Get Mail Organized - Hanging Fabric Basket Storage

About two weeks ago I was in the exercise of reviewing my goals list (is just I don't want to call it the New Year's Resolutions, in case I get to year end with more unfinished goals than expected!)... One of the priorities and therefore with a goal set to first quarter 2012 was completing my craft studio/office organization and decoration. I know, I know all this sound so calculated, but, hey.... you can not just flip the switch because no longer working on the corporate world.

Anyway... I noticed that one of the main objectives was to figure out an effective, cute way to handle our mail. It happens to end on every corner of the house...and cars. This was becoming a little problem as we needed a way to keep track of what needed action without having to look around the house for two days for an almost forgotten incoming mail.

I search the web and found this great tutorial on hanging fabric baskets on The Mother Huddle and knew I had to try it for something... In this case it resulted the perfect solution for our incoming mail spot problem.

These wall hanging fabric baskets are so cute and easy to complete. The fabric baskets are a great solution to any messy problem.

I made two hanging baskets, one for holding all incoming mail, and the other to hold all mail that requires any action (i.e. make a call, make a payment, etc). I hung them from a tension rod that was laying around the house with no use and decided to hung them at the bottom of my studio window (that is desperately screaming for a window treatment...but, that is another project). They happened to hang just above the desk surface, which is great as it allows me to use the counter surface and clean with no clutter on top.

As for labeling each basket, I grabbed two old pins (from my drawer full of "I don't know what, when, or where but these are gonna be handy someday Stuff") glued a yellow foamy circle to it. Then glued a light blue cardboard circle on top of the yellow circle. Finally, I just wrote "Mail" and "Action Required" on the light blue circles with a black marker and pinned one label on each basket. Tadda! Problem solved! Check it out the first set I made... aren't this pretty.

As for now these work great, I might add a couple more to sort "To be Filed" documents and "Receipts" in a future. One step closser...now I go back to check that To Do Goals List and see what else needs some handy crafty inspiration.