6 Organizational Tips That Help Keep Things Neat

I am not a naturally organized person. I don’t have that kind of mind. I don’t notice messes creeping up on me until they are full blown disasters. So any tip, or help I can get from one of the detail oriented, masters of junk organization, I will take it.

I LOVE this idea for a wrapping organization station…that’s next on my list!

There are 6 ideas I’ve seen lately that I thought were fantastic and have already helped me a lot in my home. They just make life easier. One of them I saw on pinterest.  It is hanging your potholders inside of your cupboards on a little hook.

Found this idea on Pinterest

1.HANG RACKS  and /HOOKS INSIDE YOUR KITCHEN CUPBOARD DOORS!
 I have potholders that always cause my not-deep-enough drawers to jam. Or else the potholders go over the drawer and fall behind the counter somewhere into oblivion. What a great idea!  This way they are always handy.  Another thing to put on the insides of cupboard doors in things like Pam oil spray and vinegars. They just junk up my shelves and I use them infrequently. But I want to be able to see them all at a glance.  Spices you use the most would be great there too. I have resorted to putting my most-used spices in a metal basket by the stove. It is just easier for me because I cook ALL THE TIME.

Great use of space with this Spice Rack Organizer. Open the cupboard….see it all right there!

I would love one of these for my pantry door….so much easier for organizing all those small containers of stuff!

          
2.PUT A BASKET ON YOUR DESK/VANITY/KITCHEN COUNTER/ FOR VARIETIES OF STUFF YOU USE EVERYDAY
I snuck around one of the really uber organized teachers at my school’s classroom the other day. I tried to notice what kinds of things help her stay organized. She has bins. Bins everywhere for every imaginable purpose.  On her desk was a basket JUST FOR NOTE PADS. She had all sorts of sticky notepads, cutesy ones, lunch lady notes, etc. By her sink she had Bandaids, Lotion, and Antibacterial soaps. AHA, my non-organized mind said to itself! I went home and looked at my kitchen. What do I use every single day that I could put in a basket to make life easier.

Cookbook Storage idea….so cute!

I found cuter baskets than these in all colors at Hobby Lobby for every room in my house. Next I am going to put some cookbooks in baskets for the kitchen. Won’t that be cute? Found that idea on Pinterest too!

This basket/drawer is only $9.98! Check it out at Organize This button on my side bar. I used this idea to do my spice basket by my stove. It has saved me so much time searching for my everyday spices!

 Here’s my new everyday spice basket. I have garlic, sugar, and everyday spices in a basket. My whole drawers used to be jammed with that kind of stuff. And I had to search through spices every day to find the garlic and lemon pepper and cinnamon. Now I have the “note basket” and the “spice basket” and in the laundry room I’ve put a “stain basket” with rags, all kinds of those bleach pens, soap, sprays. It has made life easier already. Look for an area to reduce junk in a drawer by placing a basket right next to where you need it.

Another Pinterest Idea…..I LOVE these extra drawers on shelves ideas….it invites you to be more organized!

3. PUT A 3-DRAWER-SET OF RUBBERMAID DRAWERS ON DRESSERS/DESKS/CRAFT ROOMS/GARDEN AREA TO SORT THINGS YOU USE A LOT
Another thing I noticed is little plastic drawer sets. She had them for everything. Ever notice how much easier it is to organize stuff in drawers than in cupboards? Same principle. I started seeing these on sale at places like Target and Walmart too. So I bought a few sets.  I have used one set of like 91/2 x 11 size paper drawers for my sewing supplies. One has threads and needles and pincushions, another has zippers and seam binding, another has sewing machine bobbins and metal implements. I bought another 3 drawer set and I have used it for my makeup. One drawer is for lipsticks, one for foundations and blushes, and another for eye pencils and eye shadows.   It has worked great! I always have a few out on the counter still because I’m messy, but at least it isn’t dozens out. I bought a few tiny sets and put different colors of earrings in each drawer. “THIS IS SO COOL!” I said to myself. I hope I don’t go overboard on this one.

Find little drawer sets like these in all shapes and sizes at Walmart and Shopko. They are great time savers.

CD storage drawers….check them out at Organize This on my sidebar.

4. PUT OVER THE DOOR 2-4 HOOK HANGERS ON ALL DOORS IN YOUR HOUSE/OFFICE/GARAGE/LAUNDRY ROOM ETC.
Another tip was finding hooks for over the door. I found lots of sets at T.J. Max with 2 to 8 hooks on them.  If every door in your house has a set of hanging hooks (over the door type are so easy) then you can hang jammies, bathing suits, towels, hoodies, coats, robes, anything and everything. So you don’t always have to hang stuff up. I love that idea! Because, as I said, I’m very LAZY. So hooks are my new fav thing. They would be great in kid’s rooms too because, trust me, they are lazy too! Give them one hook set for jammies, one hook set for hoodies and jackets, or sports team jerseys,  and a set in their bathroom for bathing suits and towels. We go in the jacuzzi a lot at my house so bathing suits are a drag if I don’t have a place for everyone’s suit to dry.

I found a set like this at T.J. Max for only $5.99 and 2 sets of 2 hooks each were the same price! You could have hooks all over your house for less than $20 bucks! And think how organized you’d be!!

5. PUT LONG, FLAT, UNDERBED CONTAINERS FOR SHOES, BOOKS, AND SEASONAL STUFF
I used to just put books and extra office paper and extra file folders in these bins. And that is still a good idea. But now I found an even better under the bed bin idea. It’s for SHOES! Shoes are the bain of my un-neat world’s existence. I always have a pile of shoes in every room and bedroom, even the bathroom. I know, I’m not a neat freak!  I bought 2  of them just for my own shoes! It will help organize kids sports equipment, beach toys and beach wear versus winter toys and winter wear. Get the picture? No more drawers packed with all 4 seasons of stuff.

Look for this $9.98 Shoe Storage Container from the Button on my sidebar called Organize This!

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One under the bed shoe storage has fancy shoes in it that I rarely ever wear. The one under my bed has tennis shoes and sandals (seasonal) styles. So my closet has the ones I wear everyday. It has helped soooo much. And these things are less that $10 bucks! What a great deal.

6. GET A NEW, TALL, SKINNY TRASH CAN FOR WRAPPING PAPER ROLLS
I used to put all the wrapping paper rolls and ribbon rolls in an under-the-bed container. It helped keep that stuff organized for me but I always had to drag it out, open it, rummage through, etc.. until I made one of my kid’s bedrooms a craft room when they moved out. Then I moved that stuff to a Rubbermaid tall trash can and have it next to a little table. These trash cans will fit in a bedroom corner of the room!  3 drawer container for ribbons scissors and tape is right nearby! It has made gift wrapping a cinch! I love that little area of my craft room so much now! Sometimes I go in there just to stare at my gift wrapping area. I dump scraps in the trash after wrapping things too! 😀

I wish my desk looked something like this…but it is coming along…I’ve improved with just these 6 simple tips!

I like the new idea of “a place for everything” and everything in it’s place. (well, THAT will never happen!) but it does help me.  I just bought a tiny three drawer set for my earings. So I liked it so much I bought 2 more. Now I have a drawer for every color of earring. And I got a set of hooks for my necklaces. My goal is to get a hook for every necklace color. Great idea right?