My mum is a prolific quilter and our family (especially my three children) have been the beneficiaries of some 20+ quilts of various sizes.
They have been folded up and stored on the bottom two rows of an Expedit 4x4 unit. But I am aware that this is not ideal for stopping dust, mice and fading.
SO, bravely with three kids in tow today, I bought some vacuum storage bags and under bed storage pouches to better protect these when not in use. It took a while to refold each quilt to fit the bags and then pop them into the zip pouches.
I also took two loads of fabric and one load of linen over to the new house. Our new linen cupboard is nearly twice the size of the rental one!
So my linen cupboard is nearly empty.
There are a few seasonal items (doonas, flannelette sheets, blankets) still under our master bed that hopefully might fit into the new linen cupboard. It would be nice to have nothing under the bed except monsters!
Strange name - Linen Press. I actually don't have one. I have a built-in linen cupboard in our rental. But the name has stuck since childhood because that's what my mum called her built-in linen cupboard. Actually a Linen Press was a free standing cupboard made out of wood usually mahogany, oak or walnut. They were popular in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. If you can find an original linen press, then hang onto it, it may be worth quite a bit as an antique.
I tweaked the linen cupboard earlier this year, and decluttered last September, so this week it just needed a tweak to look fresh again.
Here's are my secrets for having a linen press to be proud of and does not spill its contents into you once opened.
1. Limit the amount of towels you have. You really only need 2 sets per person to live in the cupboard. One set is in use or in the wash.
2. Buy some cloth storage bags. I found these ones at Big W and they have a window for easy identification.
3. Fold sheet sets into one of the pillow cases to keep them all together and tidy. Fold towels so that you disguise their uneven edges. I have learned to fold mine in half, then lengthwise into thirds and then in half again.
Under Bed Storage
Because our linen press is small, I do keep winter flannelette sheets in vacuum sealed storage bags under our queen bed. Also blankets and doonas.
Repurpose
I am a quilter and sometimes an unused sheet or doona cover can be a cheap alternative to fabric for a quilt backing.
Donate
If your kids have outgrown the themes, donate them to other friends with younger kids. Often they are in good enough condition to be appreciated by a new generation. My boys are into Star Wars now and so the Toy Story doona covers will have to be donated before we move. Just yesterday I found an entire box (unpacked from our move 3 years ago) of our old towels. I had not even missed them. Still in good condition, they went to the local op-shop this morning.
Rag Bag
For lots of reasons, keep a bag of old hand towels, tea towels and face washers handy. Great for spills, blood, and vomit. I speak from experience. Mine are tucked neatly into a fashionable IKEA grocery bag. (see 2nd top shelf)
Linking up with...A Bowl Full of Lemons (if my server will let me!)
