How to Organize Freezer Drawers DIY
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If you have a refrigerator that has a pull-out bottom drawer freezer and have not been able to fit ready-made freezer bins or freezer organizing baskets into it that will help to keep the contents organized, you may like this freezer organizing hack.
Learn how to organize freezer drawers for a few dollars with DIY dividers that will last for years.
This smart freezer hack is easy to do using dividers made from sheets of craft store corrugated plastic.
These dividers are not just for freezers. They can be also made to use on any white plastic coated wire closet organizer shelf or basket in your clothes closet, laundry or pantry.
Freezer Drawers: Before Organizing
Here is how the two drawers in my kitchen’s freezer looked before I made new freezer dividers for them.
Each drawer only had one divider. No matter how much I tried to keep “like” items in rows, they always moved when the drawer was opened and closed making a big pile of frozen food on each side of the dividers.
Why I Needed to Come Up With My Own Freezer Drawer Organizing Idea
While searching for freezer organizing ideas online, I did find a few ideas that I thought would work.
These ranged from using different sizes of freezer bins, file folder holders and even freezer organizing baskets, but none of them fit.
Freezer Drawer Organizing Inspiration
On the blog, Simply Organized I like what she did to organize the bottom of her freezer drawer.
She removed the deeper bottom wire basket completely in the drawer and replaced it with a row of plastic, multi-use organizers that act like storage bins. I bought these, but had to return them as they didn’t fit in my freezer the way hers did. They were too tall for my bottom freezer drawer.
How Do I Keep My Bottom Drawer Freezer Organized?
Since that freezer drawer organizing idea didn’t work, I had to come up with a plan to organize my freezer on my own. I thought about using cardboard magazine folders or dividers that I could trim to size, but knew that after a while they would get soggy with moisture.
I kept searching for an idea and finally found white plastic corrugated cardboard sheets at Michaels craft store. They were perfect – not expensive and easy to cut and would not get soggy.
I also liked the white color, as it would make my freezer drawer dividers look like they came with the freezer.
How to Make Plastic Dividers for Freezer Drawers
These freezer drawer dividers are very simple to make, the part that I found the hardest to get the project done, was having to empty my freezer.
To make it easier, I brought a large cooler into the house to keep the food cold while I was working on the drawer dividers.
To make the addition of the dividers doable and keep the food cold, I removed the top drawer first.
Then I added the dividers, placed the basket and food back in to the freezer and then proceeded to repeat the process for the deeper bottom basket in the freezer drawer.
supplies needed:
- 20″ x 30″ plastic corrugated sheets – craft store. I used 2 sheets.
- 4″ long white zip ties/cable ties
Tools needed:
- craft knife
- scissors
- yard stick or t-square
- hole punch
- pencil
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes
How to Organize Freezer Drawers DIY
- Remove the Contents of Each Drawer
Measure your freezer, the entire space and height to make sure that whatever you add does not interfere with the opening and closing of the freezer drawer.
Mark the front of the baskets with tape before removing them so you don’t forget how to place the baskets back into the drawer. If you mix this up, the drawer may not close.
- Remove Existing Divider
The divider that came with the top freezer drawer basket was a removable divider.
Use this divider as a template to cut new dividers from a sheet of corrugated plastic. - Figure Out Divider Placement To Organize the Contents in Your Freezer Basket
This is the step where you can totally customize the freezer drawers to perfectly fit the frozen foods you keep in it.
Use the actual contents of your freezer to help you determine how much space there should be between the dividers in the basket. Place items inside the baskets by size or category of items.
For instance, group boxed foods like pizzas, bagged veggies and fruits, and trays of meat each in their own divided space.
- Punch Holes in Dividers
Mark dividers with a pencil or marker along each edge. Using a paper hole punch or an awl make a small hole and thread a zip tie through each hole.
- Attach Dividers With Zip Ties
Line a divider up with a horizontal wire on the basket. Then use the zip tie to secure it to the frame of the basket.
Make sure the zip tie is snug. Then cut off the excess with a pair of scissors.
Repeat on both top and bottom of the divider.
- Repeat Steps for Bottom Freezer Basket
The bottom freezer basket is much deeper and has a lining tray at the bottom. The one divider that came with the basket was not removable.
To make the dividers an exact fit, I laid the basket on its side so I could trace the shape onto a plastic corrugated sheet. - Repeat
Cut the divider(s) out and follow the same steps used for the upper basket to attach the dividers. - Place Basket Back Into Freezer
Freezer Drawers – AFTER Adding Dividers
So much better! Now the frozen food contents will stay in rows which will help me keep the contents organized so everything is easy to find at a glance.
Freezer Storage Idea: Labeling the Contents
To further organize the drawers in your freezer, consider making your own printable freezer labels or use sheets or rolls of ready made labels.
Having a roll or sheet of labels on hand is another way to make sure that the contents in your freezer will be organized and stay that way.
More DIY Ideas on How to Organize Bottom Freezer Drawers
When trying to decide what you can use to organize the bottom drawer of a freezer, here are a few more easy to do budget-friendly freezer drawer organizing ideas.
Buy more containers or baskets than you think need so that you can figure out what sizes will work. You can return the containers that didn’t work.
Once you have the containers, play around with arranging them in the drawer. You want them to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle so you don’t waste any freezer space.
- Use ready-made plastic multi-use bins.
- Cut corrugated boxes down to sizes needed.
- Plastic dollar store baskets in various sizes. These can also be stacked to create layers of organization in the depth of the drawer.
For the ultimate in refrigerator and freezer organizing, check out this book on the topic. It will surely inspire you once and for all to get your fridge and freezer organized.
More Kitchen Organizing Ideas:
- How to Make a Kitchen Island for a Small Kitchen
- How I Transformed a Coat Closet into a Pantry
- How to Make a 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket Stand
Loved the idea. Will try soon
Thank you
That is absolutely brilliant. I need to do this!!!!!!
Hi Michele – The freezer divider work perfectly. Like I mentioned in the post, the hardest part is having to empty the freezer to get the divider made. :-)
Genius. Our new freezer isn’t as user friendly as our last one. Doing this tomorrow!!!!
Hi Laura – The divider work very well and are so sturdy. Adding them made a huge difference in my freezer. I can now find exactly what I need quickly.
This is incredible….I will finally be able to see everything better 👍. Thank you!!
What a clever freezer organization idea for all your yummy food (so healthy). I would love to see the dishes you make with these ingredients 😊
My drawer is just like yours only it did not come with baskets so nothing to zip tie too
But love the ideal!
I wonder if you could use white duck tape and make a custom fitting divider using another piece for the bottom to make bin(s)?
Hi Debbie – In my post did you see the photo that gave me the inspiration to make compartments for the freezer? She removed the basket and used plastic magazine file holders. Maybe you could find ones that fit at Walmart, Target or Staples.
Impressive and timely. Getting my new fridge next week and can’t wait to organize it. Who knew this was a universal problem!
Your DYI idea for dividers for freezers is an awesome one. I have a top freezer with only one shelf divider and impossible to organize. I am going to try to incorporate your idea for my top freezer. Thanks so much!
I love this idea! Because you used zip ties, they can be rearranged in the future if your needs change. Brilliant!
Thank you for the ingenious idea.
I love your blogs!
This looks great, and makes it so much easier to see what you have! Thanks for the idea! Perfect!
This was genius and so affordable!! I love it.
You are amazing! I’ve been wanting to come up with some type of freezer drawer dividers for ages but hadn’t gotten around to it. Now I see that you’ve done the work for me!! This will be on my February project list for sure!!! I love to follow you cuz you are so creative among other things.
I love your idea! However, I have a Kitchenaid bottom freezer (counter depth). The drawer on the bottom isn’t very deep, and to make matters worse the four sides are angled with the base of the drawer being flat (maybe 10X15 th a Covid ER an another section a little smaller. To make matters worse, there are two flat (maybe 2-3” deep) shelves that slide over the bottom drawer so I need to allow clearance. The drawers are also solid and not wired. I am at my wits end. Any other suggestions?
Hi Diane –
Without seeing exactly what you have, it is hard to give you options that may work for your freezer drawer. Can the inserts in the drawer itself be removed? Or the sliding shelves removed? If you remove what makes up the container portion of the drawer, will there still be a bottom inside the drawer? If there is and you can remove the container, you may be able to create your own system using different size storage bins or baskets inside the drawer and discard what came with the freezer.
None of the components are removable. I have tried inserting two container Store bins (one medium and one small), but it sometimes hits the top shelf when closing. Is there any way I can attach some pics foe you to see? Thank you so much for responding.
Goodness, Diane, my freezer looks like your ‘before’ photo, lol! I needed this diy desperately. 🤪 I can’t wait to try this. I tried the containers first and that didn’t work for the long haul so this should fix the problem. Thanks so much!
I love, LOVE this idea and have seen these corrugated sheets you used!! You have used them wisely. I have the same problem in my freezer and will definitely be doing this!!! Thanks again for another one of your brilliant ideas! Yours is one of only a few blogs I follow due to time constraints (I work full time and have a busy family life). BUT yours is always full of great ideas :) THANKS again Diane…you’re the BEST!!
Hi Judy – It makes me happy to know that my post was helpful to you and that you still make the time to read my blog. That is the BEST thing for a blogger to hear. :-)
Genius! Thanks.
I agree!
Great Idea!
Great customization for the freezer. Mine looks almost like yours. Using ziploc bags and first freezing liquid/soft foods flat, then arranging like books (vertically) allows tons of food to be stored. Too bad I have no one to cook for-or eat with! Eating is so social. Many thanks!
Very clever!
Diane, clever you are! I use the containers from Container Store (as shown at the beginning of your post)–I’m lucky they fit and I get wider or skinnier as I need. But my deep freeze could use some organizing so maybe this idea might work.