Making a Tiny Wall Serve a Big Purpose: Organizing Sports Equipment

Last week I was at Marshall’s with my mom. (Shocking, I know!)

I spotted this…I don’t even know what you’d call it, except pure awesomeness.

It’s a light blue-grey-weathered-looking-container-type-thing-with-hooks.

See, told you I don’t know what to call it.

It was on the bottom shelf, sitting all alone and easy to miss. It was almost like it was waiting for me…or at least I like to think so;). I called my mom over and the look on her face matched mine EXACTLY.

It read YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. THAT MUST GO IN YOUR CART. We speak the same language, verbally and non-verbally, Mom and I.

Then I looked at the price tag.

$7.99.

I’m sorry, what?!!

There had to be a mistake. My eyes had to be playing tricks on me, right?!

But nope. This cutie patootie was a whopping 8 bucks.

So she came home with me. (I’ve given her a gender, apparently).

I didn’t know what I’d do with it. Or where I’d put it. It’s rare for me to buy something without a use or placement in mind – I’m really quite frugal in case you hadn’t gathered that already;). But this was way too awesome – and well, cheap – to leave in the store.

Then it hit me when I got home. Our kids are getting into softball and baseball now and play catch every day when they get home from school. I’m therefore looking at gloves and balls all over the house all the live long day.

They’re also huge on bike and scooter riding whenever they aren’t playing ball. (We live on a court and it’s prime bike riding territory. 87 kids are always out there riding their bikes and scooters. Ok, slight exaggeration, but it’s pretty close). So the bike helmets are always around as well.

See where I’m going with this, people!? This $8 gem can house all that stuff – YES!

Ta-da….

See why I needed to have it?! That color. That finish. It couldn’t go with this house more if it tried.

There’s this tiny wall near the end of our main floor hallway – it’s right next to our office. It was just perfect for this. Kind of tucked away and hidden – and it served no purpose until now. The hooks are perfect for the helmets and baseball caps, and the container part holds their gloves and balls.

I was at Hobby Lobby yesterday and that hello sign was on sale for 50% off and I had to have it. I love love LOVE it.

I love that this has not only solved my sports gear dilemma, but also that a tiny, hidden wall now has purpose and functions very well for us.

The fact that it’s pretty darn cute and crazy affordable don’t hurt either.

Now, my kids are still pretty young. We haven’t entered the high school sports years, when they have big ol’ BAGS of stuff, and pads and helmets and all that jazz. But for this short time in our lives, this will do just fine. When that time comes, I’ll have to adjust, but I think that’s the lesson here: do what works for your family right now. If you have little ones, you decorate a certain way – no breakables on the coffee table, perhaps you invested in nice big baskets for their toys. As they grow, things change. Your home changes. And that’s ok.  You make your home work for you (as long as it’s in the budget, of course). You might remember, if you’ve been a reader for a while, that I have my DIY hook rack in our hallway for the kids’ bookbags and coats, and I asked my mom if she thought it’d be too ‘hook-happy’ to add this to the end of the hallway for their sports stuff and she said, “Liz, make your home work for you. If you need more hooks for their stuff, and this would serve that purpose, then it’s perfectly fine to have another wall of hooks around the corner.”

She’s a wise one, that mom of mine.

But it’s so true. Next time you’re scratching your head about a boring little wall or space, try and think of a way it can serve a purpose for you – whether it be a command center, or a chalkboard wall for your kids to play on, or perhaps a wall that displays their masterpieces…or just maybe a wall that helps your organize all the *stuff* that comes with playing sports. As long as it’s not breaking the bank, you can always change it in a few years, to adjust to your needs as a family.

Moms are always right. 😉