MemorabiliArt – Organizing Outside The Box
Please welcome my guest today, Professional Organizer, Oksana V. Bellas from Order Matters.
Our lives are full of memories we either create or inherit and so are our homes. Do you have a collection of photographs, letters, plates, souvenirs, or other mementos that are sitting in boxes, collecting dust, and taking up valuable storage space? While I strongly believe that you should limit what is to be acquired or kept in the first place, we all have some treasures or keepsakes, about which we feel very sentimental, stashed away. What is the point of having your memories if they are inaccessible? Think outside the box! There are artful ways in which you can organize them.
Dress them up! I was drawn to this art display at a local community centre, currently running an art exhibit on the theme of love. The tutu on this dress form is made out of letters and notes written to the artist.
Love Tutu, Textile Assemblage by Jaime Murdock, 2009
Isn’t it stunning?
Make it a conversation piece! I was recently at a dinner, where the hosts used a shadow coffee table to display mementos from their travels: maps, tickets to shows and sport games, and other items displayed in a table such as this one:
Plate them up! Do you have an old collection of plates? Design your own creative pattern as a way of displaying them on a wall:
with permission from http://southernhospitalityblog.com/
Make a black and white photo gallery wall! Black and white photos are timeless and classic. Arranged on a single wall, they will not only tell a story, but they will also make a bold decorative statement.
Not everyone can afford art, but we can unearth memories and treasures we already have in our homes and honour them by artfully displaying them. Make it a project, make it memorabiliart!
Oksana V. Bellas is the Founder and Chief Organizing Maven of Order Matters, Vancouver, BC. She holds an MBA and has many years of experience in operations and management of organizations. Through organizing individuals, entities, and their schedules and space, Order Matters’ goal is to bring balance and order to people’s lives. Check out Order Matters blog for regular tips and inspirations for leading an organized life.
Hi, Laura, thanks so much for the shout-out! I love hanging plates, they are such a great decorating tool. Happy weekend!
I think the idea of displaying our memorabilia is awesome. What good are they doing us tucked away in a box? FInd a way to share them with others and with your every day life.
Great ideas!
Bernice
Is your stuff holding you back?
I love the idea of displaying old black and white photos. I have a small collection of my family’s wedding photos from years gone by – I think I’ll do this, it’s a lovely idea!
I’ve also got a few old-looking sepia toned photos from my 1970s childhood – there’s an idea for a separate little section: funny toddler photos of me and my little sis, our cousins and my parents in hippy outfits. Love it!
I love the idea of displaying our memorabilia — if it means so much to us, we should be enjoying it on a regular basis! I recently created a little display frame of just a few meaningful pieces for my mother-in-law — not tutorial (I was flying by the seat of my pants!) — but a picture at http://princapecos.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-love-it-when-plan-comes-together.html.
Thanks for the beautiful ideas!