Unique and Imaginative Wall Storage Ideas

Everyone can use more organization in their lives (except those misguided souls who alphabetize their spices, canned goods and color-coordinate their laundry supplies!). Additional wall storage can help bring that organization into your home. And original and unusual wall storage ideas can help organization become décor pizzazz! Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. If you have old fruit crates or soda pop crates, attach them to the wall to become a wonderful storage unit to display books or knicknacks. You can paint the units to match your décor or leave the original labels and wood to create a rustic and unusual centerpiece of your room.

2. Do you have an old garden bench or one of those wooden benches which are frequently beside dining tables or in entry halls? Try it attaching upside down on the wall. Use the shelf created by the bench top to display collections. Just think of using a white distressed bench as a shelf for teddy bears in a child's room.

3. Old wooden hangers can make beautiful storage units for jewelry, ties, and even shoes. Paint the hangers a solid color and let dry. Then add decorative touches such as hand-painted flowers or stripes. Or wrap the hangers with strips of fabric using glue to adhere the strips to the wood. When the hanger is completely wrapped, cover with a decoupage finish. Attach to the wall with painted or plain hooks.

4. Want a wonderful idea for towel storage in a bathroom? Try attaching a window box or planter to the wall and fill with folded towels and washcloths, soaps or creams. Add trim and paint to make a unique storage unit.

5. Need an easily accessible place to store your pots and pans? Attach a narrow wrought iron curtain rod with decorative finials to the wall. You can hang the pans from S-hooks which have been hooked over the rod. A great idea!

Use your own imagination to turn everyday objects into storage areas. You might come up with the perfect solution to your organization needs. Hmmm...any ideas for storing the 20 years back issues of "Better Homes and Gardens"?

Decorative Chinese Hanging Knots - Unique Asian Gift Decor For the Home & Office

Long a staple decoration across cultures in Asia, the Decorative Knot is instantly recognizable by people both native and foreign to Asian countries. Though the art of knot tying was practiced separately across the world, it was in Asia specifically that this art form was so developed that it's still in widespread and popular use today. Possessing characteristic curves and intricate turns, the decorative knot is an ancient art form that is once again spreading in popularity with the reemergence of Asian cultures on the world stage.

Cultural Significance of Decorative Knot Tying

Besides being practiced in China and much of Asia for several thousand years, Chinese knots begun to see use in both ceremonial and religious functions in addition to their more decorative uses. Chinese weddings commonly feature a variety of decorative knots, symbolic of the entwining of two lives similar to entwining of the knots. Many pieces also feature embroidered images or other materials inlaid onto the knot itself, such as precious stones or other solid materials. Other common additions to knots are small embroidered bags filled with fragrant herbs. In modern times, decorative knots fill an important commercial niche especially in China, where you'll see it attached to everything from rear view mirrors to cell phones carried by teenagers.

Origins of Traditional Decorative Knot Making in Asia

Knot making began during prehistoric times, likely for the practical purposes of holding together rope and other fabric material. But as civilization advanced, the practice shifted to artistic and ceremonial purposes. Surviving documents and records suggest that artistic knot making was proliferating widely in ancient China and being incorporated into everything from sword hilts, lanterns, to hair stick tassels.