How Do You Store Your Placemats?

[margecat]

Seriously. I can pretty much find good storage solutions for just about everything else in my house, but, after 13 years, I still can't find a good storage solution for about 8-9 stacks of 4 mats each that doesn't involve stacking more than 1 pattern/color. I hate stacks of things, as I always want the thing on the bottom of the stack!

1. I don't have any drawer space.
2. I don't want to stack them flat or to stack them at all.
3. They must be in my kitchen, but out of sight.

I have an under-stairs pantry. Most of the space is taken up with food storage, so there's no room left to install storage shelves, drawers, etc. They can't be stored anywhere near the floor, as massive amounts of cat fur get under the door.

I currently have each type rolled into a bundle, secured with an elastic band I made from left-over sewing elastic. This seems to work well. I just need a way to store the rolls so they are easy to grab.

 

[Willowy]

Placemats? What is a placemat?

I can only think of a pot lid rack (slide them in upright) or a basket to put the rolls in.

 

[margecat]

Some pix of the pantry. If you look in the left-hand corner of number 1, you can see a white basket with rolls of mats stacked in it. It doesn't work well!

 

[margecat]

More pix:

 

[margecat]

More pix:

 

[margecat]

Son of More Pix:

 

[margecat]

Last one, showing the inside of the door:

 

[Willowy]

Oh I was thinking more of a decorative basket, with them sticking out vertically like some people have baskets of rolled towels in their guest bathrooms .
Like this:
Google Image Result for http://www.thediyvillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Guest-Bath-Towels.png

 

[Kieka]

We've always had hard place mats so they go between the microwave and fridge. I think if I had cloth ones I would keep them with the hand towels for the kitchen.

 

[margecat]

I don't have room, as you can, see for the basket idea. I wish I could do that! I have no room in any other cabinet: either the length of the mats is too long, and the cabinet isn't deep enough (and that's where I store the few hand towels I have, I really don't use them. That cabinet is too shallow to store placemats). I can't have them out in the open, as the cats would be messing with them.

 

[Kieka]

I'd be tempted to mount something on the underside of what I am assuming is stairs? The slanted ceiling. Like maybe a hook and basket or finding some sort of tilted shelf or circular rack. I am sure there is some issue though of getting it properly anchored since I imagine its plywood or some sort of light cover. Or maybe a compression rod across the highest part and hang them over it (my family runs tall so we tend to put things all the way to the ceiling).

 

[margecat]

I'd be tempted to mount something on the underside of what I am assuming is stairs? The slanted ceiling. Like maybe a hook and basket or finding some sort of tilted shelf or circular rack. I am sure there is some issue though of getting it properly anchored since I imagine its plywood or some sort of light cover. Or maybe a compression rod across the highest part and hang them over it (my family runs tall so we tend to put things all the way to the ceiling).

I thought about that, too. You can buy wrought-iron scrolly bath towel racks that you mount on the wall, and roll up the towels. But, even though I'm only 5 feet tall, I can see myself going to the ER a lot...

I'm eyeing a console table in the foyer, that's against the wall, right beside the pantry door. It's long and narrow, and has a bottom shelf that I don't use, but Loki used to sleep on it. Now that he's gone, no other cats sleep there, but Sarah Jane does walk across it, leaving paw prints. I can't put anything heavy on it, as the other one I had a sagging shelf from just a large vase on it. Maybe I can put fabric storage boxes with lids on the shelf, and put the mat rolls in those. I can't have wicker, though--guess why! My cats destroy wicker! Maybe if I put something that spans the shelf, she wouldn't walk on the shelf.

 

[margecat]

Here's a pic of the console table and the bottom shelf, which is beside the pantry door.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh my goodness what a darling runner.
Heh, son of more...., -you just wanted to show off your incredibly organized pantry. Mine's not too bad, but I'm seriously jealous

 

[margecat]

Oh my goodness what a darling runner.
Heh, son of more...., -you just wanted to show off your incredibly organized pantry. Mine's not too bad, but I'm seriously jealous

Thank you! It doesn't always stay organized. I think I bought the St. Patrick's Day runner at the Christmas Tree Shops a few years ago, when they were marked down.

Oh, I see what you mean about Son of. I accidentally posted that pic twice, but couldn't figure out how to delete the post!

 

[Kieka]

I could see a cute little arrangement on the shelf. I'd probably do one of those decorative wooden boxes with a latch then get some smaller ones to make an arrangement. Something like this:

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh, that's really cute!!

 

[nansiludie]

I actually don't use placemats but I am commenting on your wonderfully organized pantry.

 

[margecat]

I actually don't use placemats but I am commenting on your wonderfully organized pantry.

Thank you! You're seeing it on a good day, when there aren't mega-boxes of Friskies canned cat food all over the floor!

Kieka, that's a great idea, and very much like what I'd like to do. The container has to have a cover, due to airborne cat fur! It's amazing what it gets into in my house. Yuck.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

If you have closet space you could take clothes pins and pin each set to a clothes hanger and hang them in the closet. That is how I store my table cloths.