When we renovated our master bathroom, we removed a large storage closet to make more space for our double vanity. While happy with that decision, I do miss the storage options provided by shelves that you hide behind a door. Now that most of our storage is out in the open, I have had to get a little creative to make sure things are tidy and organized, without spending a fortune on containers.
This is our newly organized bathroom shelf (read on for the how-to and some tips):
There are attractive baskets and containers everywhere you turn these days and they are very hard to resist! But I have a very hard time spending money on containers that I plan to fill with toilet paper and other not-so-fun necessities. I found these crates at an unpainted furniture store for $2.49 each and they were just what I was looking for. I could have made the crates easily but for the cost of the supplies and the time it would take, I decided the $5 price tag for 2 crates was worth it. After sanding the crates, I stained them with Minwax Wood Stain in River Stone. Once dry, I used a hot glue gun to attach strips of manila rope (a local store sells 50ft in a bag for $1.99). 
I also repurposed an item that we discard pretty regularly: tin coffee cans. I have always saved these cans to store nails and screws and other small items but I thought why not in the bathroom? First I spray painted the can white (inside and out so it won’t rust) and then I finished it with a piece of manilla rope to tie it in with the baskets.
I used a variety of other containers I had on hand to gather small items that needed to be accessible. For cotton swabs and pads, I used old glass pharmacy jars from my grandfather’s medical practice. To keep my makeup brushes at the ready, I filled a glass vase with split peas. A mint julep cup houses my razors and finally, a couple of Ikea cereal bowls keep soaps and bath salts tidy.
How do you keep your bathroom organized?
