Grab Some Dollar Tree Tape To Keep You Organized While You Move

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On the one hand, moving from your current abode to greener pastures can be quite exciting. But, on the flip side, packing up your entire life in small cardboard boxes can be stress-inducing, too. Worse, you'll have to spend days unpacking and shifting items to their new location. The good news is you can cut this time in half and make quick work of unpacking your boxes if you grab some Dollar Tree duct tape and use it to color code them. However, not just any tape will do. You need something sturdy, like Tool Bench's Duct Tape Rolls, in a multitude of colors.

This simple trick will help you stay organized before making a big move because you'll assign each room a distinct shade and pack its stuff in its marked boxes. So, if you're packing items for 10 rooms in your new house, get tape in 10 different colors to avoid confusion. Also, try to make each shade as distinct from the other as possible, so you know instantly where each box will go. In case you don't find 10 solid-toned duct tapes at your local Dollar Tree, try looking for patterned ones, such as Duck Brand's 10-yard Printed Duct Tape Rolls. Besides the tape, you'll also need a scrap piece of cardboard to devise a "legend" for the tapes, so everyone's on the same page. Also, keep a sharp pair of scissors and some markers handy.

The first thing to do is count the number of rooms in your new house, and don't leave anything out. Your bathrooms, guest rooms, basements, and attics should each be assigned a color, unless you don't have anything to store in them. Then, start preparing your legend and jot down the colors you're assigning to each of the rooms. To do this, stick a strip of the duct tape you'll be using for a space on the cardboard, and declare what room the color goes to with a label or marker. Although a single legend should be enough to help you efficiently unpack after a move, having multiple copies in different areas can make both packing and unpacking easier.

You can also use your computer to draft a simple legend and print out multiple copies. If you don't want to lose this sheet in the chaos of moving or want to have ready access to the key, upload the original to your Google Drive and make it "Available Offline." Another easy way is to take colored sheets of paper that match the duct tape and use them to label each room in your new home. This will direct folks you got to help pack, like if you decided if it's worth it to hire movers.

Once you have your shades decided and legend prepared, move on to the boxes. You can either put duct tape on them before or after you pack your belongings inside based on your color coding system. Either way, ensure the boxes don't make their way to the back of the moving truck without being sorted. Ensure the strips are large enough to cover all the sides of a case, since having large pieces of tape peeking through will reduce confusion and make unpacking easier. But don't use the Dollar Tree rolls in place of regular packing tape to seal your cardboard boxes. This is because they might not be sticky enough to secure the flaps. Side note: Rub your scissors down with baby wipes before cutting the tape to make them stick less.

In case you're moving a long distance and have a lot of belongings to pack, count how many boxes you're assigning to each color and jot the number down on your key. This way, you'll know if all the cases reached the destination safely. You can also number your boxes and add a small note on an Excel or Google Sheet for the items inside to keep track of all your belongings. You can also follow the color-coded duct tape system for your furniture and floor coverings, like rugs and carpets.