7 game-changing storage solutions that will transform your life

A jam jar and some glue. Who knew it could be so simple? Whether it's small craft items, as shown here, or general household essentials like batteries, safetly pins, screws and rubber bands, we all have those small bits and bobs scattered around the house that we can never find when we need them. Pop them in a jar, glue the lid of the jar to the underside of a shelf and screw the jar to the lid. It's so simple it's borderline genius!

Storage in the kitchen is one thing we can all do with more of. So if you're planning a kitchen makeover, look for cabinets that have two or three sections in one unit. This will maximise space for bulky items, such as saucepans and serving bowls, while keeping them neatly contained behind one drawer front. And if you can find one with a shallow built-in drawer for cutlery too, so much the better!

Sloping ceilings often pose storage challenges, but just because traditional designs aren't compatible, it doesn't mean there isn't a solution. In this situation, shelving is your friend, and fitting bespoke (yet simple and inexpensive) shelves is the answer. You can fit as many or as few as you want, depending how big and bulky the items you're planning to store on the shelves, then paint them to match your walls so they blend in. Or, make your shelving a feature by painting them a contrasing colour to your walls.

Ah the trolley. A stylist's best friend. One: because it can be moved to anywhere you need it and works in any room, two: because it's perfect for storing all those bits and bobs you just can't find a home for, and three: the top tier is ripe for display - pop a vase of flowers in there and hey presto! Invaluable storage that looks lovely too.

Is it wrong to get excited by storage? We think not. When we saw this oh-so-sweet cotton reel tidy we started grinning from ear to ear: a place to put all your sewing threads so you can see them at a glance and access them easily. What's not to love?

Wardrobes are one of the largest storage spaces we have in our homes, yet so much of it is wasted. We have one word for you: compartments. Check out Ikea or Store for a wealth of compartment storage so that you can get the most out of your wardrobe. Think shelves for boxes and baskets, compartments for shoes, over-door pockets for scarves, gloves and ties, and hooks for belts.

Now this is nifty. A pull-out unit for a corner cabinet in a kitchen that allows easy access to the whole cabinet (including the wasted space around the corner that's so difficult to reach). It's called a Le Mans unit (because it's shaped like the race track in France, in case you're interested), and we're pretty confident that if you fit one your life will change forever.