Cabinets, bins, boxes and a host of other storage methods can take care of most of your storage needs.
However, there are times that call for more specialized storage—when you just need to stick something in a certain place or join several items together. Here are a few ideas for using hook-and-loop fasteners around the house and garage to help keep things in order.
1. Bundle Long Items
If you have long and relatively thin items—such as irregular pieces of wood or pipe, or even multiple pairs of skis—cluttering up your garage or living space, keep them contained by wrapping them together. VELCRO® Brand fasteners work quite well to keep long strips of wood together, and the process involved in using VELCRO® Brand One-Wrap Straps is similar to using a roll of tape.
Just wrap it around the items in question, cut the end and you’re done. These straps have the advantages of being reusable, and if you don’t bundle things quite tightly enough at first, they can easily be re-positioned. Additionally, this method doesn’t leave any residue behind, which can be very advantageous over tape.
2. Organize AV Equipment
AV equipment is one of the major offenders for a disorganized house. Though this might not be a problem if you simply have a TV and antenna or cable box, once you start adding in media streaming devices, gaming consoles, a Blu-ray player or even an array of surround sound speakers with their corresponding wires, things can get out of hand quickly.
You could simply stuff loose wiring behind furniture or in a closet, but a better way to handle things is to first bundle them together with VELCRO® Brand Reusable Ties. Even if these wires are normally concealed, as in the case of the AV receiver pictured, if you ever need to access them and they are not under control, you’ll likely be greeted with a spaghetti-like mess of wires that can make cleaning or adding a new component difficult. This technique of keeping wires in check by bundling them together can be applied to computer equipment or any other electronic wiring that gets out of hand.
3. Dedicate a Place for Your Smart Remote
Along with AV equipment, you may have a remote that needs to be charged intermittently. Why not create a dedicated space for your remote by wrapping the charge cable in a strip of VELCRO fasteners, then attaching it semi-permanently to a piece of furniture with a corresponding strip?
As shown here, the wireless receiver is also plugged into the wrapped charge cable, allowing it to be placed closer to where the remote (or a very small keyboard, in this case) will be used. This can help if range is a problem when charging.
On the other hand, if you simply need a dedicated storage space for your remote (smart or otherwise), you can apply this type of fastener to the back of the remote as well as your furniture. Though you still may lose your remote occasionally, at least you’ll know where to look for it first!
4. Add Pen or Pencil Storage
Perhaps you need to take notes on occasion when you’re in a certain area of your house, like the kitchen or garage. Naturally, there’s never a pen or pencil around when you need it, but if you simply stick an adhesive patch of VELCRO to a cabinet or wall, then another to your writing utensil, you have a ready-made storage space.
You will, of course, want to attach the fastener strip to an area that can be safely removed as needed, since the strong adhesive can damage some surfaces.
5. Gain Easy Access to Tools
In a similar manner to the dedicated place to store a writing utensil, you can securely stow screwdrivers and other tools (perhaps even a pen or pencil as well) for easy access using VELCRO® Brand fasteners. As pictured here, you can attach a strip of fastener material to a wall or toolbox, and then attach a smaller corresponding strip to each tool you’d like to secure.
6. Create Hidden Storage
Do you have a key to a safe or another device that you need easy access to, but don’t want others to see? Why not store it underneath a desk drawer or staircase with a hook-and-loop fastener? As pictured above, a small VELCRO® Brand Coin is an excellent size to attach to the larger surface. Then, simply wrap the key or remote in the corresponding circular piece.
With a little ingenuity and a few clever hacks, you can get your home organized and optimize your favorite workspaces.
Jeremy Cook is an engineer with a passion for experimenting and making things. He writes about his projects for The Home Depot. Jeremy is constantly thinking of new ways to making thing better, like using different types of VELCRO® Brand hook and loop fasteners to organize the garage.
