Although January is nearing its close and many a Resolution Revolution have fallen by the wayside, we’re still going strong on ours! This week, we’re all about letting our Neat-Freak flags fly and getting down ‘n dirty with home organization. If you’ve been bitten by a similar clean-up bug and are looking to organize your own home—we’ve got you covered! From ways to stow away piles of books to clever new methods for dispelling clutter, these tips, tricks, and techniques will have you in the organizing groove well into the new year! Check out all 52 ideas after the jump!—Max
Also—don’t forget to submit your own organizing projects and techniques to our #DSNeatFreak feature! We’ll be sharing our favorites at the end of the month!
1. Turn old dresser drawers into handy-dandy hang-alls!
2. Recycle used mailer tubes into snazzy wine bottle holders!
3. Old leather belts? Scrap wood? BOOM! Instant shelves!
4. Capitalize on your home’s underused doorknobs!
5. Keep papers clean and pretty-looking by making these cute touch-of-gold clipboards!
6. Suitcases—they make great coffee tables!
7. And nightstands!
9. …And bathroom vanities!!
10. Disguise a storage box as a book!
11. Or make a secret compartment behind some framed art!
12. Store food in stacking glass containers for space-saving, visible, air-tight storage.
13. Use a ladder as a makeshift bookshelf!
14. Take advantage of underused hall space with floor-to-ceiling shelves!
15. Books too much visual clutter for you? Dress them down with uniform white covers for a cohesive look!
16. Store your pots and pans on a ladder using s-hooks!
17. Remember where to put pots back with painted outlines!
18. Pegboards—also great for magazine storage!
19. Make a tiny filing box for your greeting cards!
20. Keep all of your letter-writing tools together with a small stationery kit!
21. Whip together some DIY paper boxes!
22. Recycle a tin can into a perpetual desktop calendar/pencil holder!
23. Hack a simple IKEA chair into a multi-purpose nightstand!
24. Need extra bedside storage? Consider a mini filing cabinet!
25. Bookshelves are also great for storing firewood!
26. Divide and conquer! Create a mini office with a multi-purpose room divider/bulletin board!
27. Bring nature in—along with your mail! Make this simple, mossy mail organizer!
28. Divide your dresser drawers with a few pieces of cardboard!
29. Bent that spoon trying to eat ice cream? Turn it into a handy key hook!
30. Color-code and identify keys, drawers, and more with tiny yarn tassels!
31. Turn used Altoids tins into colorful organizers!
32. Craft a chic wood and leather catch-all for mail near your front door!
33. Got too many books? Use some as building blocks for a postmodern side table!
34. Turn an old book into a portable tech organizer!
35. When working with small spaces, never underestimate the power of corner shelves!
36. You can even make one with a magazine holder!
37. Use pipes to craft a coat rack that wheels out of the way when not in use!
38. Your old CD storage drawers? Repurpose them as a kitchen pantry!
39. Organize your books by color!
40. And your clothes!
41. Sew a wall-mounted desk organizer!
42. Making a DIY desk? Try using filing cabinets as “legs” for extra storage!
43. Low on space? Store books face-out on shallow shelves!
44. Store jewelry on pegboards and window screens cut to fit vintage frames!
45. Mount wall hooks vertically to store purses and bags!
46. Got too many scarves or ties? Store them and make art at the same time by hanging them on a wall-mounted wire!
47. If desk space is an issue, wall-mount your computer screen!
48. Maximize your bookshelf space by stacking books vertically!
49. Turn your home’s awkward spaces into shelving spaces!
50. Or a mini built-in office!
51. Or clothing storage!
52. Trying to save space? Use a wall-mounted shelf as an ultra-thin workspace!
These are all amazing! I love all of the suitcase ideas.
I do not get excited about organizing things, but I got totally excited by this post. Aesthetically delightful. I think I’m having a conversion experience
This is way too awesome! I love the suitcase as vanity cabinet! So many great ideas to try here.
Love all these ideas, but the editor in me caught a tiny mistake…the “sympathy” tab is missing the P on the greeting card filing box. The OCD side of me forced me to point it out.
#19… Sympathy is spelled “Symathy” :)
Obviously number 12 wasn’t considered exciting enough to merit an exclamation point(!) Anyway, great to have all these ideas highlighted in one convenient post; I will be trying at least one of them in my own space. I am also a fan of the Ikea trolley thing that happens to be pictured in number 52 (think it’s called a Raskog?). Useful little thing.
I would be wary of storing firewood near my books. The bugs that live in and eat wood would be thrilled to snack on your beloved tomes. Also, clear containers and open shelving are a recipe for stale spices and dry goods that have lost their vitamins and minerals while retaining all their calories- sad times.
LOVE the ladder as shelving idea. An attractive, novel, and practical notion.
Altoid tins, schmaltoid tins. I need that crocheted mushroom.
Great ideas! Is it just me, but does suitcase number 6 look happy and suitcase 7 sad?!
for someone who is an organisational freak i loved this, especially the card drawer.
So! Many! Exclamation! Points! Snarkiness aside, though, there are some clever ideas here :-)
This list IS brilliant. Love the Pegboard for magazines. Funny, I saved that same issue of Blueprint mag. What a classic. Thanks for the great post.
Old leather belts plus wood = amazing!
Fashionable Hostess
http://www.fashionablehostess.com/
This is the third design site I’ve seen that IKea cart today. I used to want one, now I feel like it’s getting shoved down my throat.
kate
i’m sorry you feel that way. we don’t work in cahoots with other bloggers, so i promise it’s not a conspiracy to get you to buy one ;)
instead, perhaps it’s just a sign that people love the cart?
grace
This is great! I love the pegboard using clips and the belts to hold up the wood shelves. Brilliant!
Having a small kitchen, I used folding shudder doors leaning against the wall and attached S hooks to attach my enamelware and cast iron pots and pans. But I do love the ladder idea as well!
WOW!!! this is amazing! I think there are many things here that I can use!
thank you! :)
So many great ideas and so little time – well, for this weekend anyway. Love the coat rack on wheels (#37). Such a terrific idea, especially since our coat closet is a bit small and i’m not a big fan of dumping coats/jackets on the bed when guests are over. Also good for the laundry room.
Plus I love the ‘donut’ phone on the desk in pic #47! Haven’t seen one of those phones in a long time!
Love these ideas! Especially #47.
Any directional help on how to mount your iMac? I have same computer.
Thanks in advance.
OMG pure genius! I never realised peg board had so many uses, and I’m loving the door knob felt storage, it’s gone to the top of my ‘must make’ list : )
OMG pure genius! The felt doorknob thingumajiggy is going straight to the top of my ‘must make’ list : )
Thank you for the inspirational low cost ideas. Brilliant…
Love the ladder bookshelf! Really great ideas…
For no. 42, please please please tell me where I can find that chair!
I might be the only one, but the images in this post are all broken for me – I’m using Chrome.
…And now they’re working! Sorry :).
In #32, I love that rolled grey shade in the corner of the image, with the leather straps. I tried to scour your site to see if there was a DIY post on it in the past but didn’t find one – any idea where to find one like it?
Tried to leave this comment a few days ago but must have done something wrong since I don’t see it posted.
But I love this post in general!
I love idea #44. I would suggest decluttering your jewelry first to make sure that you are only keeping what you will actually wear!
This is a great article. I look forward to sharing it via my website.
Also, I have a Simplify your Life blog that you can reach via the link below.
http://www.simplebettersolutions.com/category/simplify-your-life-blog/
They are brilliant indeed!
Please don’t cover your books in all-white, or arrange your books by color.
Try using a permanent marker pen and write ‘single’ ‘double’ Etc on your bed sheets wash labels. I find it saves restacking my entire linen cupboard when I’m looking for a sheet!
Loveee!!! I need a suitcase ASAP
What a gorgeous way to reuse and recycle some of the stuff at home! I especially love the secret storage and the floor to ceiling stackable shelves for storage ideas! It’s a great way to make the most of the space that you have while keeping everything aesthetically pleasing.
Love the scraf idea – their my one passion in accessories. This way I can see them all at a glance!
White covers on your books? Really? As a book lover this pierces my soul (OK, take that down a few notches but you get the idea).
Wow! fabulous idea how an old luggage can turn a night stand.
Just this week put together a card drawer with labels. So much easier to find card for occasion. Previously, shopping for another card, because I don’t remember where I originally put it. Thanks for great ideas.
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I especially like the small closet office ideas. It not only hides your work space but also gets me organized. Love the ladder idea for bookshelf and the wrapping paper. Thank you.
These are awesome! Empty shoe boxes also work great as drawer dividers, especially for smaller stuff like socks and underwear.