Recycled Junk Drawer Organizer | Family Economics

By Cathe

I don’t know about yours, but our family’s kitchen “junk” drawer gets pretty out of hand at times, and with five sets of hands digging for scissors, pens, rubber bands, etc., it’s easy to understand why. One thing that helps keep the order, at least initially, is the use of drawer organizing compartments.

Drawer organizers are nothing new and can be purchased at any home store, but why spend money on one for the junk drawer? You can easily make your own from recycled boxes or small gift boxes you might otherwise toss out.

To make a compartmentalized drawer organizer follow these simple steps:

1.    Cut the lower or side section of several different-sized boxes (such as spaghetti or cake boxes) down to approximately 2-inches in height.

2.    Arrange the cut boxes in the drawer to hold the various contents. Use a stapler to attach the sides of touching boxes together near the top edge.

3.    Remove the conjoined box organizer from the drawer and turn over. Use packaging, transparent or even duct tape, to connect the bottoms of the boxes together to stabilize.

4.    Turn the entire piece back over and finish off the raw edges of the cut boxes with fun, decorative paper or washi tape. Center the tape lengthwise along the double edge of the box sections and fold over each half of the tape along the inside of each box. Use scissors or a craft knife to cut the tape wherever it meets a corner.

5.    Place the new organizer back into the drawer and fill.

Recycled box organizers work great for lightweight items in your office desk, as a school desk organizer, in the bathroom for keeping hair clips and bands, craft component storage, and more!

Do you have a junk drawer? How do you keep it organized?