15 Organizing Ideas for Your Drawers

After purging any obvious trash, bundle all “like” things (business cards, unmarked keys) that you want to keep. Fit the drawer with multi-sectioned inserts. Think about which of the kept items are most important to you: Advil, lip balm, a Post-it with your wireless password? Then fill each compartment accordingly. When you’re finished, banish any overflow to a large Ziploc bag in a high cabinet. Mark the calendar and check the bag in two months. If you haven’t missed the contents by then, toss it.

Don’t neglect your nightstand: Apply the same compartment principles there, supplying catchalls for your remote, glasses, lip balm, and such, leaving the top free for your essentials.

To stop pens and paper clips from rolling to the back of a desk drawer, line it with a layer of nonskid rug pad.

For a flash of style with every pull, line the inside of a drawer with wallpaper cut to fit. Attach with double-stick tape or removable mounting squares so the lining won’t shift. The strategy: Make the lining so pretty you’ll want to keep things neat so you can actually see it!

Beauty products scattered in your bathroom? Use a utensil tray in your bathroom drawer to keep small items like tweezers, nail clippers, and makeup brushes organized.

Those plastic tubs are great for storing your leftovers, but the various bits and pieces can be frustrating to sort through, especially when random empty cottage-cheese tubs and the like are mixed in. First step: Toss anything that has lost its lid. Now categorize the keepers, organizing both tops and bottoms by size and shape.

To keep pot lids from rattling around, position a short tension rod near the front of the drawer as a divider. Stack pots and pans in the larger section and lean lids against the rod on the smaller side.

Do you have a smorgasbord of spices stuffed in a drawer? Toss anything that’s old or that you never use: Whole spices are good for only three years, ground spices for two. Then pick a drawer in a cool spot, away from the oven, to stow your 12 most frequently used spices. Clear glass jars will look clean and crisp and let you see what needs refilling.