Looking for simple ways to organize with vintage decor? Here are 10 simple ways to reuse and repurpose and organize with vintage finds.
Organizing doesn’t have to be expensive. Shop your closets and your drawers and even your attic. You can use what you already and one of the easiest ways is to think outside the box and organize with vintage decor.
Do you know what is even better than organizing?
Organizing with vintage finds.
Seriously.
Finding things that might have been a milk carton or a saddle or a display case or a toothbrush holder once upon a time–and then taking them and finding new ideas and new ways to use them.
There’s something so satisfying about taking a marquee letter and using it to organize files or taking vintage cashboxes and filling them with playing cards or taking a tackle box and filling it with chipboard letters in all the slots.
My upstairs craft room is full of yard sale and thrift store and vintage finds that are living their best life.
Here are 10 ways to organize with vintage decor.
And the sweetest thing my brother made me for Christmas.
Ready to get organized?
Let’s GO.
1. Add vintage bike baskets to a pegboard
I found this bike basket at a vintage shop downtown.
We trimmed the back of the basket where it hooked onto the bike and it fit perfectly into a standard-sized pegboard.
You could also use vintage hooks and anything that comes with a hook on a pegboard as well. Once you start looking the possibilities are endless.
If you can’t figure out what to do with a vintage find?
You can probably hang it on a pegboard.
2. Hang vintage chairs on the wall for extra seating
This is one of my favorite tips.
Think vertical.
I found these vintage chairs at a store downtown and hung them on the wall.
I used these giant hooks to hang the chair on the wall and keep them out of the way until I need them.
Organizing that decorates is the best kind of organizing.
3. Use baskets for storage
This falls in the Captain obvious category, but it needs to be added to the list because this is one of my most used tips.
I use these giant rolling baskets to store extra fabric and extra pillows for the space.
This large basket also stores extra craft supplies that are too bulky for the closet.
You can also add painted numbers to the front of baskets, too.
4. A seed packet holder gift wrap and tag organizer
I LOVE my vintage tag holder.
I found it at a yard sale and I think it used to hold seeds once upon a time.
Now?
I added tags to each of the metal dividers. If you saw it at Christmas time it was FULL of tags, but I’ve used most of them. It’s about to be full again.
5. Use a flower holder to organize craft supplies
Here are some vintage pieces I use to organize my craft supplies.
I found this flower holder at a yard sale and I use it to store scissors and pens.
Simply attach a hook to the wall and hang it up. You want to make sure your hook is long enough to extend out from the wall so the basket has enough clearance.
6. Store paper towels in a hanging basket
Don’t you love storage that looks cute and is functional?
I had this vintage basket with a liner.
I took the liner out and added rolls of paper towels and hung it up on a nail in the laundry room.
You could also fill a basket like this with extra toilet paper and hang it up in the bathroom.
7. Organize a craft space with a vintage table
I got this table at a thrift store and we cut it down to fit inside the bookcase.
When I’m not using it, it folds flat in the space and almost disappears.
Then, when I need extra table space for crafts, I pull out the drop leg and an extra table appears.
8. Store paint and books in a vintage fabric holder
I found this vintage fabric holder in a vintage store years ago.
It’s held my milkglass.
It’s held extra dishes.
It’s held Christmas ornaments.
Now it’s in the craft room and all my paints are on the top shelves with baskets full of tape and office supplies on the second shelf.
The bottom shelves are full of books.
9. Make organizers from a vintage coffee crate
Years ago I bought this coffee crate at a yard sale for $10.00. I almost fell over when I saw it. I had seen coffee crates all over magazines and blogs and Pinterest and everyone was using them and coffee crating their way into superstardom.
It was so big and I couldn’t figure out what to do with it.
So we made it into organizers instead.
You can see the DIY and how the crate organizers were made here.
10. Use marquee letters to organize baskets
This is the simplest organizing idea with vintage finds.
And it’s SO CUTE.
All you need is are those marquee letters.
Simply clip them on the baskets with clothes pins to organize all your stuff.
I also wanted to share this notebook that my brother made for me for Christmas last year.
I found it when I was organizing everything.
It’s the cutest wooden notebook that he hand-carved my logo into.
It’s the perfect way to keep all my notes organized.
Truth?
Even if you read all these tips on organizing with vintage finds and decide today is not your day to be organized, I want you to leave today with this:
Organization doesn’t have to be fancy.
Organization as simple as thinking outside the box.
Organization doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Organization can be done a little at a time and a minute at a time.
Just pick your minute and begin.
Rome wasn’t organized in a day….
….and your house doesn’t have to be either. 🙂
I’m dying to know where the little wicker/cane looking boxes came from that are under the bicycle basket?? Love all of you ideas!
Jenny, You are so sweet! The baskets in the big piece with the paint came from Walmart—linked here (affiliate): https://bit.ly/3eIlRs2 And the baskets with the lids came from Hobby Lobby several years ago and I couldn’t find a link! But I did find these from McGee and Co that were super similar (affiliate): https://rstyle.me/cz-n/hj2icmb5nef Let me know if you have any questions!
I’m dying to know where the little wicker/cane looking boxes came from that are under the bicycle basket?? Love all of you ideas! They are amazing!
Some of the cutest ideas. Thank you. I really enjoyed seeing them
Love hanging the chairs. I'm still trying to convince my husband to hang his grandfather's small cane back chairs on the stairway. I LOVE the notebook your brother made you. What a sweet brother. You always start my day off with a smile.
So many adorable and charming ideas! I love how you think outside the box! That wooden notebook is way too cute. Are you sure your brother doesn't have an Etsy store? These alone would make great personalized gifts!
Hi , I have 4 of those chairs and a table that drops down on both sides, I use to store my sewing machines inside the table ( where the chairs should have been), and pulled them out when I sewed. The chairs hung in my breezeway and were so handy when i needed them. I bought the table new at B.J's in the 1980's. It was so handy I also used the table on Holiday's as an extension to my dining room table.
I have 2 of those chairs! My grandpa gave them to me when I got my first big girl apartment. You have found and re-purposed some neat items. I mostly use baskets, bowls, and tea tins to help manage clutter (and clutter still seems to find me, ugh!).
Love these great ideas, Karianne! They even spurred me to a new use for some narrow antique drawers I just couldn’t let go of! ♥️
I love that your organizing is done without plastic. I am on the lookout for ideas just like these with no plastic bins in sight!
Those were great ideas and they make you look at your vintage finds in a new way. Thanks and have a great day.
All very lovely, eye-pleasing ways to organize!! xoxo
Hi Karianne, Please tell me where you got those wonderful throw pillows that are in your craft room, 😊
Boy, I wish I could go vintage shopping with you sometime! And lunch after. :) And shopping again. You are such fun! I love these ideas. Thanks!