Messy Drawers? 21 Must-See Kitchen Drawer Organizing Ideas
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In any given kitchen, the center of chaos is undoubtedly the drawers. It’s so easy to hide a gigantic mess in the safety of a closed drawer. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
I’ve fallen victim to this issue over and over. But recently, I’ve been looking into some amazing kitchen drawer organizing ideas to bring some order to that chaos.
To make life easier on yourself and keep those drawers neat, here are twenty-one ideas for you to explore!
1.Kitchen Drawer Dividers
Source: @organizedbydanielle
You can tell a lot about a person by the state of their cutlery drawers. If you’d opened up mine a little while ago, you might have thought three things: messy, messy, and seriously messy.
It’s so easy for cutlery drawers to pile up and things to get out of place. That’s why kitchen drawer dividers are so great. They give everything a place, so you never have to lose that one little spoon again.
2. Folded Napkins and Towel Drawer
Source: @organizingmoms
If you have a lot of folded napkins or kitchen towels to keep track of, they can easily take up a whole drawer. The lesser-used towels or napkins end up on the bottom of the pile, never to be found.
So, why not try using a simple folding technique? This costs nothing at all. It’s just you and some meditative folding to get those towels sorted.
3. Organized Utensil Drawer
Source: @inheritedandco
If you’re anything like me, you’re happiest when you’re organizing. And nothing is more fun to organize than a kitchen cutlery drawer. There are so many little things that need a place, and it’s so satisfying!
You can buy an all-in-one drawer organizer like this or you can buy individual containers like these to create your own configuration.
4. Spice Rack Drawer
Source: @zahrasplace.co
How much time have you spent scrolling on Tik Tok lately? I’ve been obsessed with those super-organized spice drawers with the glass and bamboo jars. So perfectly labelled!
That’s why I went looking for this spice rack drawer hack, and it’s a doozy. Quick and easy, but so satisfying once it’s done.
5. Snack Drawer
Source: @truelivingdecor
When you’re going for a snack, the last thing you want is to deal with a mess as you pick out the perfect morsel. Let’s face it, the whole family is diving into this drawer multiple times a day. So, it gets messy quickly!
That’s why spending some time organizing the snack drawer goes a long way. A few acrylic containers like these can make a big difference.
6. Make Sure Everything has a place
Source: @flo_the_caravan
The most important rule of kitchen organization is to make sure absolutely everything has its place. That way, everything can return to where it belongs rather than turning into clutter.
Take a day to walk through your kitchen and catalogue what you have. Pull it all out, find a specific place for each piece, and note that place down for future reference!
7. Transparent Food Storage Containers
Source: @ourhometobe
Like the original poster, I might have a crush on food storage in deep drawers. It’s so easy to get to different dry goods when you put them in clear containers, neatly organized in a drawer.
I love using airtight containers like these to give the drawers a clean look on the inside.
8. Baking Drawers
Source: @simplyseasideorganizing
Are you an avid baker? Then you know how important it is to find the right tool in the middle of your recipe. You don’t want to let the air go out of that sponge cake batter, after all!
That’s why it’s so nice to keep dedicated baking drawers. Do yourself a favor and create a designated series of baking drawers to separate your equipment.
9. Plastic Containers
Source: @simplyseasideorganizing
Sometimes the best organization ideas are the simplest, which is why I’m in love with this next one. Plastic containers are easy to access, super versatile, and cost almost nothing.
Organize your drawers with a collection of different plastic containers. Try these out for size!
10. Bamboo Drawer Dividers
Source: @time4organizing
Most kitchen drawers aren’t going to look like something out of a Pinterest spread, and that’s okay. Organizational ideas should be functional first and aesthetic second.
These bamboo drawer dividers do both!
11. Kids Meal Supplies Drawer
Source: @spaceinyourplaceorganizing
If you have a little one you’re preparing lunches for every morning, you know it can be a hassle to find the right containers in the hectic hours of the morning. That’s why I love this idea! An entire drawer for kid’s meal supplies.
Something as simple as some acrylic bins like these can be great for keeping those containers in order.
12. Dish Drawer
Source: @the.pink.dream
Plates are liable to slip and switch if they’re left in a drawer. The motion of opening and closing the drawer moves the plates, so the stacks gradually disappear over time. The solution? Some dowels!
Arrange your plate stacks and mark out the ideal places for the dowels to make sure everything is locked in the right spot.
13. Tea Drawer Inserts
Source: @nashvilleneat_holly
If you’re as tea-obsessed as I am, then you probably have a whole drawer full of different tea flavors giving you trouble. Brewing tea is meant to be a calming thing, but a messy drawer takes away from that!
These tea drawer inserts are perfect for keeping individual tea bags and sachets in order.
14. Labeled Jars
Source: @hetzerowasteproject
If you’re dropping jars into a low drawer in your kitchen, you might be a bit annoyed by how often you need to crouch down to find the right one. But there’s a quick and easy solution to that.
Pull out your favorite label-maker and stick some labels on the lids! This makes it easy to spot what you need from above.
15. Coffee Pod Drawer Organizer
Source: @celebratedspaces
Coffee, in my opinion, is the most important meal of the day. So, a whole drawer dedicated to coffee pods? An absolute must! This simple drawer organizer makes it easy to keep those pods stocked and sorted.
16. Tupperware Organizers
Source: @spaceinyourplaceorganizing
The eternal struggle of every homeowner: pairing empty containers with their respective lids. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve come across a Tupperware container with no lid. Infuriating!
But with some simple organizers, you can turn your Tupperware drawer into an organized dream. No more missing lids.
17. Baskets
Source: @living_at_number_11
Blend décor, organization, and functionality with these delightful baskets! I love this idea because it creates some broad categories for organizing a snack drawer or pantry, but you still have room to just toss and leave.
Plus, you can grab the baskets and take them out at any moment. It makes cooking or picnics so easy! I love how these baskets look.
18. Labeled Sections
Source: @chicly_organized
Rather than labelling certain containers, sometimes a great approach is to label the section instead. For example, this idea uses labelled sections to keep track of different bag types in a kitchen drawer.
You can easily stay on top of your organization this way, since containers can move, but sections stay where they are!
19. Pot Lid Organizer
Source: @sunnyspacesorganizing
Pot lids are one of the most annoying things to organize in a kitchen. Their unique shapes make them a real challenge, but that’s alright. There’s a solution,
In your pot drawer or pantry, just include one of these pot lid organizers. It allows you to stack your lids by size and type, almost like books. Grab them as needed, and put them back when you’re done.
20. Vertical Shelves
Source: @typealifestyleco
If you’re blessed with a vertical shelf or spice drawer, then there are so many possibilities for organizing it! All that space should be carefully planned out so you can get maximum functionality as you’re cooking.
I love using these shelves as spice drawers. Make sure to put the most commonly-used spices on top for easy access.
21. Bag Storage
Source: @mom_ease
Finally, do you have a system for your kitchen bags? If you’re trying to live more sustainably, having a system for your kitchen bags can make it a lot easier to recycle cleaned Zip-Loc bags.
Rather than wrestling with dented cardboard boxes, simply sort your bags into sections and grab as-needed.