Dump everything in your junk drawer out onto a large surface such as a kitchen table. Sort through the contents, discarding anything that’s broken or that you don’t need. Find another home for things that don’t belong in this drawer.

Purchase a drawer organizer and fit it into the now-empty drawer. Group like items together on your work surface and place them into the compartments that suit them best.

Tip: If you don’t have a drawer organizer, you can use a group of small cardboard jewelry boxes, votive candleholders, empty bank-check boxes, or ice cube trays.

Random keys are a staple of most junk drawers. Use key tags to label stray keys. Place labeled keys together in a compartment of the junk drawer and you’ll never wonder what they unlock again.

Tip: You can purchase key tags at your local stationary store or hardware store.