I picked up
Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck at the bookstore the other day. I've been reading/skimming through it. I appreciate her thrifty approach to being green. It's less Martha Stewart and more "I'm busy but I still want my home neat and clean without using chemicals!"
The first part of the book is on organization and she suggested using cardboard from old food boxes (cereal, crackers, etc) to create your own custom drawer organizers. Recycling AND organization that doesn't cost me more than the cost of the tape I already have. I'm in.
So, I present to you my newly reclaimed kitchen drawer. The things I use the most I put up front. I rediscovered that I own such things as a garlic press, a biscuit cutter, and a cheese slicer. What treasures! And, now I don't have to go digging around the entire drawer for my 1/8 tsp measuring spoon - I just have to dig around the first little cubby hole on the right! Amazing. Really.
Materials
Before
After 
The beaters for the electric mixer have always been a problem in this drawer as if they do not have their own "floor" space they do not fit - they can't be on top of anything else. I used to just shove stuff around until I got some empty space. Hopefully this will work better. I've got the little "grease catcher" for the George Foreman Grill on top of some corn on the cob holders (which will come in handy when I once again get my corn and worms this Wednesday *shudder*). I was looking for those corn things last week and couldn't find them in the drawer! Stuff that I rarely use (cake decorating supplies, the turkey baster) are way in the back.
Now go see what stuff you can take out of boxes in your cabinets so you can organize your junk drawer too! ,
This is VERY creative. I would have never thought to do something like this. What a cool tip, I'll have to try that after I move.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of doing this for the sock/underwear drawer or for jewelry, but I never put two and two together and think to use it for my kitchen utensil drawer!
ReplyDeleteMust do this as soon as I get to our new apartment so it doesn't turn into the all kinds of crazy it is now at this apartment.
That's a great idea. How cool that you can reuse cardboard to make that. I would try that but I don't have a real junk drawer. I used to but I cleaned it up. :)
ReplyDeleteSaw an ad for this and wondered if it wouldn't fit your needs for that shelving unit you were talking about a while back:
ReplyDeleteitso storage unit at Target
You can build it to whatever shape you like. :)
ooh. I saw those before but they just had black and white. The addition of brown makes me VERY happy!!!
ReplyDeleteMy mom did something like this, except she covered the cardboard pieces with fabric and put fabric down in the drawer. :) Great idea! I think I'm going to pick up that book.
ReplyDeletei see some familiar items in that drawer - anyway - i'd have to say i don't think i'm that green. to me i wouldn't think the cardboard sturdy enough unless it was something stronger than cracker boxes - but if it works for you - great. it does help you to find things, funny....i use to be organized
ReplyDeleteps i like the target cubes