18 Clever Organizing Tricks
Combat clutter with ordinary household items used in unexpected ways.
Use Jewelry Boxes
Those little boxes are so sturdy and trim that you hate to throw them out. So don't. Instead, clip them together to create tidy divided storage for pens and pencils, lipsticks, plastic flatware, whatever it is that clutters your drawer (maybe jewelry?).
See More: Make Over Your Junk Drawer
Use Glass Jars
"Grandpa's wood-shop solution of attaching glass jars underneath a table or a shelf is tried-and-true," says Ted McCann, a Brooklyn-based custom woodworker. This trick works in the garage, the basement, and the craft room (or even possibly the home office, if you have an appropriate area): Nail or superglue the lids to the underside of a surface near where you store your tools, then twist the jars into place. Put like-size nuts and bolts in one jar, wood screws in another, nails in another. Also attach an empty jar so that when you're working on a project, you can gather the necessary hardware and stow it there.
See More: Storage Ideas for Small Spaces
Use Shower Curtain Hooks
If space allows, place hooks on a closet bar and hang purses from them to keep your carryalls at eye level. Say good-bye to a mess of accessories on your closet floor.
See More: New Uses for Things in Your Closet
Use a Tissue Box
Dispense plastic grocery bags with ease by stuffing empties into an old tissue box stored under the sink; simply pull out one when you need it. For a slimmer solution, try a cardboard paper-towel tube.
See More: A Refrigerator Makeover, Before and After
Use a Paper Towel Holder
Marathon gift wrapping? For easy access to ribbon, slide spools onto a paper towel stand's post. Stack them from largest to smallest, bottom to top. When done, tape the ribbon ends to their spools to keep them neat.
See More: Gift Ribbon Storage Solutions
Use a Dish-Drying Rack
Keep coloring books and art supplies organized in a dish-drying rack. Stack the books, like plates, between the prongs. Store markers, crayons, and pencils in the utensil caddy.
See More: Organizing and Storage Solutions for Your Kids' Clutter
Use Spice Containers
These squat, clear-topped jars (sold at kitchen supply stores) can keep the loose bits that accumulate on your desktop and in your drawers-stamps, Post-it notes, paper clips, rubber bands, etc., etc., etc.-under control.
See More: 20 Home Office Organizing Tricks
Use Velcro Tape
There are plenty of cord organizers on the market, but Carrick Rowe, an interior designer in New York City, suggests using Velcro tape ($5 for a 15-foot roll, textol.com) to keep electronic cords in check. "I've screwed a small hook into the bottom of a desk and hung bundled wires up and out of the sight line," she says. Another idea: Make your own cable binder from a stretchy trouser sock with the toe cut off. To keep tabs on which cord belongs to which machine, attach adhesive file-folder labels with the names of the cords' owners (lamp, TV, DVD, phone) near the plugs.
See More: A Guide to Hiding Cords
Use a Tension Rod
To keep pot lids from rattling around and getting lost in kitchen drawers, position a short tension rod to create a divider. Stack pots and pans in the larger section and lean lids against the rod on the smaller side.
See More: The Well-Organized Kitchen
Use a Coat Rack
Hang your best-loved (and most frequently worn) necklaces and bracelets within easy reach on a wall-mounted coat rack. Bonus: They'll stay tangle-free when not decorating your neck. Or mount corkboard-available in various sizes-on a wall and drape necklaces from straight pins.
See More: 18 Clever Organizing Tricks
Don't Miss:
4 Super-Organized Women Spill Their Secrets
