9 Cool Organizing Ideas Using a Tension Rod That You May Not Have Thought Of Yet

I have two things on the homestead that need addressing this week. One is I have a few tension rods unused in my closet. Second is my home which is getting pretty holiday-time messy. 
So it's time to organize and I found these great ideas to use tension rods. In fact, I am so inspired that I am ordering more tension rods. They have so many cool uses that I have come up with more along the way.

1. This one I am doing right away. JenThousandWords.com did a beautiful job organizing under her kitchen sink with a tension rod for her spray bottles. You can read more here.

2. This idea comes from KellyHicksDesign.com. She uses a tension rod at the bottom of a curtain in her bathroom to make a clean design. Her blog for more info on this idea is here.

3. What about using tension rods in your drawers? MontanaPrairieTales.com shows an ingenious way to organize plastic storage lids here. I will be using this idea with my canning lids and rings. Plus you can use a tension rod to hang your canning rings up under a cupboard or at the top of a pantry shelf. 

4. This article by OneGoodThingByJillee.com shows how much nicer wrapping gifts would have been this year if we'd done this last year. Let's make Christmas 2016 a bit more organized!

5. BHG.com shows a cute way to hide the clutter of things and cords under a table or desk by hanging curtains on tension rods between the legs of the table/desk.

6. A great way to use extra space in the closet is to run a tension rod from front to back along the side wall and hang extra jewelry, scarves or small clutches from it. This idea came from Pinterest. 

7. I am so doing this one right away, too. OneGoodThing.com shows how a tension rod along the back of a cupboard can elevate and organize spices! Sweet!

8. Tension rods used vertically in a cupboard help to keep cutting boards, lids, cookie sheets, baking pans and a host of other items both organized AND taking up less space as shown on BHG.com.

9. TheHouseOnMillsBrook.com shows us that you can make any drawer into a hanging file drawer with tension rods. I am doing this this weekend, too.

Please send us photos of any tension rod projects that you do and we will share them with our beloved readers. 

And while we are using things in a new way, here are some ideas of things to do with mouse pads and things to do with bath puffie scrubbies. 

Some Up-cycling Ideas and New Ways to Re-use Old Mouse Pads

While cleaning out the office today I just came within 2 inches of throwing out an old mouse pad.
"No!", I said to myself. If we are going to stay on track towards homesteading then we have two mantras to keep in mind to save money. 
1. Don't just buy new stuff.. try to make something rather than buy it.
2. Don't waste old stuff. Everything should have a new purpose. (here's what we did with our old twin bed frame, we made a kitchen island!)

So what can you do with an old mouse pad? Here are some ideas that I found.

The most popular thing out there seems to be using it for a trivet if the top or bottom doesn't have plastic coating. This is a great idea. See it here on RealSimple.com.

From RealSimple.com

InspirationsForMoms.com has 5 other cool ideas. She writes:

 1) Quiet your cabinets. Cut your mouse pad into nickle-sized circles and glue them to the corner of cabinets doors. Say goodbye to those loud bangs!  

3) Catch the condensation. Cut up some mouse pads to use them as drink coasters.
4) Open jars with ease. Use the rubber underside of a mouse pad to loosen the stubborn lids of jars or bottles.

From InspirationsForMoms.com

5) Line your dish cabinets. Yes, cabinet liners are pretty cheap. But if you have old mouse pads just lying around, they are FREE. Place them in you kitchen cabinets to protect your dishes.
6) Protect your floors. To prevent table legs and chairs from scuffing your floors, cut your mouse pad into small pieces and glue each piece to the bottom of a leg.
You can visit her blog here.

We also have a post on recycling bath puffy scrubby things here.These are some really valid and great ideas and I will be a few of them.
If you have any other ideas, please let us know so we can add them and share them.

4 things you can make by re-using and re purposing a bath puff scrubbie thing.

So if we are going to be successful in a frugal homesteader lifestyle, we have to bear 3 things in mind.
1. Use what you have as often as possible.
2. Waste Not, Want Not (don't just throw stuff out).
3. Don't buy it if you can make it.

I have a never-used bath puff that was destined for the trash. Not a huge deal, right? Because I didn't pay for it (it came in a gift basket) and they are cheap. No biggie. But I did manage to stop myself and ask what else I could do with it.
I came upon the following cute and cool and frugal ideas from the web.

1. Make a pot scrubber.

This will most likely be the project I go with. Great idea in my opinion from Salihan Crafts. She also shows how to make a Yarn Sleeve from the puff in this same post. 

1. (again) Here's a video tutorial on making a pot scubber for those of you who prefer video.

2. Make a costume.

This clever idea comes to us from Razmataz Blog. The directions are easy and fun and are right here.

3. Make a shower hanger.

This idea comes to us from the Instructables website. Click here for details. .

4. Make a bird feeder.

 

This video will show you how to do it with mesh produce bags, but if you take apart your bath puff, you'll find that it's the same thing. It's a mesh tube. 

As always, we'd love to see pics of how yours turned out or any other ideas you have for this concept!