Home Organization Challenge: The Basement Part 1

I really wanted to target the basement this past week, because it is the place that many of us store seasonal items and keepsakes. I do not have a garage or attic, so I rely on my basement for general storage space. In the coming weeks of our Home Organization Challenge I am sure to have items that I will like to keep and store in the basement. In preparation of organizing the basement, my husband and I purchased a dozen rubber containers several weeks ago. I also purchased a few smaller containers for some small items I will like to separate.

My basement has too many things in it and organizing it in one week seemed very overwhelming and just plain unrealistic. I therefore focused my efforts on the section of the basement that really needed my help and I will reveal more of the basement in "Basement Part 2." The area of the basement that I am highlighting today is essentially my craft room. This is the first area of the basement that you see when you first enter. I will love to switch things around, but I think the idea is to first get things de-cluttered and then consider re-zoning things.

This past week was very difficult for me to get things done. I have been sick most of the week with the flu and it has been compounded by bad weather. We had so much snowfall and bad driving conditions, that going anywhere or even going outside was difficult. I did package a box of fabric that will be donated, but still found myself overwhelmed by the amount of fabric. To provide more storage space I reused the ends of the large entertainment unit that were in the living room. This provided the much needed space for my embroidery machine and serger. It also provided some additional shelving for books and some hidden storage for smaller items. This left the open bookcase available for fabric. I found a great way to organize my fabric (which I will share later), but I have to put some more time into going through my fabric collection.

I was also able to identify needed storage for the basement and I have a few ideas on how I will continue to repurpose furniture and other items from other parts of the house. The planned changes should help to make the basement more functional. I am hoping that by the time I have completed Basement Part 2, that the basement will have a finished look.

With the hope of better weather for this week, here is the task list for the upcoming week.

Week 5 - Master Bedroom

To Do List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; keep, donate, trash and other room
• Empty dresser draws and sort items
• Fold "keep" items and place in draws with like items
• Sort and wipe dresser top
• Sort and wipe night stands
• Clean lamps and light fixtures
• Clean ceiling fans or other similar units
• Wipe walls, doors and windows
• Clean under the bed
• Clean and shine mirrors
• Clean floors and vacuum carpet
• Vacuum and flip mattress
• Wash curtains and bed linen

The idea for week five is to create a bedroom sanctuary that is free of clutter. So get under those beds and behind those dressers! Please note, this week we are not focusing on the closet, but we will in the coming weeks; so don't worry too much about it just yet.

Thanks for joining me.