Goodbye Baskets: This '80s Storage Solution Is Making A Comeback
'They're baaaack..." Thank goodness this tagline from the 1986 movie "Poltergeist II" isn't referring to the supernatural here. Instead, it's an '80s girl's favorite pastel beauty tacklebox we're talking about: the once widespread Caboodle. These craveable containers are as handy now as they were back then, and their flashback appeal has made them a choice vintage score for current-day storage. The containers' three-tiered storage compartments that extend stair step-style when the top is open are just as convenient for storage as they ever were. Maybe of equal importance is their appearance; don't tuck this nugget of nostalgia out the way when you're not using it, since its adorableness makes a storage basket less than ho-hum in comparison.
While a vintage Caboodle is a thrift store gem we'd be thrilled to find, hopeful second-hand shoppers like TikToker @malloryheart gave up a fruitless store search in favor of an online buy. This might have inspired the company to reboot its wildly popular containers for the new millennium. They're available from purveyors like Target and Amazon. Although some shoppers familiar with the original are underwhelmed with the newer version, Caboodle has maintained the look to a T. From curved edges, pleasing color combos, and the iconic logo, both new and old make brilliant multipurpose storage for a table or countertop. With reviewers' complaints of thinner plastic and a generally chintzy feel, a new Caboodle may be best to keep in one place rather than tote around.
Make over a Caboodle for new types of storage
You don't need to limit your retro container's contents to perm-care products and frosted blue eyeliner. You can Caboodle-ize storage in nearly any room in the house. A countertop Caboodle in the bathroom is easy to imagine. Declutter your countertop by stocking it with daily necessities like toothpaste, deodorant, and shaving paraphernalia. Jewelry storage in a bedroom or bathroom is another logical use for a Caboodle, but we can veer away from beauty-related contents, too.
@malloryheart
Bring your Caboodle into the living room, where it will double as statement decor. Set it on the coffee table for a kitschy place to keep remotes, reading glasses, and coasters. If you're lacking storage for decks of cards and other small games, hide them cutely in a Caboodle set on a console. It's a shoo-in for desktop storage in an office or a craft room, too.
What about keeping one on a kitchen island, stocked full of grab-and-go snacks? Sticking with the food theme, a Caboodle would be a cute and convenient way to both carry and display cutlery, napkins, and condiments for the ultimate outdoor entertaining. Fill the trays with s'mores fixings to tote to the firepit. A large Caboodle could even accommodate ice and a few cold ones, along with a bottle opener and some drink koozies on the upper tier.