Cardboard Boxes

• If you do a lot of your shopping by mail order or if you make a lot of big purchases that come in cardboard boxes, then you've probably got extra boxes lying around your house. These can be used to store any number of things like old toys, books, magazines, and even seasonal clothing and decorations. Once full, the boxes can easily be stored underneath your bed, in a closet, or in your garage or shed. In order to easily find things later, write the contents on the outside of each box.
  
  

Jars and Containers

• Old jars work perfectly for storing all kinds of goodies. Large mason jars or mayonnaise jars can be used to hold candy or other snack foods; small baby-food containers are ideal for organizing screws, nuts and bolts in the garage. Even plastic containers can be washed out and reused to store leftover food or small items such as buttons, hair accessories or safety pins.
  
  

Envelopes

• If you have a lot of loose papers cluttering up your space, consider using envelopes to organize them all. Large manila envelopes are perfect for this, though even smaller white envelopes work well too--especially for small or folded papers. For instance, use one to keep track of information related to bill paying, and use another to store important documents such as the title to your house or vehicle. Make sure to label the envelopes and store them in a safe place.
  
  

CD Towers

• Nearly all of us have a CD tower in our house by now, and some may even have more than one. However, most of us only use a portion of this space for CDs. If you have a tower which stores your CDs horizontally and without individual slots for each seperate disc, go ahead and fill in the gaps and empty spaces with books, pictures, unlit candles or any other knick-knacks you may have elsewhere around the house. Most horizontal-style CD towers also feature adjustable shelves to accommodate objects much larger than CDs.