Easy Solutions for Everyday Organization Problems
Updated: Feb. 22, 2022From the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the garage, to the basement, we have tips and tricks for storing stuff all over your house. Check them out!
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Under-Sink Storage Bins
What's hiding under your kitchen sink? If the space under your sink is anything like ours, it's an overcrowded jumble of cleaning supplies, sponges and plastic bags. Here's a great way to store these items right on the door of the sink cabinet. Cut a plastic storage tub in half with a utility knife and screw it to the inside of the cabinet door through the plastic lip at the top of the tub. Just make sure you position it so you can shut the cabinet door when all your bags and other supplies are in the bin.
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Build a Shoe Organizer
Store shoes up off the floor in clean, natural wood racks. This simple storage system can handle everything from winter boots to summer sandals, with no mud buildup or scuff marks on the wall. Build one to share or one for each member of the family! Find complete how-to instructions here.
For wet shoes and boots, we recommend this attractive, simple-to-make tray.
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Trunk Organizer
Make an inexpensive trunk organizer with file crates or plastic bins. Use self-adhesive hook-and-loop tape (like Velcro) to secure the bin to the fabric lining of your trunk. Now you have a great place to store car items and haul bags of groceries without them toppling over.
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Get a Cooking Caddy for Convenience
Here's a kitchen storage and organization ides: Keep condiments and spices in an easy-to-carry rack to free up countertop space. You always want salt, cooking oils and your favorite spices next to the stove because you use them every day. But they don't have to take up valuable counter space full time. Place them all in a caddy that you can instantly stow in a cabinet after cooking. You'll find caddies in various shapes, sizes and prices at any store that sells kitchenware.
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Kitchen Storage: Wine-Glass Molding
T-molding designed for wood floor transitions makes a perfect rack for stemware. Just cut it to length, predrill screw holes and screw it to the underside of a shelf. For a neater look, use brass screws and finish washers. Prefinished T-molding is available wherever wood flooring is sold. A 4-ft. section costs about $25. Watch our fun video to make your own wine glass storage rack for some more great kitchen storage ideas.
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Bungee Cord Organizer
Elastic cords can quickly become a tangled mess. Find the one you need at a glance with this handy rack made from 3- or 4-in. PVC pipe. Just drill 1/2-in.-diameter holes in the pipe to match the slightly stretched lengths of your cords. Keep it in your trunk or shop, out of the reach of children. Check out this other genius bungee cord hack.
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Pantry Storage Thyme Saver
If your spices are jammed into a drawer with only the tops visible, this nifty rack that slips neatly into the drawer will solve the pantry storage problem. And it only takes an hour to build. Make it with scraps of 1/4-in. and 1/2-in. plywood. Or build a two-tier drawer spice rack.
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Concealed Message Center
Don't let shopping lists, phone messages and to-do notes clutter up counter space. Mount a dry-erase board and a plastic bin on the inside of a cabinet door with double-sided foam mounting tape. The bin will protrude into the cabinet, so be sure to position it where it won't collide with shelves or the stuff inside. Get the board, bin and tape at a discount or office supply store.
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Storage Behind Closed Doors
Pegboard is great for organizing kitchens, laundry rooms and bathroom cabinets. Rout a groove in a 1x2 frame using a rabbet bit, attach the pegboard with glue and brads, then mount it to the door. The frame helps support the edges of the pegboard and creates a 1/2-in. space behind the board so pegs can be inserted.
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Skinny Laundry Room Cart
A lot of laundry rooms have a narrow wasted space either next to or between the washing machine and dryer, and it's usually a hideout for socks and lint. To take advantage of this space and organize your laundry room, build a simple plywood laundry room cart on fixed casters to hold detergents and other laundry supplies.
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Tucked Away Coffeemaker
For serious coffee drinkers, stowing the coffeemaker inside a cabinet just doesn't make sense; you'll only have to pull it out again in a few hours. Here's a solution: An under-cabinet coffeemaker is always available and doesn't take up valuable counter space. Plus: here's how to get those pesky coffee stains out of carpeting.
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Pullout Towel Rack
Pullout towel racks are typically meant for kitchens, but they're also perfect for cramped bathrooms. They keep damp hand towels and washcloths off the counter so they can dry out of the way. You can find pullout towel racks at discount stores and online retailers.
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Instant Laundry Room Cubbies
If you don't have cabinets or shelves in your tiny laundry room, buy inexpensive plastic crates at a discount store and create your own wall of cubbies for some small room organization. Screw them to the wall studs using a fender washer in the upper corner of each crate for extra strength for DIY laundry room shelves. The crates hold a lot of supplies, and they keep tippy things like your iron from falling over. Here are some more ideas for small space storage solutions.
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Kitchen Organization: Racks for Canned Goods
Use those leftover closet racks as cabinet organizers. Trim the racks to length with a hacksaw and then mount screws to the backside of the face frame to hold the racks in place. The backside of the rack simply rests against the back of the cabinet. Now you can easily find your soup and check the rest of your inventory at a glance with this pantry storage solution.
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PVC Curling Iron Holsters
Hate the messy look of curling irons lying on the vanity or the toilet tank? Here's a tip for you. Use hook-and-loop tape to attach five-inch lengths of 2-in. PVC pipe to the vanity door to hold the curling irons. Do the same thing with three-inch pieces of 1-1/2-in.-dia. pipe to hold the cords. Just measure your curling irons to see how long your "holsters" need to be. Let your curling irons cool before you stow them away.
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Closet Storage Ideas: Use Door Space Intelligently
Don't forget the door when counting your closet space! Try an over-the-door shoe organizer on the backside of a closet door to organize scarves, belts and other accessories. Or of course, shoes too! Would you rather have your shoes out where you can see them? Make this easy-to-build shoe rack with modern style!
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Kitchen Storage: Cabinet Door Knife Rack
You can size this knife rack to suit any cabinet door and any number of knives for kitchen cabinet storage. To build this cutting board turned knife rack, you just need a table saw and wood scraps. Run the scraps across the saw on edge to cut kerfs. Adjust the blade height to suit the width of the knife blades. You have to remove the saw's blade guard for these cuts, so be extra careful. Also cut a thin strip to act as an end cap. Glue and clamp the kerfed scraps together and sand the knife rack until the joints are flush. To mount it, use two 1-1/4-in. screws and finish washers.
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Behind the Door Storage: Ironing Board Storage
Ordinary coat hooks on the back of a closet door keep your ironing board out of the way but close at hand when you need it.
Looking for more nifty storage hacks? Check out these garage storage ideas.
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Pantry Storage: Spice Storage
Small spice containers use shelf space inefficiently and are difficult to find when surrounded by taller bottles and items. Use a small spring-tension curtain rod as a simple shelf. It's easy to install and strong enough to support the spices. Learn how to make this spice rack in our video tutorial.
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DIY Storage Locker
There are plenty of manufactured storage sheds available, but few are as practical as this DIY unit. This easy-to-build storage locker is low and compact, yet it's spacious enough to hold your lawnmower, long-handled tools and other garden items. See how to build it.
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Behind the Door Storage: Charger and Cord Pockets
Do you get tired of rummaging through drawers and boxes trying to find the right cords and chargers for all of your electronic gadgets? One solution is to use a clear vinyl over-the-door shoe organizer. Make labels for each pocket and put every item in its own spot. Now you can find everything you need without getting frustrated.
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Cabinet Door Message Board
A sheet of metal and a dry-erase board can turn any cabinet door into a convenient message center. You'll find 2 x 2-ft. lengths of plastic-coated hardboard (often called 'whiteboard') and sheet metal at a hardware store or home center. Larger hardware stores will cut the sheet metal to your specifications. Be sure to get steel instead of aluminum so magnets will stick.
If you cut the metal yourself, wear gloves to protect your hands and use tin snips carefully. Use a metal file to smooth any ragged edges. If you don't have a table saw to cut the whiteboard, flip it over, mark your measurements and use a jigsaw to cut it from the back to prevent chipping or splintering. To get a straight cut, use a framing square as a guide (photo, left).
To mount the metal sheet and whiteboard to the inside of the door, take the door off its hinges, lay it flat and carefully mask off the area where you want to spray the adhesive. Follow the directions on the can to apply the adhesive to the door, metal and whiteboard (photo, right). Mount the pieces, press firmly and let dry.
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Plastic Bag Holder
An empty rectangular tissue box makes a convenient holder for small garbage bags, plastic grocery bags and small rags. Simply thumbtack it to the inside of a cabinet door. It's one of our favorite kitchen storage ideas.
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Vacuum Gear Storage
It seems like the vacuum cleaner always ends up in one closet and the vacuum cleaner bags in another, and the attachments get shoved under a bed or permanently misplaced. Here's a simple tip that will keep everything together and out from underfoot. Screw a hook to the door of your storage closet and hang a mesh or cloth bag on it. You can store all your vacuum cleaner bags and attachments in one place, and the bag lets you carry everything you need from room to room or up and down the stairs in one trip. Vacuum cleaner broken? We'll show you how to fix it.
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Cookware Organizer
Most kitchen base cabinets lack vertical storage space for big, flat cookware like cookie sheets and pizza pans. To provide it, just remove the lower shelf, cut a vertical panel of plywood and fasten it at the cabinet bottom with furniture braces and at the top with a strip of wood. Drill holes for the adjusting pins to match the original locations and trim the shelf to length. This video will teach you more kitchen cabinet storage ideas.
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Behind the Door Storage: Tool-Apron Storage
Tool aprons can be modified to store nearly any household item. Just sew a variety of pocket widths in the aprons, then mount the aprons by screwing a wood strip through the top of each and into a door. For hollow-core doors, use hollow anchor fasteners to hold the screws firmly to the door.
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Behind the Door Storage: Cutting Board Rack
You can make this nifty, inexpensive rack and mount it inside a cabinet door to stash your cutting boards out of sight. It goes together in a snap since it only requires a 6-ft. 1x2 and two L-brackets.
Measure between the door stiles to get the maximum width of your rack. Make sure the rack will be wide enough for your cutting board (or spring for a new one). You'll also need to mount the rack low enough so it doesn't bump into a cabinet shelf when the door closes. Cut the bottom and face rails to match the space between the cabinet door stiles.
Cut the sides 7-1/4 in. long. Nail the sides to the base. Then nail the two face pieces at the top and bottom to complete the rack (photo, left). The easiest way to mount the rack is to take the cabinet door off its hinges and lay it down. Predrill the screw holes for the L-brackets and mount the rack to the cabinet door using a 1-in. L-bracket centered on each side of the rack.
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Assemble a Sandwich Bag Parts Organizer
Keep screws, connectors, nails and other small parts in sight and handy with this resealable bag holder. You can build it out of a 3/4-in. thick scrap of plywood. Start by cutting two pieces of plywood as shown. Draw lines one inch apart across the shorter piece with a square, stopping one inch from the edge. Now cut along the lines with a jigsaw. Screw the two pieces of plywood together and screw the unit to the wall. Fill resealable bags and slip them into the slots.
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Swinging Trash
Here's a space-saving solution to the bathroom waste-basket problem. Screw wire shelf anchor clips to the inside of the door and hook the lip of a small wastebasket right on the hooks. It's easy to use, it hides unattractive trash, and it frees up precious bathroom floor space.
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Cabinet Door Storage Rack
Here's a simple project to bring order to the chaos: A door-mounted storage rack that can be achieved with some basic carpentry skills and a few hand tools. You can modify this basic idea to organize other cabinets, too.
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Laundry Organizer
Make laundry day easier with this shelf for all your detergents, stain removers and other supplies. Build this simple organizer from 1x10 and 1x3 boards. If you have a basement laundry room, you may need to cut an access through the shelves for your dryer exhaust.
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Set Up Some Subtle Outdoor Storage
After all, you need a place to put your dinnerware and grill-cleaning kit, right? Sure you could build a storage shed, but we prefer an option that's smaller and easily accessible, like this outdoor closet that can hold both grilling and gardening gear.
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Tidy File Center
Countertops are a landing pad for paper—mail, news clippings and other assorted notes. Get that mess off your counter with folders and a file holder. The one shown here (from an office supply store) mounts with screws or double-sided foam tape. If you don't have suitable vertical surface, get a file holder that sits on the countertop. It will take up less space (and look neater) than a stack of papers. If you're short on space and could use a home office, read up on how to turn your closet into a makeshift home office!
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Sports Equipment Storage: Brilliant Ball Storage
Balls that roll and bounce are great for play, but not so much for storage. Luckily there's this garage ball storage rack, which can be mounted anywhere and will corral all those balls to prevent them from rolling all around your floor. Plywood, dowels, and elastic cord are the simple main components of this easy-to-make storage hack. Customize the size based on your own needs and store away!
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Fishing Rod Organizer
We got sick and tired of our fishing rods getting tangled, so we came up with this easy fishing rod organizer. All you need is a length of 3-in.-diameter PVC pipe and a foam swimming pool noodle for this DIY garage storage system.
Drill 1-in. holes spaced every 4 in. in the PVC pipe. Use a utility knife to cut slits in the foam noodle, spacing them 4 in. apart. Line up the pool noodle on the wall so that at least two of the slits sit over studs. Pull those slits apart, slide in a fender washer, and screw the noodle to the wall with 2-in. screws. Then screw the PVC pipe to the wall beneath it at a comfortable height and insert your fishing rods. Look Ma, no more tangles!
Want some more DIY garage organization ideas? Check out 27 Easy Ways to Organize Your Garage
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Back-of-Door Organizer
The back of a door that opens into a utility room or closet makes a handy hanging space. The trouble is that most doors don't offer a good mounting surface for hardware. The solution is to screw a piece of 3/4-in. plywood to the back of the door. Add construction adhesive for hollow-core doors. Cut the plywood 3 or 4 in. shy of the door edges to avoid conflicts with the doorknob or hinges. Now you can mount as many hooks, magnets and other storage gizmos as you like. Want more behind the door storage? Check out these inside-cabinet door storage ideas.
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DIY Tiered Hangers for More Closet Storage
Short on closet space? Use a lightweight piece of chain to stagger hanging clothing in tall closets to maximize space. Just loop the first link of the chain over the first hanger, and hang subsequent hangers on every other links after. Hang up to six shirts for the rod space of one. If you're up for a bigger project, you can build your own melamine closet storage system.
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Behind the Door Storage: Closet Glove Rack
If you don't have radiators, finding a good spot to dry wet hats and mittens can be tough. Tossing them into a plastic bin gets them out of the way, but they never dry and it's no fun putting on damp mittens in the morning. This simple back-of-the-door glove and cap rack allows wet things to dry and keeps easily misplaced items organized. Just string clothespins on aluminum wire (it won't rust) and stretch it between screw eyes on the back of a closet door. This also works great out in the garage for drying garden and work gloves. Make your own mitten drying rack with these inspirational ideas.
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Cabinet Door Cutting Board Storage
To store cutting boards, mount a rack on a cabinet door. Use a sheet of 1/4-in.-thick acrylic plastic; plywood would also work. You can cut acrylic with a table saw or circular saw as long as you cut slowly. Knock off the sharp edges with sandpaper. Round the lower corners with a belt sander. For spacers, use No. 14-8 crimp sleeves (in the electrical aisle at home centers), or any type of tube or even blocks of wood would work.
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Cabinet Door Measuring Cup Storage Rack
Free up pantry storage space by hanging measuring cups inside a kitchen cabinet. Position and mount a wood strip so that the cups will hang between the shelves and allow the door to close completely. Mount a second strip for your measuring spoons, then screw in cup hooks on both strips.
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Under-Cabinet Knife Storage Racks
Pull-down racks give you instant access to kitchen essentials without the clutter of spice racks or knife holders. When the cooking is done, the rack swings up against the underside of the cabinet. The acrylic knife rack like the one shown here, or buy a pair of hinges only and make your own wooden rack to hold knives, spices or other small items that take up counter space.
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Laundry Room Wall Cabinet
Turn that wall space above the washer and dryer into a valuable dust-free storage space by adding a utility wall cabinet. Chances are, a dryer vent or some other obstruction exists right where the new cabinet goes. To solve this problem, simply cut away the back and insert a 4-in. galvanized duct as a liner to give the cabinet a 1-in. clearance from the dryer vent, preventing heat from building up inside the cabinet. With the liner in place, the vent is isolated behind the cabinet, keeping everything inside cool and clean. Here's how to install cabinets like a pro.
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BBQ Tool Organizer
If you're tired of your grilling tools taking up valuable space on your grill's side trays, here's the perfect solution: Screw hooks to the underside of your deck railing. Now you can hang each tool on its own hook. It's a great way to keep the tools out of the way, yet right where you need them. You can opt for magnetic hooks, too.
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Instant Kitchen Cabinet Organizer
A metal file organizer is perfect for storing baking sheets, cutting boards and pan lids. You can pick one up for a buck at a dollar store. To keep the organizer from sliding around, use rubber shelf liner or attach hook-and-loop tape to the cabinet base and the bottom of the organizer.
Plus: 18 Inspiring Inside-Cabinet Door Storage Ideas
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Hidden Toothbrush Organizer
If you keep your toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet stacked on a shelf, they probably fall out when you open the door. If you cut notches in the cabinet shelves, you'll solve this annoying nuisance. Use a rotary tool along with a wood-cutting bit and a sanding drum.
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Store and Organize
If clutter is your culprit, open up space and make the most of every inch of storage capacity. Donate unused food, plates and gadgets to the local thrift shop and invest in a few baskets, bins and drawer dividers. Gain some inspiration with quick and clever storage ideas that you might not have thought of. Consider expanding your storage capacity with pantry shelves, a baker's rack or a portable kitchen island. After a few hours of ruthless decision-making about what goes where and why, your kitchen will look and function better. Clean the countertops and appliances, sweep and stand back to admire the perfection. Now host a dinner party and show off your white-glove wonder.
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Organize by Usefulness
As a general rule, put items that you frequently use on the lowest shelves (dishes and bowls, olive oil, glasses, etc.), and items you rarely use on the highest shelves. It's a bit of common-sense organizing that goes a long way when it comes to open shelves, and it will help you keep everything easily accessible and looking great. Just remember to group like with like: Have at least a few cups in a row rather than alternating dishes all over the place. Find out how to add storage and style to your kitchen with these open shelving ideas from Instagram.
Originally Published: July 25, 2017