Luckily, there are plenty of inexpensive hacks that help you make the best use of the space you have, like zip ties. Originally used as a tool to harness and bundle things, these inexpensive items can be used in hundreds of different ways.
Zip ties come in a variety of materials, colors and lengths, making them useful for many projects and spatial issues around the apartment. Below are five unexpected and useful ways to save space and money with zip ties.
1. Cable management
If you have messy cables hanging behind your television or home office desk, it’s time to clean them up. Not only are unruly cables an eyesore, but they’re also dangerous. Exposed wires can be dangerous if a small child gets a hold of them or liquid spills onto them.
What’s more, even if you arrange and organize them nicely at first, they always get tangled eventually and it continues to be an annoying mess.
Rather than buy an expensive cable management system, use zip ties to organize the cables and wires throughout your rental. Simply bundle the wires together and place zip ties at even intervals.
Use different colored zip ties if you want to keep the cables even more organized. If you need to move something, you won’t need to trace the cable back to its attachment.
2. Shelving unit or bookcase
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
If you have a garage or kid’s playroom that needs organizing, zip ties will be your next best friend. Instead of purchasing an expensive shelving unit that you’ll spend hours putting together, use zip ties to create an inexpensive shelving unit or bookcase.
Purchase three to four heavy-duty plastic milk crates, like these from Amazon. Stack the crates one on top of the other and secure them by interweaving zip ties to create a durable storage unit.
Use your new shelving unit to store books, stuffed animals, tools, clothing or other miscellaneous items. You can even take it a step further and purchase cheap bins to place inside the crates to store small, loose items, while making the shelf look store bought.
3. Organize cleaning items
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
If you don’t have a closet to hang and organize your bulky cleaning supplies like your mops, brooms or dustpans, your linen closet or laundry room is likely a mess. Luckily, zip ties can help you wrangle everything in an organized fashion.
Purchase a damage-free hook from your local hardware store. Place the hook on a wall or the back of a door. Thread the zip tie through the hole in the handle of the broom, cleaner bottle, or dustpan and hang it up. While this won’t work for everything, it’s an easy way to bring some organization to the space. Better yet, use the DIY shelving unit to store the rest of the items.
4. Hanging bathroom storage
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
Rental apartment bathrooms are notorious for being small with little to no storage. Use wall space to your advantage by installing DIY towel holders above the toilet or adjacent wall.
Go to your local home goods store to find high-quality, low-cost baskets. Use zip ties to hang two baskets next to one another from your existing towel bar or a new towel bar that you install yourself.
This is a perfect way to store more in a small space, from hand towels and soap to make-up and hair products.
5. Hanging and storing holiday decorations
Photo courtesy of familyhandyman.com
If you enjoy decorating your apartment around the holidays, you may know the challenge of trying to keep your walls in great condition as you hang items up and take them down. To avoid creating unnecessary damage to walls, use zip ties to hang and secure your holiday décor. For example, you can secure garland or lights to your banister.
Not only are zip ties great for hanging seasonal décor, but they’re also great for storing it. For example, use zip ties to bundle cords of lights or to hang more baskets like you did in the bathroom.
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on storage. Instead, use the creative ideas above to save space and organize items in your apartment, while giving each area of your home a unique and personal touch.
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