Once you're home and you've unpacked from your holiday, do you ever treat your packing cubes as you would Russian nesting dolls and pool them all into one packing cube, only to be stored away until your next vacation? I did, too.
But, I've since found that these packing accessories can be used to facilitate plenty of easy home organization ideas. So, instead of them sitting sans purpose in a high shelf somewhere, you can get the most out of these organizers in various rooms around your home.
Straight from the experts, here are five clever ways to use packing cubes efficiently for a neater living space.
1. Segmented Drawer Organization
In-drawer storage is super important to keep your apparel in place, and packing cubes are up for the job.
"For one, packing cubes can act as mini organizers within your home," says storage expert Rosie Rowe of O.M.L. This smart trick will help you organize dresser drawers so there's clear categorization even within each pull-out compartment.
"Consider using them to separate socks, accessories, and even seasonal items," she says. "This will keep your things from becoming all jumbled and make them so much easier to find, too!"
David Hurless, director of operations at Stor-It, also recommends using packing cubes to arrange drawers and suggests using them to sort workout gear by color, function, or item.
Color: Coral
The color on these packing cubes from Antler is reason alone to get them, but the mesh top makes them ideal for drawer storage.
Rosie Rowe is a storage expert and the founder & CEO at Ottawa Moving Logistics. With 15 years of experience in the service industry and 6 years in the moving industry, Rosie brings many talents and strengths to O.M.L, creating an unbeatable team.
David Hurless is a storage expert and the director of operations at Stor-It. In this role, he oversees daily operations to ensure efficiency, productivity, and alignment with company objectives. David’s comprehensive understanding of Stor-It's facilities, acquired through his experience in various roles at every location, makes him highly knowledgeable about all aspects of the company's operations.
2. Add-On Closet Storage
There's no such thing as too much closet storage, so get your packing cubes in on the task.
Aside from when you're folding clothes for travel, Rosie tells me that you can use packing cubes as add-on wardrobe storage for year-round organization.
"They are a great way to store off-season clothing, helping to compress and group items by type," she advises. "This will also help in keeping them clean and ready for the next season while taking up minimal space."
If you choose to follow this tip at home, my advice is to go one step further and label your packing cubes for maximum efficiency. This Vretti Sticker Maker from Amazon will help you identify what's in each cube, without having to root through it to find out.
Color: White
Where winter clothes storage is concerned, compression is key and this THULE packing cube is the perfect fit.
3. Sorting Kid's Activity Packs
Make categorizing your children's clothing by activity easy with a packing cube or two on hand.
According to Rosie, packing cubes can also be used to sort and store clothes in your kids' closet by different activities. She finds that they can be especially helpful when you and your kids are on the go.
"You can keep a pack for school days, sports, play dates, and trips to grandparents," she suggests. "This is an easy way to prepare for different activities, as your kids may need an outfit change."
David tells me that they can also be extremely helpful in the chaos of kid's playrooms, too. "They’re great for corralling small toys or puzzle pieces," he says. "We all know how wild the toy basket or drawer can become."
Color: Purple / Red
It's best to treat your kids to fun, bright packing cubes for easy differentiation and this set from BAGGU is my pick for the task.
4. Organizing Your Craft Corner Supplies
PSA: your paintbrushes, knitting needles, stencils, and washi tape could do with a packing cube.
When you think of places to reuse your packing cubes, your craft corner might not be the first space that comes to mind but Rosie recommends giving it a second thought.
"This is such an easy thing to do for adults or kids," she says. "Store hobby materials like yarn and sewing supplies in packing cubes to keep everything tucked away and sorted when not in use."
Organizing your craft room has never seemed so stress-free. Plus, investing in fun, colorful packing cubes will encourage you to return your artsy accessories and keep the space clean, even when it's not in use.
Quantity: Set of 3
If you're wrangling your craft corner, cute zippered pouches like these ones from BAGGU will work wonders.
5. For 'In Case of Emergency' Kits
Packing cubes will make emergency kits easy to spot and grab, rather than clunky box storage.
Another unassuming use for packing cubes is to create 'in case of emergency' kits. While you can use it as a mobile first aid kit that's easy to carry everywhere, Rosie says that they can also store other essentials.
"Pack cubes with essential items like a change of clothes, medications, and toiletries for any emergency that may arise," she recommends. "These can act as small, prepared bundles to be grabbed in a rush, or even used for shorter trips."
Just remember to keep your emergency cube within reach and not tucked away into any place that's out of reach, so you can quickly get a hold of it at any point. I recommend popping it into your entryway storage.
Quantity: Set of 3
You can make personal emergency kits for each member of your family with these Luggage Packing Cubes from Next.
Keen on exploring other travel essentials? Next stop, hanging travel shelves. And, trust me, they do just as well on vacation as they do at home sweet home.
