From hanging delicates to dry, to a DIY spice rack, and a bug net. Magnets make all the difference in our tiny home!
As someone who loves to cook, I have found that small space kitchens have practically no space for a decent selection of spices, & the van kitchen is no different.
With a little bit of epoxy and a few magnets, we are able to have a full arsenal of herbs & spices at our fingertips.
We purchased a few magnetic spice containers at a large store but after a few weeks they rusted themselves shut. After a year, we only have one of those left.
Luckily you can achieve the same thing with hardware store magnets! I doubled up on the weaker magnets, as you can see in the photo above with our curry jar. This wasn't necessary with the stronger magnets we purchased later. Most jars have two sets of magnets, but a few have one or three.
In the last year (ish) only two have fallen! We had one filled full of salt, which ended up being too heavy for the magnets, & now lives in our drawer. The other was glued with super glue (would not recommend for this project) that loosened & fell off.
We used a simple piece of sheet metal from the hardware store and a few screws to wedge it in place as a backing for our project. I add spices as we go, & reuse jars where we can.
Not only has this project made cooking in the van easier, but its given us a unique piece of décor!
Magnets were also instrumental in the creation of our bug net!
Here's my beautiful long time friend Emma demonstrating how pleasing it is to be in a van with the door open & not being eaten by mosquitos!
After a few days of northwoods bugs last year, James & I decided we needed a bug net.
We bought a cot bug net from a farm supply store, and a few magnets & some embroidery thread later...
It turned out as a great prototype. I've since made more with no pre-made materials and traditional sewing thread.
I absolutely cannot complain with the result, as there's something magic about laughing at the mosquitos on the other side of the net.
Lastly, magnets make laundry easier. Half the time we do our laundry we are borrowing the use of our family or friends' appliances, and hang dry our delicates indoors or on balconies/railings.
The other half the time we are at laundromats & do not have a handy spot for hang drying items.
Magnets solved this in our van, as I can hang anything I need to from the same piece of exposed metal that we use to magnetize the bug net to the door! This is incredibly helpful for drying delicates, to dish towels.
I also put up some of our favorite photos of our friends with magnets. I can move them around without leaving any sticky residue from glue or tape, which is always a bonus.
What do you use magnets for in your home?
Thank you for reading!
Love your ideas! I will have to do some of these in our camper!
I am super excited to find your blog. My husband and I do a lot of van traveling with magnets, too. And James is my favorite pro. Happy vibes to you both!