Now that you’re working on obtaining your year’s supply of food and other emergency supplies, you’re probably wondering where to store it. It might be a good idea to clear some space by selling or donating items you have little or no use for. You could even earn some money to put toward obtaining your supply. If you’ve decluttered and are still struggling to find a home for your storage, get creative. There are lots of things you can do to hide those precious goods! Here are just a few:

CLOSETS & CABINETS

Dedicate a closet, or two (or three), to storing your supplies. Not only will you know exactly where your things are, but you’ll be able to see them, too. If you don’t have a closet, try using a piece of furniture such as an armoire, cabinet, or ottoman, or build your own to fit your space.

OPEN SHELVING

If you have open shelves, hang a curtain rod and curtains to hide your stuff. Not only does it bring some color into your space, but no one will be able to see what’s behind them.

UNDER THE STAIRS

A lot of people don’t know what to do with that empty space under the stairs. Pack it in! Build or install shelves if you want a more organized space.

HANGING STORAGE

Hanging shoe storage organizers double as food or emergency storage. Hang them inside closets or on the backs of doors. You can even hang them on the side of a bed underneath the bedskirt.

UNDER THE BED

There is a lot of square footage under the bed. Use every inch of it! If you’re spatially challenged, consider storing things under a loft bed. There is a complete year’s supply of food for two people under the loft bed below, hidden behind color-coordinating curtains.

No one would ever guess that there is food stored under the bed above. It’s not in the drawers in the platform beneath. It’s in the open space underneath the mattress. Almost every bed has the capacity to store food underneath. If what you’re storing under the bed is visible and you don’t like the way it looks, put it in a cute storage container. There are so many options available.

Can you see the white food storage boxes behind those black plastic bins? Only if you look very closely! Can you see any food in or behind the blue fabric bins in the photo below? You can obey the counsel of the prophets to get your year’s supply of food and still enjoy a stylish living space.

MAKE YOUR OWN FURNITURE

Yes, you can create your own custom furniture pieces from food storage boxes, #10 cans, or water barrels. You can even make your own bed frames with the items you store.

GET CREATIVE

There are so many places to hide your food storage and emergency supplies. You can make desks, night stands, side tables, accent tables, a really great blanket fort for the kids, or a tower in the middle of the living room, if you desire. The sky’s the limit as to what you can create.

“Maintain a year’s supply,” President Spencer W. Kimball said. “The Lord has urged that his people save for the rainy days, prepare for the difficult times, and put away for emergencies, a year’s supply or more of bare necessities so that when comes the flood, the earthquake, the famine, the hurricane, the storms of life, our families can be sustained through the dark days. How many of us have complied with this? We strive with the Lord, finding many excuses: We do not have room for storage. The food spoils. We do not have the funds to do it. We do not like these common foods. It is not needed — there will always be someone to help in trouble. The government will come to the rescue. And some intend to obey but procrastinate,” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.375).

Don’t procrastinate because you don’t have storage space. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Pray to find a way. I promise that you’ll be blessed with good ideas and find a way to make it happen, when you commit to follow the prophet and get it done!