I've lived everywhere from a room in a shelter to a six-bedroom/three-bath home on 55 acres and one thing remains true: no matter where you live, you need to be organized and find a place for all of your "stuff."

I hold fast to two tenets: 1.) Every article of clothing must have pockets; 2.) Everything in my home should have storage space.

Below are some ideas for storage that I have collected and put to good use through the many years and many more moves:

Clear pocketed over-the-door shoe hangers

This is my number one all-time favorite storage idea and I use them in every room in my home! They are especially nice because you can keep certain things higher for safety and others lower for kiddie access:

For office supplies

staplers, pencils, pens, scissors, glue sticks, paper clips, rulers, 3 x 5 cards, batteries, etc.

In the kitchen

oil, spices, wooden spoons and other utensils, baking soda, rolling pins, cooking spray, silverware, etc.

In the bathroom

curling irons, blow dryers, hair doo-dads, peroxide, alcohol, hair spray, cotton swabs, cotton balls, etc.

In the children's rooms

crayons, craft supplies, small toys, socks, underwear, shoes, small electronics, etc.

In the sewing room

marking tools, scissors, snips, Velcro, measuring tape, threads/bobbins, zippers, buttons, etc.

In the garage

WD-40, hand tools, degreaser, old rags, hardware, etc.

On the patio

poke several little holes in the bottom (or use a cloth shoe hanger), pack with potting soil, and have a vertical herb garden

Baskets

I collect baskets at every yard sale and thrift shop I go to. They are pretty and functional. They are great for organizing.

Bookshelves

Cinder blocks and 1 x 6s.

Workbench or crafting table

Cheap plastic drawers and an old closet door.

Nightstand

: Plastic bins (for quilts, winter coats, and seasonal items) stacked and covered with a pretty cloth.

"Baskets" on Shelves

Rather than those adorable woven or cloth baskets that you see on shelves, make your own by using boxes covered in pretty paper and ribbon. If you want them uniform in size and shape, choose something that you use over and over again, like a box from diapers or ramen noodles.

Magazine organizers

Cut down cereal boxes and cover with pretty paper and labels.

Under bed storage

Think of places like this as bonus storage space. Use cheap plastic containers found at dollar stores, label them, and shove.

Silverware trays

These are great for organizing small household tools and office supplies in a desk drawer.

Old dish rack

Great for file folders.

Old jars

I love the way my beans and pastas look in assorted old jars on the back of the countertop. This is a much better option than open bags spilling all over the cabinets. This also helps keep brown sugar soft.

Old milk crates

Make a covered wooden "lid" and create a footstool with storage for board games or electronic game controllers, cartridges and cords.

These are just a few ideas. Let your imagination run wild. Basically, every time you go to a flea market, yard sale, or thrift shop, look at something you like and ask yourself, "What can I store in this?" You will be amazed with what you come up with!