Clever and affordable home organizing ideas that will help you to keep “Your Stuff” organized once and for all.
It’s cold, wintery and January. It is also the time many of us like to declutter and organize so we can start the new year with a well-organized home.
Well-organized living and work spaces truly can make our lives easier every day. When we have clearly labeled containers and learn to edit what we no longer want or need and remove it from the house, it adds up to less time looking for things and more time to enjoy life.
I like to make my own storage, organizers and labels when I can’t find a ready-made solution for my organizing needs.
For instance when I couldn’t find a ready made scrapbook paper organizer to fit the cabinet in my studioffice, I custom made one to fit perfectly using cardboard boxes.
If you are a long time reader you may remember it. I have made quite a few DIY organizers and thought I would share a few of them that really made a difference.
How To Store & Organize Tablecloths
I don’t have a dining room anymore, but when I did, this is how I stored and kept my tablecloths wrinkle-free.
I hung them in a closet where I had some extra rod space.
When organizing the tablecloths, I folded them long-ways and then hung them over men’s suit hangers that I equipped with cardboard tubes from gift wrap. The round tube addition lessens creases from forming.
How to Add Cardboard Tubes to Clothes Hangers
1. Simply cut a gift wrap tube to the same width as the rod on the hanger. Open the rod and slide the tube on. Close the rod.
Option: If you don’t have a wood rod pants type of hanger, you can use plastic hangers.
- You just need to cut the cardboard tube lengthwise. Once it is cut, place it over the rod.
When I make this type of tablecloth storage hanger, I duct tape over the cut to close the tube.
2. I roll very large or oilcloth tablecloths on the long cardboard tubes that fabric yardage comes on. I make sure to always ask for these tubes when I am at the fabric store.
Repurposing Furniture Into Hard Working Organizing Stations for Small Items
My go-to for small storage containers/baskets is the dollar store. They have the best plastic baskets. I bought all 18 of these baskets for the same amount I would have paid for one or two at other stores like Target or The Container Store.
When the baskets were labeled and placed in a trashed dresser with no drawers that I DIY’ed into a decorative organizer there is no question as to where like items should go. Which then makes them easy to find when needed again.
If you like to be little crafty… you can add a lot of style to shoeboxes. If you keep the lids on, they make great stackable storage.
For this mudroom organizer, I covered the bottoms of 3 shoeboxes using maps and stick-on metal framed label holders.
How to Organize Misc Items in Kitchen & Desk Drawers
I like to line my drawers with decorative paper; usually I use gift wrap or wallpaper. For this drawer I used pages from a graphic arts book.
Then I use small baskets that I find at thrift stores to organize smaller items. This drawer acts as my kitchen desk drawer.
I add the square or rectangular baskets in all my drawers that hold small items. So far this drawer only has two small baskets. I am always on the look out for more and will fit the baskets in the drawer to fit like puzzle pieces as I find them at the thrift store.
You can also organize drawer like this using low-sided boxes, but I like the style of the baskets better so I will continue to search for more.
Make Cabinet Doors Into a Message Center
There are many organizing ideas on how to use the inside of cabinet doors to hold and organize items, but here is one to do on the outside.
This fabric memo board got lots of use in the kitchen of my previous house. I made it with fabric and a dollar store foam board.
These DIY home organizing ideas are only a few that I have shared here on my blog. To find more, head over to see all my Organizing posts and archives of Free Printable Labels.
Ready-Made Storage Organizers That I Use
As you can see I like to make most of my home organizers, but if you don’t have the time to make your own organizing containers, here are a few of the purchased organizers that I use around my house that have helped me to stay organized.
1. The Home Edit and 3. The Complete Book of Home Organizing – are two of my favorite organizing books.
2. Self adhesive metal frame labels are one of my favorite and easiest way to add stylish labels to bins, boxes, baskets and more.
4. I use Small baskets like these to organize the contents of desk and kitchen drawers.
5. This 2 tier slide out organizer keeps the stuff under my bathroom sink in its place.
6. These Expandable Drawer Dividers work great in large drawers to create sections.
7. This Wire Door Shelf Rack has made my small pantry store a lot more.
8. The style of Wooden Hangers that I used to store my tablecloths.
9. I use these Clear Fridge Food Bins in my refrigerator and my pantry. I like how I can slide them out and grab what I need and slide back in.
10. This is my newest organizer that I use for storing rolls of Christmas Gift wrap.
11. I use these Under shelf baskets on the shelves in my garage. They give me extra space to hold all sorts of stuff.
For more home organizing ideas, check out these ideas from a few of my blogging friends.
Designthusiasm | The Complete Guide to Kitchen Organization
StoneGable | Organizing Spices In Your Kitchen
Shabbyfufu | How To Organize The Kitchen Junk Drawer – For Good!
Tracey says
I love these tips, and I like how you always think outside the box for clever, inexpensive ideas!
Tonya says
I envy your talent.
Great information, thank you for sharing. I have been purging (trying) and organizing but still things are not organized to my liking – I’m just not good at it. I think i need to do “inventory” and categorize everything and then figure out where everything will go. My house was built in 1928 and the bedroom closets are small – not standard depth, so hangers can’t always hang the normal way (front to back), i have to use hooks and so they hang sideways . You have some great ideas.
P.S. My favorite organizing idea would be if you were in Pennsylvania and could do it for me! LOL ;)
Diane Henkler says
Hi Tonya – I used to live in a house with bedroom closets like you describe. They didn’t hold much. :-) The closets had a center door and a narrow space on each side of the door. I remember hanging a short rod at the end of each side so the hangers would hang with the sleeve side out. To get more on the rods, I used those stacking hangers.
It is hard to declutter and figuring out what to get rid of. Once you get going it should get easier for you. Keep at it. :-) Where in PA are you? I moved from Lansdale, PA five years ago.