From the mouths of babes ....

emz118

I did up a sewing box which I got for free with an end of season wallpaper roll. Cost me less than £10 and I have loads of paper left. It was really simple using the wallpaper and looked really effective. So if you could get a cheap wardrobe (eBay, facebook, charity shops etc) you could revamp it very cheaply. As well as "bespoke", another good work is "upcycled" "It's so now to be green dahhling!!!"
Good luck.

swingaloo

I think whats important is not the storage but the way you react to others comments.

Make light of the way you live, a happy home is not necessarily a wealthy one nor is a wealthy one a happy one.
Get your daughter involved with crafty ideas to brighten up her room, old fashioned wardrobes are often advertised cheaply or found in charity shops and they can be turned into really pretty items with a bit of thought.

I used to live in a house where we had wall to wall storage, so much that a lot of it never got used.
Then due to a few things, divorce, debt, etc I moved into our current house with no fitted units and of course no free standing ones to bring.

I got so used to living on a shoestring and having to come up with ideas that even now I have some wardrobes (a neighbour emigrated and we got them cheap from him) I still love finding unusual ways to store and display.

I have a ribbon pinned across the wall about 5 foot long. It has my selection of scarfs on it all held on with coloured clothes pegs.

I have a rail which used to be for net curtains which is sat on 2 hooks on the wall and holds all my necklaces.

My shoes and handbags are on open shelves which were very cheap to buy and have been painted to match the walls.

Until the wardrobes came I had my clothes on 2 rails which I covered with a couple of bright throws I got from the charity shop. Keep looking in the charity shops there are some great bargains out there.

Remember its a home not a statement, you are doing your best and that what your child will remember you for.:T

mum2one

Thats a brill idea about the canvas wardrobes never thought of them.

K9 - Your daughter sounds one in a million, - upcycling ets is all the rage - look at the amount of programmes Kirsty has done...

I use to have a tall boy, they were brilliant xx

inkie

Look on your local 'things for sale' page on Facebook. As well as people posting items for sale, you can place a wanted ad. it. It. Ight be the prompt someone needs to get rid of something that is surplus to them. Worth the ask?

dandelionclock30

We've got a storage problem in this house, not to do with lack of wardrobes but havingtoo much stuff and no where to put it.
Wilkinsons and Home bargains do very large plastic boxes for less than a tenner. I have one of these for my shoes and boots.
I would also put an advert on Gumtree and Freecycle saying your wanting a cheap or free wardrobe any condition. You can always paint it. Im sure you will get something sorted.

pukkamum

Do you have an ikea nearby? I have done away with wardrobes completely and now have 2 of these http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30179435/ in each room with a couple of these http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20135300/
You can fit so much more than with wardrobes and you can move them around and fit practically anywhere.
Really cheap too!

paulineb_2

I got some large tubs for a quid each that could easily store clothes, poundstretcher, also try the other pound shops. Keep looking in charity shops, storage stuff doesnt have to cost the earth.

Or somewhere like argos. Im lucky in that I have built in wardrobes in my flat but Im skint, I have the same sofas that I got when I moved in here, 18 years ago, just re covered with throws and cushions. My table and chairs in my living room came from a charity shop, they look fine though. Ive also got other bits and pieces of furniture that I got cheaply when I moved in and my second hand cooker is still going strong after all this time. Its reality that a lot of people dont have cash to spend on extra bits and pieces.

Ive also just redecorated (well my mum has) and its amazing how a coat of fresh paint can brighten up any room. My kitchen and my hall have just been painted, next will be bedrooms.

Ive never seen the need to spend loads on furniture anyway, just cant afford it. Also if you are on freecycle, offer something and then put a wanted post, saying what you are looking for.

The bottom line is, being able to put food on the table and making sure your child has clean clothes is much more important than the trappings.

You could also look online and see what you can find, Im positive you could pick up storage stuff very cheaply.

K9sandFelines

Thanks all for your great ideas and suggestions.

I don't know how to multiple quote, so thought it better to reply in one go.

tori.k Thanks for the links, i will have to bookmark on my phone as i am on "said" DD's netbook at the mo, and don't want too clutter her bookmarks

fiftyeighter I hope my daughter views me in the same light as your Mum, she must have done a fantastic job to raise fifteen kids. Hats off to her!

StarMummy Great idea, bbut the clothes rack is in my room, and so the clothes isn't so much an issue at the mo, just i think her stepsister found it odd that her clothes weren't in her room.

Hi meg72 It's funny you should mention the canvas wardrobes, as after i come away from this thread i went on a bit of an online manhunt and although i didn't consider the wardrobes, i did discover the shelving unit int he same theme. We used to have one of these in eldests bedroom, and it was a god send, they were able to fit so much stuff on, particularly board games and the likes. So on the to do list today will be measuring the alcove in her room to see if one of the three sizes will fit in. I think once the room is tidy, then i can consider where to put a wardrobe/tallboy.

K9sandFelines

Toonie I don' think anybody would think twice now if we got the urge to bake scones etc, it's funny how times change. Thanks for your wishes.

FairyprincessK You are right, There is more than one issue going on. My daughter appreciates how expensive things are to buy but her step sister doesn't. As she doesn't live wiith us, she obviously hasn't been brought up in the same way. I have a habit of apologising all the time when people visit unannounced(her Dad, their step mum, sister and brother for instance) for the way the house looks. I do feel quite ashamed, especially when you think they are just going to sit in the living room and then the younger ones feel the need to go up into the bedrooms " rummaging" for want of a better word. My Dds would never do this in their house, related or not; they would not just go up the stairs in somebody's house and into their bedrooms. So i suppose this says more about their manners than the state of our house.

DD isn't so much bothered by the lack of storage, until someone mentions it; normally we muddle through fine. Maybe if we got some storage in there though (i have found some canvas storage similar to what Meg suggested), she may be more inclined to keep it tidy knowing belongings have a home. I will look on the Pinterest link. Many thanks.


kjmtidea Some great suggestions and brainwaves, unfortunately i am not on Facebook anymore. I decided to stop"wasting" my time on there, so joined back on here instead as i felt it was more constructive, and i haven't looked back.

carefullycautious

I have downsized into a bung with no storage so all my shoes are in plastic containers on wheels which do have lids. Also clothes are folded into one, towels in another.

I have used a big suitcase to store folded coats and smaller suitcases for anything else there is no room for. I have become a master of finding ways to store things. Picnic baskets with lids are good, hat boxes, old ottomans.

If money were really tight I would decorate cardboard boxes and stack.

I'm sure there is plenty out there try car boots, jumble sales etc to source things

Get daughter on board with helping choose and decorate items this will help her when she comes to have her first home

Have fun