Turn This Outdated Household Item Into An Upcycled Utensil Storage Solution

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When you've moved into a small space and don't have room to store all of your kitchen utensils, think creatively before you start to despair. Maybe your new kitchenette doesn't have any built-in drawers for your silverware, or your tiny home is already packed full of your other possessions. If you need additional storage for your wooden spoons and metal spatulas, you might try a creative alternative — a thrifted, wall-mounted mail holder. Since there are other ways to keep your mail organized, you might want to upcycle one of these into a space-saving utensil storage solution.

Wall-mounted mail holders haven't exactly gone the way of the 8-track tape player. We still enjoy having a place to stash our latest paper mail when it arrives, and these storage systems haven't become obsolete. You can still go to your favorite online shop and purchase a brand new one in a wide range of styles, but plenty of cheap secondhand options are also there for the picking. If you have an appreciation for vintage décor, you'll find these household items from the past several decades made out of wood, metal, bamboo, or wicker. Since trends pass, it's not surprising that many of these end up at thrift stores, ready for new lives in new homes.

Sure, there are additional ways to use wall-mounted mail holders. Mail sorters don't just keep things organized — you can use them for stylish home décor, like showcasing a collection of dried flowers. But if utensil storage is what you need, when you hang one of these on your wall, you'll want to make sure it won't fall off. Utensils will weigh more than the lightweight envelopes that would normally be filling this type of household object, so find a stud to put your screw into before hanging your thrifted storage solution on the wall and filling it up.

If you're not fussy about appearances and just need the storage for your utensils, you can add this to your space as-is, without freshening up its look. On the other hand, you might want to count the mail holder among the thrift store flips that will add stylish storage to your home. Give it a new coat of paint to change the color, making sure to choose the right type of paint for the material. For a whimsical upgrade, you could even use something like Mod Podge Glue to decoupage decorative paper onto the upcycled holder.