33 Smart Things for Your Small Apartment

we always need to make the most out of everything and this forces us to be more strategic and practical about storage welcome to Janssen DIY and these are 33 smart things for your small apartment one if you live in an old apartment then you can't remodel if you don't own these drawers help ease the small kitchen pains so you can use your space more effectively this is a great way to breathe new life into old cabinets you could jazz them up with some accessories if it's not time for a complete overhaul of your kitchen to use a shower curtain with pockets so you can store toiletries and other bathing tools I needed more storage in my shower because there are no built-in niches and I only have room for a narrow shower caddy I saw this idea and thought this is perfect because it's geared towards college dorms and small apartments it also works great in any size bathroom 3 instead of putting the spices directly inside the kitchen cabinet you can use a clip strip to maximize the space inside the cabinet these are awesome I was a little skeptical because I'm afraid they fall off the wall or you can't put glass bottled spices in them but I've had mine up for a couple of weeks now and we've had no problems with them whatsoever this item is great for organizing your spices since it clears up a lot of cabinet space too for store your canned goods cereals spices and other foods in a slide-out pantry aside from the ones that can be bought from Ikea you can custom build it here's how to do it first build the ladder by screwing and are nailing all boards together to make the main structure next drill holes for dowels insert dowels into holes use wood glue for extra support and then paint a design or a pop of color on the end side of the cabinet paint the back before hand and then use finishing nails to attach your back board attach casters according to the package directions attach your handle or knob to the front a handle drawer pull worked well to pull the cabinet in and out fill it with your canned goods spices or whatever and you're good to go 5 hide your trash can in plain sight and you can call yourself a minimalist if you live in an apartment with limited space then it's perfect for you I bought this for under my sink to put my most used items in I can fit a large sized container of Clorox cleanup wipes one spray bottle of Clorox cleanup and a large roll of large kitchen hefty trash bags in the size large basket just be sure to measure your cabinet and the clearance that it's needed between the door when closed and the sink or drain to make sure there is enough clearance for the door to shut all the way 6 a collapsible laundry basket is perfect for small apartments because it's space-saving and it can be easily stored after doing your laundry this is a nifty laundry basket the major benefit to this laundry basket other than those of you who will actually be folding it and storing it is that it doesn't have all those annoying little holes like many baskets do it holds the same amount of clothes as the typical laundry basket but it looks cooler doing it this item would be especially great for using as a care package basket for a new college student or even for a new mom 7 use a hot iron holster that can cling to any smooth surface to store your curling iron so simple yet so great if you're looking for organizers that won't take up your entire vanity or sink and will actually hold what you need in it this sits right on my makeup table and has not budged once doesn't take away any space for my makeup and it's much nicer looking than throwing my curling iron on the floor eight maximize that space in the corner of your sink to dry newly wash dishes and utensils if you have a very small kitchenette in your studio then this tucks into the corner well and is very versatile also if you have a corner sink rather than take a valuable counter space to the side with a standard-sized Rainer use this dryer for the area behind your sink nine you can store your toiletries near the sink in a more neat and organized manner by using an over the faucet shelf tray if you have a very small bathroom this product will give you the additional space you need to hold items you use regularly but did not want to leave on the counter although not the best quality and a little shaky at times however it does what it needs to do 10 shower rod hooks a simple idea that is truly useful in the bathroom save more space inside the bathroom by hanging a shower hook on the curtain rod use it to store bathing stuff like towels and a whole lot more 11 use the space around your fridge by putting on a cooking caddy over the mini-fridge this is a wonderful solution for dorm rooms and small apartments since it fits perfectly over the mini-fridge and will save you a lot of space there is no downside to it as it does exactly what it's supposed to do stay in place over a mini-fridge and hold utensils etc and even larger plus is that it didn't overheat my mini-fridge and was easy to clean off needless to say this is an essential in every dorm room if you ask me 12 keep your knives away from children by using it under the cabinet knife drawer here's how to build it first measure the cavity under the cabinet and cut a piece of quarter-inch plywood two-and-a-half inches narrower and 1/4 inch shallower than those dimensions now cut 1x3 frame parts to match the plywood dimensions then glue and nail them together with one and a half inch 18 gauge Brad's glue and nail the plywood to the frame using the plywood to square up the frame as you fasten it cut to one by fours to the same length as the drawer sides then attach the slides to the drawer supports holding them flush with the bottom and the end pull out the slide on each drawer support a few inches to expose the mounting holes then pre-drill and screw the slides to the drawer sides flush with the front pull the slide out the rest of the way to mount the slide to the back end of the drawer use double faced tape to temporarily stick the assembly to the underside of the cabinet drill two eighth inch pilot holes through the cabinet bottom then screw into the drawer supports cut the one by four drawer front exactly the same length as the cabinet face frame drill then permanently attach the drawer front to the drawer frame from the inside with one and one-quarter inch screws drill pilot holes above the drawer slide and attach the side trim with one and one quarter inch screws and you're done thirteen when you have lots of clothes and a small closet try to hang a clothes rack on the ceiling here's how to do it first use hot glue to help secure the rope to the curtain rod once the rod was completely wrapped in rope anchor two hooks into the ceiling at about the same width as the rod finally use rope to suspend the new clothes bar from the ceiling you simply cut two pieces of rope at the same length doubled them over created a knot at the ends and then slip the closed bar and to them 14 create a desk on your balcony if you don't have enough space at home to do some office work you can improvise a home office desk by using a hook on balcony desk you can easily hook on the railings and remove anytime you're not using it this hook on balcony desk is perfect for working reading or even eating check out the complete guide on Wilker deuce by April Wilkerson 15 transform a painting into a gigantic hidden jewelry box here's how you do it first measure the dimension of the back of your frame next cut the square dowels to make the four sides of the painting frame nail them together at the corners to create a frame cut the two-inch plank in two identically sized pieces but do not attach them together yet this is the frame for your jewelry box cut the piece of thin wood to the exact measurements of the frame you just made this will create a tray with two inch sides which is your jewelry box attach the four small hinges to the left side of the picture placing the center of the hinges at the line where the dowel frame and the jewelry frame meet and this is what the final result looks like 16 hang your outfit of the day by using a towel holder for belts and ties you can use it to hang your outfit for the next day including glasses and shades that you might be wearing the holder can be mounted on the wall and you can use the rod to hang things such as belts ties and even clothing 17 if you like to have guests in your house it would be practical to just create your own bar at home this will work perfectly if you have extra wall space all you need to do is to add shelving and turn an underutilized area into a well-stocked bar 18 since a lot of greeters take up much space in the kitchen using a collapsible greeter with different sides is a great way to solve this problem I love the allowance of opening size between the two greater sides as opposed to the very limited space of a box style grader you would also find that the downward hand motion rather than the typical horizontal motion is far more comfortable for your hands it easily comes apart for cleaning and also very sharp so that grading hard cheeses takes so little time 19 magnetic stickers are cute and are actually useful in storing little things at home they can be used in your bedroom shower or in your kitchen you could stick these on the wall to store anything made of metal that can be pulled by a magnet 20 get a folding Ottoman bed that you can turn into a square shaped seat during the day and a bed at night the bed consists of a metal frame with fabric stretched across the frame on Springs like a trampoline that supports the mattress the mattress is very comfortable and has a soft removable cover it's easy to fold the back up for storage and all the parts move smoothly and there is a strap with a hook to keep it folded up once you fold it up you could simply tuck it in the corner out of sight 21 using cord balls for cables to keep office spaces and computer rooms free from clutter 22 turn the armrest of a couch into a mini table where you can put your glass of coffee without losing balance by using a wooden couch arm wrap 23 you know those rotating counters whenever you're at an optical shop why not get a cabinet with a similar mechanism here's a few tips if you decide to get this item the rotating mechanism works great and it was easy to put together in some cases there are scratches in the white paint where the particle board is dark rather than light underneath which means it happened during storage wherever that is the black board has very teeny holes for the hangers which can be overlooked as it isn't indicated on the directions 24 get ready to read and roll with this magazine and toilet paper holder in one it stylish Lee holds two rolls plus has a shelf for an extra roll or other items that one might need while on the throw it will accommodate the full-size rolls but doesn't unroll freely until some of the roll has been used if installed correctly it is very sturdy for its intended purpose much easier to change empty rolls 25 these colorful bowls and measuring spoons are very functional and they help save space in the kitchen this stackable set is an idea whose time has come over the years you tend to collect kitchen utensils until there is no room for more this set helps that problem by neatly stacking many often used items in one relatively small heap the large mixing bowl has another good idea in that the bottom has a non-skid surface the colander and the sieve are just the right size for your uses 26 instead of plotting space for your wine bottles inside a cabinet you can opt for this 8 bottle wall-mounted wine rack the wall-mounted holder looks great on the wall as it is said numerous times in reviews that it looks like a work of art and in many ways it's very true certain wine bottles don't fit into the holes all that well and we'll leave them angled up or down instead of straight out for instance if the bottle has a higher curve towards the neck of the bottle however most bottles work perfectly fine in the holder I put a wide variety of shapes in mind and they all looked fine 27 save time and energy in the kitchen with an over the sink cutting board if you have a small kitchen without a lot of counter space then you'll be using this cutting board all the time it's sturdy enough to cut solid items like a roast beef that I put in the fridge the night before or for using an apple slicer sometimes it gets the peels other times it gets the chopped veggies it's also the perfect size for rinsing off a pint of berries before you start using them 28 both a mirror and an ironing board that has storage this is so convenient the magnetic closure is strong enough to keep the door closed when not in use you can add a knob handle to open the door only because it will make it easier for you to grab the door to open it just make sure you have at least one stud to mount this heavy cabinet 29 get a stylish storage headboard that would match your bed and act as storage at the same time use this storage to store books or anything that you would need before bedtime this is a unique storage solution if you don't have enough space for lamps or nightstands 30 the laundry pod this machine is perfect if you live in an apartment building without any washing facilities a small washer like the laundry pod would be a perfect way to keep up with wash without having to leave the apartment it's very convenient to fill up agitates the clothes well and drains right out it works well to clean lightly soiled clothes stains require some extra treatment and scrubbing by hand 31 a shoe ottoman works perfectly as a flat stool as a chair and as storage if you have a space at the foot of your bed or against a window and you have a few piles of shoes that never seemed to fit anywhere this is for you the fabric is a sort of ultra suede feeling polyester fabric and it should wipe clean nicely inside it has a little envelope velcroed all around the inside with each envelope holds one shoe total of 10 pairs or 20 shoes the center is open and you can stand boots that aren't too tall in the center or you could store anything you'd like in the center extra blanket or two books honestly this is the best piece of furniture I've purchased in quite some time 32 a folding barbecue grill to make your afternoon more fun very cute product and perfect if your tiny home also has a tiny backyard 33 there are a lot of ways to create DIY wall lamps based on the ones sold at IKEA like this wall hung lamp here's how to do it first prepare a corded lamp and a wall shelf bracket next you need to cut off the plug end and the switch portion of the pendant light with wire snips so that you can thread the cord through the bracket drill three holes in your bracket and get the cord through the bracket starting at the outermost hole and going up over the top of the bracket and down through the bottom hole if you can't do it yourself have an electrician install a new plug at the end of your light fixture once the light is wired you're ready to plug your light in and enjoy your new sconce and that's all for now for more DIY hacks and organizing ideas stay tuned to our Channel thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next episodes [Music] you

Channel: Jansen's DIY

Views: 1,513,307

Rating: 4.5259857 out of 5

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Id: aqa8Op9pTVc

Length: 18min 44sec (1124 seconds)

Published: Sat May 12 2018