Everyone loves the idea of organization. We might not be very good at it, but there’s something so appealing about taking that spark of energy, moving some stuff around and thinking “from now on I will always be organized!
Naturally, it’s easier said than done and we often stumble. But that’s fine! It’s human to not be perfect. Struggling with organization is no failure, but a natural step that we must recognize as part of the journey – not the end.
A common hurdle however is that you will find tons of organization gadgets, tips, DIYs, apps, and so on, which can make that initial step all that more intimidating. You may think “Do I really need all of this? or “How am I going to afford all of this?
Turns out, you don’t have to.
All these things can certainly help you, but for the purposes of taking the first step there’s no need to worry about spending. If you like the idea of repurposing household items for organization, we’ve separated a great list filled with wonderful ideas – and better yet, mostly with items that you probably already own.
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Baby food jars turned into spice rack
Take leftover baby food jars and attach a magnet to the top of the lid. At the bottom, create and glue your own tags for each spice, and now you can easily attach them to the side of the fridge, for example, and have super easy access to all your favorite spices without taking up drawer or cabinet space.
Magazine files
You’d be surprised how often magazine files are used for organizing things that aren’t magazines. They are incredibly useful when attached to the insides of cabinet doors for storing pasta packs, as well as easily stacking cans on your cabinets in a much more organized manner.
This is all about how to organize with what you have, so there’s no need to purchase new cabinets if you need more space, you just need to find creative solutions!
Cable organizer
This is likely one of the most well-known modern life hacks, but for a good reason. It’s true that these days a lot of new tech is being made to forego cables entirely, but we don’t yet live in a world where they don’t exist. Many peripherals still rely on them for the best results and not everyone can afford wireless gadgets
Attach binders clips to the far edge of your desk and push your cables through them. Now, it doesn't matter which cables you need to change, they will always be ready to use, untangled and within arms reach.
Now that many homeowners have adapted to a home office setup, this becomes even more important!
Trays and bowls
At some point in our lives we start to accumulate trays and bowls like crazy. We all have extras hiding in the darkest crevices of our kitchen cabinets yet we can never find any use for them – but hey, maybe one day we’ll need them, right?
An excellent way to give them a home is by using them as organizers in an office drawer.
Top-shelf containers
Some things don’t need to be always available. Situational kitchen utensils come to mind – it’s unlikely you’ll be using the fondue maker year-round, so you can easily store it somewhere safe for when you need it.
Containers, such as baskets and plastic boxes, are great for top-shelf storing. Accessible enough with a chair or ladder, visually neat, and with proper cover, prevents your items from gathering dust and scratches somewhere else.
This is a simple but important step in making the kitchen more organized for cooking.
Ottoman to the rescue
Though ottomans are usually valued for their storage space, I’d say they’re massively underrated. These things are light, beautiful, and super useful for storing anything from children’s toys, old books, magazines, bed sheets… almost anything, really.
In fact, you can freely use it as a “I-don’t-know-where-to-put-this-so-I’ll-put-it-here storage chest. Because you know…
We all have one of those.
Old drawer finds her true calling
Got an old drawer lying around? With a bit of DIY you can turn it into a proper entryway control center – a place to leave your keys, mail, and reminders for yourself or the family with a cleverly installed chalkboard.
Perfect for completing a farmhouse look, if that’s your thing!
Egg crates
The great thing about using egg crates for organizing drawers is that you don’t even have to change them in any way – simply place them down and you’re pretty much set. They’re super useful for separating small crafting supplies, as well as pencils, scissors, and general office supplies.
If you’re feeling particularly crafty, you can also paint them for a brand new look!
Wooden crates repurposed as fancy coffee table
A coffee table goes a long way in making your living room more comfortable and centered. If you can’t really afford one right now, consider using simple wooden boxes cleverly stacked together to become a coffee table – with the added benefit of offering storage!
The sides of the boxes will become the top part, and the interior will face the sides, giving you plenty of room to store some books, magazines, and even display some decoration. If you like the idea, talk to a local carpenter today to get this project started.
Magnets and cabinets
We cannot overstate how useful these are. Glue a handful of magnets to the inside of your bathroom cabinet door and you’ve got yourself convenient extra storage for metal objects such as nail clippers and grooming scissors. Much safer than keeping them loose inside a drawer too, since reaching for them can lead to someone getting hurt!
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