An Easy Way To Keep Your Ribbon Organized

This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in January 2015.

There’s good reason behind why January is associated as the month for organization – I can’t speak for everyone, but the whirlwind of the holiday season kind of left my home in a state of chaos.

Now, I’m not the first to invent or suggest the idea of storing your ribbons or wrapping paper on a dowel (hanging curtain rods on your wall and putting a tension rod in a closet are preached examples), but if you don’t want to permanently install a ribbon storage mechanism, maybe because you rent, maybe because you don’t have the space to spare, I’ve got an easy, awesome,containable idea for you.

The beauty of using the Ultra™ plastic bin from Sterilite is that it comes with circular perforations on all sides, which are the perfect size for a common 5/16″ wooden dowel. If you want to use a plastic bin product that isn’t this exact model, create a simple template and drill out 5/16″ holes on either side, so that the dowels can slide through evenly.

If you happen upon a smaller dowel, you can still use it, but to prevent it from slipping out of place, drill through each end and add a cotter pin (or in a pinch, a bobby pin!).

I tossed a pair of scissors and tape into the bottom to maximize it’s all-in-one-ness, so I can pick up the whole kit and have everything I need all in one place. Pat-pat on back. This is the most organized my ribbons have ever been, and it’ll be an easy system to adapt and maintain as the inventory changes.