't mind.

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  26. Um, okay - I MUST have this! What a great idea. For us spray-paint junkies, you know it's so hard to find a good place to store all our goodies. What an ingenious idea! Thanks so much for sharing!! Great job!

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  27. Sooooo creative and original.
    I love the idea. I currently have a overstuffed basket of spray paint in my garage. I've been waiting for an idea on how to store them. Thanks for sharing! You should copyright this! :)
    -Polly
    www.learnandgopollyco.blogspot.com

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  28. Great job! So creative!!! I just want to let you know that I am your newest follower. Someone recommended this post to me and thought I would like your blog and I do! Thanks for sharing. Have a great day.
    Bonnie :)

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  29. Que blog más interesante tienes!!!!
    Me encanta , me estoy dando una vuelta por aqui y e cogido ideas muy interesantes.
    Si te quieres dar una vuelta por mi blog...
    http://miss-pereas.blogspot.com

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  30. Awesome! Even messy, your craft room is awesome. Right now I can barely get into mine and couldn't sit down if I could. Love the can storage idea! It is similar to one I want to do in the bathroom, to store straightener, curling irons, blowdryer, etc. Thanks so much.
    Annette

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  31. This is a completely awesome tutorial. I never would have thought to pre-drill the holes, but I bet it made the process so much easier! Gonna try this, it can store anything really!

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  32. Great post! Just gave you a shout out!

    http://4you-withlove.blogspot.com/2012/09/gotta-love-bakers-twine.html

    Marilyn

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  33. just found your blog through a pin on pinterest--I love the coffee can idea, and if you keep the lids, you could put a whole in the center, and put them back on the cans--then the string stays clean and doesn't get tangled up--would work for spools of ribbon too--and added bonus--you would get to use your label maker!

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  34. How did you get the black coffee cans at the bottom of your post screwed on to the block of wood. I can get get in there?!?!?

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  35. I am so glad you love to organize. My daughter and I love to also, and all my life my sisters have made fun of me, in a friendly way, for being such an organizational nut. I love this can idea and I think that it would be great for storing small rolls of stabilizer near the table that I hoop things for embroidery. What a cute idea. Love the beat up board, too.

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  36. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  37. Hey there! I just sent you a message on your other paint organization post about the board I am curating for Hometalk... I would love to share this project as well. See the details in my other comment! :)

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment...I just love hearing from you!

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