It's amazing what you can sometimes find on the internet.
I went to a food storage class last week and the instructor showed us, kind of, how to make these nifty cardboard can rotator/organizer box things. More importantly she gave out a paper with all the measurements and a diagram of how the inside of the box glues together. Since I had seen one all put together and I have the details, I thought I would give it a shot.
(Disclaimer: You can buy a commercial version of these on the internet for about $4 each, plus shipping. It's a lot less trouble, I'm sure.)
It was kind of a fun project. There is a learning curve, and my good friend K had to show me how to use glue properly, but I think that now that I have the hang of it, I will continue to make them for pretty much free out of the sturdy cardboard boxes that we occasionally get. It's okay with me if it takes a while to complete this organizing project and you can't beat free. I'd rather spend the $4 (each! plus shipping!) on food storage items.
While looking for the complete directions on the internet I came across several blogs that feature these cool little contraptions. One guy paints his and said it strengthens the cardboard significantly, so I'm considering doing that to mine in the future. The one I made seems very sturdy, and since it won't be moved around much once I get it on the shelf it seems like it would be fine, but if it could last for years and years, that would be cool. At the class I went to the demonstrator had decorated some of hers with either scrapbook paper or by letting her children color them, but I decided that since mine will be going up on closet shelves (and so I won't be able to really see into the box) that I would tape a can label on the front of the box to identify its contents. I really like how it looks, too - kind of like a fancy grocery store! Is that lame?
This was a good project for me. I've been in a kind of dark and lonely place lately. I don't know what's wrong, and when I think about it very much, I realize that nothing is wrong. I just don't feel like myself lately. Maybe it has to do with the misery that is springtime allergies complemented with practically no sleep (it's tough to get a good night's sleep when you wake up every 10 minutes to blow your nose), or maybe it's a touch of depression. But going to the class (even though I didn't want to) and learning something new (even though I didn't want to) and gathering the supplies (even though I would rather have watched a little more too much TV) and then actually completing a project from start to finish (even though I wanted to give up when it got tricky) has made me feel a little bit better today.
Thank you, internet.
If you want to see another example and some similar instructions click here. There's a video on that site that shows how the box works, too. Hers shows a notch cut out of the sides that I didn't remember or understand about from the demonstration I saw. I will definitely do that next time to make it easier to remove the cans. If you'd like a copy of the schematics sheet I have, leave me a comment or email me your address.
It might also be the change Amy. You are getting to that age - and I say that not to be mean, just to offer some possible insight? Its also everyone's right to be off sometimes. Sometimes I feel like an alien in my own body.
ReplyDeleteBTW I LOVE these storage boxes! I am going to show to Tom - it would really help up organize our pantry shelf.
So cool! I might just get rid of most of my stamps and use those shelves for food storage... in a few months.
ReplyDeleteI can completely relate to the dark place... that's kind of where I am, but I don't see a way out of it quite yet. I think it has more to do with responsibilities/expectations than with pre-menopause, although together the soup is probably not so great. You're doing a great job though, so add some fun things in there to spice up your soup, if soup's what you're having anyway, might as well go down a little easier. Want to do something fun MWF mornings this week?
I am familiar with the dark place, too! Some one bore their testimony today saying that some day all our trials will be worth the pain we suffered. When we finally are on the other side! I thought that was a rather horrible statement. I would rather make today worth it, whatever that means to you personally, and have great todays and tomorrows, than to just sit around and wait for it to be worth it. I wake up every day wondering what it will bring, both good and bad. I try to make good things happen for myself and my family, but it is not always possible. So while I know that dark place like the back of my hand, getting out of it is as simple (and hard) as going and doing and persevering when things get tricky. So, good for you, Amy, for doing just that. And I love you.
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