SHEs Organized

Removeable Tote Organizer

This handy three-pocket pouch can easily be made from a carpenter's canvas nail apron.

Cut off apron straps.

Sew buttons and loops of twill tape (12-inch strips folded in half) to 1 inch from top edge and spaced to match up with tote's handle straps.

Place apron in tote; wrap twill tape around tote handles, and pull buttons through loops.

Freezing Stock

The next time you make a batch of stock or have some left over from a store-bought package, ladle it into 1-cup muffin tins and place them in the freezer. After the stock is frozen, pop the portions out of the tin; store them in resealable freezer bags and label them with the date.

Labeling Pipes

If you label water shutoff valves ahead of time, you'll know exactly which ones to turn off to avert flooding. Print the name of the water source on a peel-off label (or use a personal label maker). Affix the labels to copper plant tags, and wrap them around the appropriate pipes.

Ribbon Photo Corners

Give a decorative touch to your photo albums by making ribbon mounts. Start with a 3-inch strip of grosgrain ribbon. Fold both ends down at the midpoint to form a triangle; iron. Repeat until you have two or four ribbons for each picture. Slip triangles -- with seams in back -- over corners of photos, and use acid-free double-sided photo tape to affix them to album pages.

Remote Control Organizer

If you're looking for a convenient place to remote controls, put a short wide-mouth vase or other good-looking container on your side table, and put all of your remotes inside.

Furniture Arranging

Before you spend an afternoon rearranging the furniture (or invest in a new set), do a trial run with a set of paper templates -- no heavy lifting required. Measure dimensions of each piece, then transfer them onto kraft paper. Cut out the templates, label them, then lay them on the floor in the intended spots. If you feel like leaving the templates for a few days (to ensure that the new arrangement flows well and is practical), stick them in place with safe-release painter's tape.

Pipe and Wire Map

Don't wait for a clogged drain or power failure to figure out your house's inner workings. Make a rough sketch of the floor plans, and indicate the shutoff valve, fuse, or power source for everything in your home that uses water, gas, or electricity. Apply color-coded stickers for each utility. Keep this map handy, and be sure to leave a copy for any house sitter or baby sitter.

Chalk Dehumidifier

A bundle of chalk hung in a closet will absorb extra moisture and keep clothing fresh and dry, and takes up much less room than an electric dehumidifier. Mount a hook in the closet, out of the way of clothes or linens. Fasten a rubber band around a dozen pieces of chalk, and cover band with ribbon, allowing enough loop to hang chalk.

Scrap Paper Notebook

Instead of writing messages on easily lost slips of paper, make notebooks to keep by the phone. Cut scrap paper and a piece of decorative paper about 1/2 inch larger on all sides for the cover. Stack with cover on bottom. Fold in half, crease, and open flat. From inside, push a needle threaded with waxed twine through the center of the crease. Bring back through the crease about 1/2 inch from one end. Pass through the center hole again, and bring up about 1/2 inch from other end of crease. Pass the needle through the center hole to complete a figure 8 of thread. Knot ends together.

Stablize Flower Stems in an Arrrangement

Crisscross strips across the top of a vase, creating a grid to help stabilize flower stems in an arrangement.