How to keep mail and papers piling by the door to the garage?

In our kitchen the door to the garage is right next to the kitchen counter. This is also the door that we come in and out of everytime we go somewhere. So you can imagine the pile that happens there.

We sit mail there, what has come in and what needs to go out. We sit our keys there, my husband puts his wallet, phone, ipod, pager, name badge and anything else that he needs for work there, these all go in a basket. I have speakers there for our ipod, a little country crock to put our change in and a little dish for my lipbalm and my wedding ring when I am cleaning.

So you can see, it gets piled up even before the junk gets piled up.

So I had this idea, which I am sure I have seen on some home and garden show. Remember the curtain I used on my shelf as a table runner here? Well it had a twin and I sewed it up to make a little organizer for my papers.

Here is what I came up with.

I used a tension rod that I had for something else, and hung it with ribbons below my picture that is right inside the door. I have a space for mail, the coupon magazines we get monthly and some other papers that I don't currently have a home for.

I thought it turned out really cute. And many times what I want and what I am willing to pay for something don't match. What I mean is plain and simply I am cheap. This is something that works for me, using stuff I found in the house to repurpose for something else. I do this all the time and I love it!

This post is linked to Tackle It Tuesday.