Organizing small items hidden behind the doors of entertainment centers, storage cabinets, and on the shelves can often get be an after thought. Organizing these small, and often unseen spaces can help you feel more at ease because you will no longer have the thought of completing them looming over you. Follow the tips below, and cross them off your to-do list for good!
Photo by zeelicious via Flickr.
Cords: Cords are a necessary, yet unsightly part of every room that houses electronics. To keep your cords running from the appliance to the outlet neat and organized, consider a cord cover from your local hardware store. Wrap it around all the cords, keeping them in one cohesive cluster. To avoid getting the cords confused at the end nearest the outlet, consider attaching bread tags, or adhesive labels to the cord, labeled with the corresponding appliance.
Movies and Books: While these items store easily, it can be difficult to maximize space, while still allowing easy viewing and access. For books and DVDs, consider a container storage system. Purchase clear, stackable containers and place the DVDs and books inside separate containers grouped by genre or release decade, depending on how many you own. Place binders and labels toward the outside to allow for easy location later.
Small Odds and Ends: When it comes to small odds and ends like batteries and paper clips, your best bet will be to group them into similar functions or categories, and store them in small clear plastic containers. Consider adding labels to the containers like “office supplies”, “batteries”, or “hardware”. If there are too many different types of objects in each container, small plastic bags are a great way to keep them separated.
U-Haul File Box: $3
Owner’s Manuals: For appliance owner’s manuals, consider starting a small filing system. A hanging file folder box is a simple, inexpensive, and easy way to store these documents out of the way. Opt for a decorative box if the space will be on display, or choose a more affordable option, like the one pictured left, for areas out of sight (only three dollars!). Group your manuals by room, for example, kitchen, TV room, and office. This way, you can easily access the manual should something happen, without having to move past the clutter of every other manual.
“Junk Drawer”: The infamous “junk drawer” can be found in any home, and is known for it’s tendency to become a catch-all for the things that have no real place to belong. While there will always be some items that don’t have a designated space, it is possible to make this drawer feel more like a neat storage area, however miscellaneous. A few simple drawer dividers found at most any local grocery or specialty store, and clear plastic bags will help give this drawer some order, and improve the visibility of items inside.
For more great organization tips for every room in your home, check out our Pinterest board, and remember to come back every week for our summer organization series blog posts. Next week, we’ll take you through some tips for the living room.
For week two on organizing your kitchen, click here.
For week one, an introduction, click here.
