Get Organized
Keeping a Teen's Room Organized
Question: I am 14 years old and I need a new organizing technique. I have
too much stuff and my mom and dad don't have enough money to buy a trunk (or
something) to put my mementoes in. I have a bulletin board but it is not
good enough. Please help me!
M.
Answer: Your Question:
Help is on the way! And you don't need to spend much (if any) money to
organize your personal mementos. Here are a few tips for organizing and
storing your memorabilia:
Status Quo
Use the bulletin board you now have, but clean it off at the end of each
month. When it fills up, it's time to clear the clutter. Look at the stack
of stuff you pulled from it, sort it into stacks (to keep, to toss,
undecided). Anything needing to be tossed (something you no longer want or
need, something you know you won't use again, something that has a bad
feeling or memory attached to it) should go directly into the trash can.
Items to keep will go in one stack to be reorganized and stored away; other
items you're unsure of can be dealt with later in your organizing session.
Gridwork Display
use a small piece of lattice (plastic or wooden that you paint yourself) to
make a display wall in your room, on your closet door, or as a headboard.
Butterfly clips and even paper clips will attach your awards, ribbons, and
photos to the lattice.
Tagboard Portfolio
Tape 2 pieces of posterboard (tagboard) on 3 sides, leaving the top open for
storage. Keep this in a place where you can add to it on a regular basis,
such as behind your door, in your closet, under your bed. (I keep one
between the refrigerator and cabinet in my kitchen for my son's artwork
since that's a space that is unused). Although your mementos aren't all
displayed at one time, it's a good way to keep what you're not ready to toss
or want to later store away.
Regardless of the way you store your mementos, make a date for yourself to
routinely sort through and organize your items for careful and permanent
storage. Pack carefully in a cardboard box , under the bed storage tub, or
unused pizza box that can be stacked on a closet shelf. Be sure to label
your box with a description of the contents, the date, and then store it
away.
Creating a good system of organizing your valuables now will ensure happy
memories for years to come, and you don't have to add on another addition to
your house to store them all!
Good luck,
Debbie Williams
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