Ok…so maybe you don’t have a yacht and neither do I, but you gotta try museum putty
to keep things in place. It’s one of my secret weapons in organizing. If you don’t know what museum putty is, it’s a lot like Silly Putty? Do you remember Silly Putty…that stuff that came in an Easter egg-like container that was sold in super markets in the checkout aisles? I used to love rolling it up into a ball, bouncing it around, flattening it out against the comics in a newspaper and pealing it back so the ink transferred to the putty. So simple…so cool…sooooo not like today’s fancy toys. Toys were so cool back in the day. Today it would probably be called iPutty and take 6 D-cell batteries! Speaking of “back in the day,” you know you’re getting old when your childhood toys are now considered “nostalgic,” a “novelty” or even worse…have made it into the Toy Hall of Fame! Yikes…who knew 38 was old?!!!
Ok, enough about my childhood. Let me tell you about museum putty (and I show you more in a video below). It’s basically a tacky, gum-like, rubber material that you can use to help keep things in place. It’s popular not only in museums but on boats, RV’s and in the home. There are also museum gels and waxes that come in opaque or clear colors. You can find museum putty at the Container Store, and of course all your different options are available on Amazon. What’s neat about museum putty is:
- It’s tacky but doesn’t leave a sticky residue on your fingers or on the surface you put it on (and if it does, you can simply roll it up in a ball and press it against any residue that is left behind and it’ll pick it up…kinda like you do with Play-doh).
- You can use it on metal, glass, plexiglass, walls (painted drywall, not wallpaper), ceramic, porcelain and wood.
- You can easily remove it from surfaces.
- It’s a great alternative to using nails, tacks, or sticky tape that can damage your walls.
- And…it’s reusable! (I’ve had my package of putty for well over a year and it’s just as tacky as when I bought it!)
- To keep shelf liner in place and to prevent it from curling up on a shelf.
- On the bottom of containers inside drawers to prevent them from sliding around when you open and close the drawers.
- On the back of framed pictures to keep them level and in place on the wall.
- On the bottom of figurines or other fragile items sitting on a shelves, in cabinets, or on tables.
- To keep candles steady in a candle holder or candelabra instead of melting h0t wax to keep them in place.
- To hang posters or photographs on a refrigerator or wall.
- NOTE: Museum putty does not work well on fibrous materials like clothing fabric, felt, canvas or paper. If you’re not sure if it’ll work on a particular surface, try a little dab on a small area first to make sure it won’t damage it.
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Hi Vanessa, you absolutely have the BEST organizer’s newsetter out there! I seen many and am a subscriber to a few. Love, love, love your newsletter, they are fun, interactive, and very informative.
Esmi
Hi Esmi! Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m glad you love the content I’m putting out…it’s a little bit of work but I love it. Anything I can do to help inspire others to free themselves of clutter or to help professional organizers is worth it to me! Feel free to comment or ask questions anytime. Thanks again!
How do you remove it?
It peels off by itself. If there is any putty left over just roll a little bit into a ball and press on the remaining bits and it will pick it up. FYI…it’s best on smooth hard surfaces. It’s doesn’t work well on plain paper or fabric.
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