At Home : Organizing / Storage : Organize Your Drawers : Home & Garden Television

Organizing expert Louise Kurzeka shares tips for getting your life in order, one drawer at a time.

Start out by establishing an identity for each drawer in your home: kitchen items, craft supplies and beauty products, for example. In other words, no junk drawers.

Figure A

Create more specific homes within a drawer by assigning the contents to appropriately sized containers. For instance, an old wrapping paper tube is a great way to sort extension cords (figure A). Just cut the tube into shorter pieces, wind the cord and insert into the labeled tube.

Figure B

Wire drawer organizers are good for larger items such as tools, utensils and cutlery (figure B). The open-grid nature of this type of container makes drawer cleaning easy as dust and crumbs fall through.

Figure C

If you have plenty of drawers in your kitchen, consider designating one just for spices (figure C). Place a spice organizer form in the drawer to contain the bottles or tins. Alphabetizing them makes them especially easy to locate.

Figure D

The junk drawer typically arises from a drawer that is used for office supplies. White plastic drawer organizers are good for smaller and darker colored items such as office supplies and hardware (figure D). They have closed bottoms so small things stay in place. An ice cube tray also works well for sorting office supplies in a drawer.

Figure E

Socks stay neater and easier to find when placed in child-size shoeboxes (figure E) or clear plastic sock organizers. In addition, grouping them in colors will keep you from choosing the wrong color when dressing in the morning. Clip a clothespin, labeled with a color, to the front of each box. This is to further distinguish between your black, navy or brown socks. This tip also works well for pantyhose.

The top drawer of a dresser is a great location for jewelry. Separate the pieces into the various compartments of a fishing-tackle organizer. The see-through feature helps you find things quickly. Foam egg cartons and ice cube trays can also be used as small jewelry organizers.

A drinking straw is a great way to hold necklaces and keep them from tangling. Just string the necklace through the straw and clasp on the outside.

Figure F

Set up a personal care drawer in the bathroom for each family member (figure F). Use this space to hold daily use items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, lotion and makeup.

Guests
Louise Kurzeka
Organization Expert, Everything's Together Organizing Services
Minnetonka, MN
Phone: 952-939-8080
Website: www.everythingstogether.com
Also in this Episode

TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-1312
•	Homemade Greeting Cards
•	Lighten Your Laundry Load
•	Organize Your Drawers
•	Tip of the Day

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