Getting organized is a great way to save yourself considerable time and effort around the house. As grandma used to say, “A place for everything, and everything in its place!” And while it is possible to spend a lot of time and a lot of money on organizing your home, you shouldn’t have to! In fact, a lot of my own organizing projects usually take place in a spare 5- or 10-minute window throughout the day, using stuff I already have lying around the house.
More Ideas You'll Love
These super quick and resourceful organizing methods are a specialty of mine, so I thought that’s what I would share with you today! Here are 9 quick, easy, and inexpensive hacks to get a little more organized around the house. (If you have one or more brilliantly cheap and easy organizing hacks that you don’t see on this list, share them with us in a comment at the bottom of this post!)
9 Cheap And Easy Organizing Hacks
1. Cookie Cutter Control
Hate digging around in a drawer for the right cookie cutter? Try this simple solution! Sort your cookie cutters into smaller groups based on holiday, season, type of baking project, or any other system that makes sense to you. Put each group into its own ziplock bag and label them clearly with permanent marker. Next time you go to choose a cookie cutter, you’ll know exactly where to start your search.
2. Pockets For Papers
Keep important papers organized in your kitchen with durable plastic binder pockets like these ones. Use them to store your take-out menus, favorite recipes, printable reference sheets, coupons, and more! Tape the pockets on the inside of a cabinet door to keep them hidden, yet accessible.
3. Keep Hardware Together
It’s always a pain to have to take apart your furniture, no matter the reason. But you can make it easier on yourself by using this little trick to keep the hardware together! Lay down a strip of packing tape sticky-side up. Stick the hardware onto it, then cover it with another piece of packing tape (so the sticky sides stick together.) Write a label on the tape with a permanent marker so you know what piece of furniture the hardware came from. The hardware will stay securely encased in the tape, and you’ll know exactly where it goes!
4. Hang Measuring Cups
Make your measuring cups more convenient by hanging them individually, rather than storing them in a stack. I used small Command hooks to hang mine up on the inside of one of the cupboard doors. It makes them easy to grab when I need them, and everyone knows exactly where to put them when it’s their turn to unload the dishwasher. :-)
5. Instant Ribbon Dispenser
You can use a cheap plastic bin as a super simple ribbon dispenser! Just look for a small bin with holes on the sides. (You can usually find them at the dollar store.) Stack your ribbon into the bin and thread the ends through the holes in the bin. Pull on the ribbon as you need it, and the rest will stay nicely organized!
More Ideas You'll Love
6. Hang Tank Tops
Have a collection of tank tops and sleeveless shirts taking up space in your closet or drawers? Save space with a hanger and a few shower curtain rings! Hook the straps of each shirt onto a shower curtain ring, then clip the rings onto the bottom of the hanger. You’ll be able to fit about 5-6 shirts on one hanger with this method!
Related: 10 Unexpected And Creative Ways To Use Shower Rings
7. Container Lid Storage
Here’s an easy way to keep the lid from your food storage containers organized. Get a small plastic bin from the dollar store, along with a cheap cooling rack. Set the rack on top of the bin, then slide your container lids into the slots formed by the rack. Your lids will be easier to see and be much more accessible this way.
8. Cheap Fridge Bins
You don’t have to shell out a small fortune on fancy bins to organize your fridge. Just grab a handful of small plastic bins from your local dollar store! You can label them however you want to help keep your food more organized.
9. Recycled Desk Organizer
Use a few cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls and an empty tissue box to make a desk organizer! Cut the tubes to different lengths, then glue them upright into the tissue box. Decorate it with washi tape, paint, or scrapbook paper, and use it to keep your pens and desk accessories organized.
Related: 12 Surprisingly Practical Things You Can Do With Cardboard Tubes
I have things all over my dresser, chest of drawer,nightstand in my masterbedroom like medicine,water,pictures, mailbanks, different size chest,makeup books bibles,back braces. And I am I am a chronicpIn person with no help will you tell how how is Cantu these himgsup and not decuter aanin an inexspensivetasty way
I use a dollar store dish drying rack to store pot lids in my cupboard. Makes it easier to find the lid you need.
So clever!
Jillie, I sure have gotten a lot of ideas off of your website, I absolutely love it. I wish I had the genius ideas that you come up with, I have been saving so many of your posts so I can use them in my home and when I am traveling away from home in our travel trailer. Space is small and compact but I have plastic bins for everything and the mason jar dispenser for my kitchen stuff in there is going to be fantastic. I will definitely continue to be a faithful watcher on the website. Thank you,… Read more »
Thank you Joann! :-)
I found a cheap bathroom tote in the dollar spot at Target and have been using it to organize my son’s school supplies and he takes it from room to room to do homework. He’s been using it for a few years now.
Great idea!
My problem with the ideas is they wast space, I have very few cupboards and space is at a premium. The side of the containers slope towards the bottom, so when you put them side by side there is a space. I have looked for ones that are straight but haven’t found any. If anyone know where you can get them please let me know, thank you.
Could you place every-other container upside-down? :-)
IKEA
I use ceramic mugs that are sentimental to me as pen, pencil and tool caddies on my desk.
I do this too.I have a mug with a cute saying that I use on my desk.
I do too – and I put a small plastic inside to keep the cup clean.
small plastic glass or cup …
I use baby close hangers that have clips on them to hang tank tops, also use I use the baby hangers to dry delicates on to dry.
Great ideas. The fridge one with the bins, reminds me of when we were visiting relatives recently. My Aunt had some of the cheap plastic containers you showed to organize her freezer.
I use the bins in my freezer as well. I found stacking frozen vegetable/fruit bags keep slipping. I also use them for small containers in the freezer that get knocked over easily. It keeps them from dropping onto the floor and cracking.
I, also use the dollar store bins in the freezer, I color code them (red for beef, blue for fish, yellow for chicken etc.) and I use a permanent marker to note (for example) ground beef, pork chops etc. my bins have white handles perfect for writing on. Just measure your freezer shelf width and height so you’ll know how many bins to buy. I have an upright freezer which is perfect for this system……………………
Storage tip for stud earrings – use Ice Trays and put a pair into each hole. Stack trays onto one another. No longer hunt for partner of earring
I did this about a year ago and my life is so much easier now. The ones I have are stackable, too, so they don’t take up much space at all.
I use larger weekly pill organizers for earring sorters. The smaller weekly organizers work for studs. Works for travel also.
I find that the lids (with constant use) break off, but I do like the ice cube tray idea………………………