There are so many container types to purchase these days. From dollar store finds too expensive boxes (Affiliate Link) at an organizing store, different container types can help for various purposes. You can use individual containers for the refrigerator, but other bins wouldn't do in that cold space. Some can go in the basement, but others will get moldy. To help you decide on the right bin, here is a list of different container types and examples of the items you can put in them.
Jump to:
- First, determine what you plan on storing in this bin and how many you will need.
- Next, decide if you want the bin to be open or hidden.
- 8 Bins to Use To Hide Stuff in your Home
- Wicker Containers
- Wood / Bamboo Containers
- Fabric Containers
- Cardboard Containers
- Metal Containers
- Porcelain/Ceramic Containers
- Plastic (colored or tinted) Containers
- 4 Bins to Use to See Your Stuff
- Wire (tightly woven wire)
- Wire (wide woven wire) Containers
- Acrylic / Plastic Containers
- Glass Containers
First, determine what you plan on storing in this bin and how many you will need.
Make a pile of the items you want to store in the bin. Go through them to see if there are any items that you may not need any longer. It's OK to get rid of them at this stage. No judgment here.
Now that you have reduced the pile of stuff, determine the length, width, and height of the pile. These measurements will give you a rough idea of the storage volume you will need for these items. Here's the math for you. If you need more guidance, please watch the YouTube video I found online. It's very easy to understand.
Volume of the items = Length x width x height (V=l x w x h)
Now that you know the volume, you can pick a bin with that volume or more to hold your items. When looking for the right size container, check the label (Affiliate Link) on the bin. If you are looking online, check the measurements to determine the correct size to match what you need to hold. If they give you the length, width, and height, you can use the formula above to determine the volume that fits the container. Always go with a volume larger than your stuff's volume.
Next, decide if you want the bin to be open or hidden.
If the items you are storing in the bin need protection from dust, a closed bin will work best. If you pull items from this container often, a box without a lid may be better for you.
Now that you clearly understand how many containers you need and the type you are looking for, we will share the available container types. I divided these containers into bins to hide your stuff and bins that you can see through.
8 Bins to Use To Hide Stuff in your Home
Wicker Containers
These wicker containers (Affiliate Link) are best in areas away from water. They usually can not hold heavy items. The heavy items can easily break through the wicker. Some wicker bins (Affiliate Link) have a wire mesh through them to hold heavier items. Here is one option of a wicker container from Amazon (Affiliate Link) (aff.).
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Items stored in wicker containers (Affiliate Link) are Individually wrapped snack items, magazines, newspapers, toys, towels, hand towels, tablecloths, and blankets.
The next type of container is wood-made ones.
Wood / Bamboo Containers
These wood containers are usually stable and can hold several heavy items. They work well on floors and sturdy shelves (Affiliate Link). If they are made with outside pressure-treated wood, you can use them in a garage (Affiliate Link) or shed (Affiliate Link). Below is a wood bin I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link)(affiliate).
Wood Storage Box with Slide (2)
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Bamboo containers are usually more durable and may be combined with glass for more sustainability. Below is a bamboo bin from Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate):
Bamboo Storage Bin Container by mDesign
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Items that you can store in these bins are bottles, tools (Affiliate Link), art supplies, and drop clothes (Affiliate Link), to name a few.
Fabric Containers
These fabric bins (Affiliate Link) are great for lighter items you want to hide but can label (Affiliate Link), so you know what is inside. Below is one I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate) that is an example of this type of bin.
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You can store clothing, undergarments, sheets, towels, blankets, tape, and greeting cards (Affiliate Link) in these fabric bins (Affiliate Link).
Cardboard Containers
These cardboard boxes (Affiliate Link) are great for shipping or storing items that need review later. Then, discarding unused containers by recycling them frees up space in your home. There are cardboard containers that are food-ready that you can use for parties' take-home food. Many of these cardboard containers are great for sorting temporarily and discarding. They should not be used for long-term storage. Below are the bins I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate).
Cardboard/Paperboard Suitcases Storage Box 3 pk
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Here are some items you can store in these cardboard containers temporarily: papers, paper supplies, office supplies, and photos.
The next type of container is a metal one.
Metal Containers
These metal containers include stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and wire bins. Depending on the type of metal container (Affiliate Link) you get, some may be food-ready and others not so much. Stainless steel bins are usually food-grade bins, especially if they were designed to store food. Below is one I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate).
Farmhouse Rectangle Metal Small Container from mDesign
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Some items that can be stored in metal containers are heavy items like paint, pesticides, coffee beans, cereals, dried beans, paper folders, wood for the fireplace, bread, and ash from a grill.
Now, we are moving on to the more delicate containers.
Porcelain/Ceramic Containers
You can store these porcelain containers in the fridge, pantry (Affiliate Link), counter -- basically, anywhere in the kitchen. It can also be ceramic. You can also use them to store items like cotton swabs in the bathroom. Below is one porcelain container (Affiliate Link) I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link).com (affiliate):
Porcelain Ceramic Containers by Vancasso set of 3
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You can store various food products in these containers, like leftovers, spices (Affiliate Link), baking supplies, like flour, sugar, and butter.
Visit our Organizing Spices and Herb post for the only inventory checklist (Affiliate Link) you will ever need.
Plastic (colored or tinted) Containers
You can use these plastic containers (Affiliate Link) (primarily colored and tinted ones) where the items inside are hidden to minimize clutter in a room. You can store these items on carts with wheels, on shelves (Affiliate Link), inside closets, and in cabinets. Some are food-safe (Affiliate Link), and some are not. Reading the label (Affiliate Link) is crucial to finding the right bin for your purposes. Below is one plastic container I found online through Amazon (Affiliate Link).com(affiliate).
Plastic Container 8 Pieces Colorful
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Some items that can be stored in these bins to hide clutter are toys, recycling, trash, ribbons (Affiliate Link), and hair supplies like bobby pins.
That was all the container types to use to hide your stuff. Now, let's discuss the bins that you can use to see what is inside.
4 Bins to Use to See Your Stuff
Wire (tightly woven wire)
I split the wire containers (Affiliate Link) into two groups: one wire-tight woven bin and one wide woven bin. The first one is tight woven wire bins that work great for collecting small items that would not fall through the cracks of the container. Below are some wire bins I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link).com (affiliate).
Wire Container Metal by mDesign 6 pk
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Some items that can be stored in this bin are art supplies, craft supplies, paper supplies, file folders (Affiliate Link), and papers.
Wire (wide woven wire) Containers
These wire containers (Affiliate Link) are ones that can easily hold items that are larger. They work well in closets. I found one below on Amazon (Affiliate Link).com(affiliate).
Wire container small metal by mDesign 4 pk
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The items that can be stored in these bins are bottles, cleaning supplies, potatoes, onions, and craft fabric.
Now onto the acrylic and plastic containers (Affiliate Link). These types of containers are very popular in the kitchen, pantry (Affiliate Link), bathroom areas of the home.
Acrylic / Plastic Containers
The acrylic containers are super durable plastic that lasts a long time and can be used for closets, bathrooms, and kitchens. We have ones that are still going strong after ten years! They are the workhorse of the organization industry.
An acrylic container (Affiliate Link) is clear and usually very durable. They are great for organizing things like make-up and other small things for desks, offices, bathrooms, etc... Below is an example of one type of acrylic container (Affiliate Link).
Acrylic Countertop Stackable Drawers
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Plastic containers are a little less durable and are usually used for long-term storage. Below are some I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate). They are great for storing out-of-season clothing and holiday decorations. They most always have lids and can easily snap closed to keep the bugs out.
Sterilite 64 Quart Latching Hinged See-Through Plastic Stacking Container Totes
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Glass Containers
The glass containers (Affiliate Link) are great for food storage in the fridge and the pantry (Affiliate Link). Some other items you can store in these containers are craft project supplies and office supplies.
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I hope this post about container types helped you decide on which bin to use for your next organizing project.
Now it's your turn, what is your favorite container type to use when organizing your home? Please leave a comment below.
Looking for other articles about organizing container types? Check out these posts from other experts below.
20 Ideas for Storage with Baskets and Bins
Storage Solutions Using Baskets
The links above are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will receive affiliate fees if you click through and decide to make a purchase.
Liana George says
So many container choices to choose from! Thanks for breaking it down and helping readers so all the options they have. Hopefully, it will inspire them to get organized!! Great post 🙂
Stacey Agin Murray says
I have a pretty decent ability to look at a group of items and know what size container they'll need but I found the video you posted helpful. I love how you broke the containers down into groups by the materials that they're made from and if you can see through them or not--great idea! Some items we need to see and some things we want to hide!
Janet Schiesl says
You really have some great options. There are so many it can get overwhelming. I do like a pretty container, but usually go for function first.
Sheri Steed says
This is a fun post. Who doesn't love the wide array of containers available for organizing? I certainly do! I think it's important, as you explain so well, to consider what is being stored and where before selecting a container, but sometimes we get caught up in the look of a container without considering it's other qualities.
Linda Samuels says
This is like an organizers' dream post! I'm drooling over all of the fabulous containers you showed. It's like the who's who of containers! Recently, I was in The Container Store purchasing some new containers for my baking supplies. I had such a great time selecting which ones to buy and opted to get Oxo brand ones with a built in pop-up seal. They look great, as easy to pick up, and fit exactly where I need them to go.
I love those glass containers you show with the bamboo lids. They are beautiful.
Ronni Eisenberg says
There are so many choices! I use glass, fabric, plastic and acrylic, depending on what I’m storing. Today, there are terrific containers to choose from.
This is a fun piece. Thank for sharing.
Hilda Rodgers says
Interesting to really think about what each type of container is best used for. I like to use the canvas bins for toys sometimes, but they really need to be light or else the bins don't last. Love the acrylic bins in the kitchen.
Janet Barclay says
I have a couple of the cloth ones you show, only smaller. One holds all our chargers, tucked into labelled empty toilet paper rolls so they don't get jumbled and we know which is which. The other holds my hat, mittens, etc.
Sarah Soboleski says
I use a lot of woven baskets for my son's toys and I just bought a wire basket for my bathroom to hold the t.p. I love the clear acrylic bins to organize the refrigerator.
Seana Turner says
Reading this post reminded me that the various materials really do meet different needs. I love plastic for so many purposes, but nobody wants a big plastic bin in the middle of their living room. In that case, the large basket might be perfect, especially for holding extra blankets or pillows. Cardboard might work well inside a drawer, but not so well in a space where mice will see it as a meal. Fun to see all the options!