Junk Drawer Organization

No matter how hard I try I can not avoid having a junk drawer. I am betting neither can you. Junk drawers consist of random things that just don't have a specific place yet, things that don't get put away correctly, and things you need but don't need a whole box or area to it's self. 

They are frustrating but junk drawers seem to be a necessary evil for us all. Since we need it there is no reason that it can't have some semblance of order. 

There are 2 ways you can go though your junk drawer. 

1. Take everything out, throw away the trash, and put things away around the house that actually have a place. Then shove what is remaining back into the drawer. You will probably do this every 3-6 months maybe even 1 time a year when you just can't open it any more. 

2. Organizing the drawer and make it a place where things belong, not just where things get shoved.

Number 2 is the method I will be using. 

I am giving my junk drawer a long awaited makeover so it is more manageable and less frustrating. 

Here it is in all her glory before.

Can you tell we have a few electronics?  

First step to organization is to take it all out! As I do this I like to put like things together into piles. 

Do you like piles too? It is kind of like lists... but in stuff form instead of words. It breaks up a project into manageable pieces and you take care of one of those pieces at a time until they are all checked off or gone. 

When you have items together that are alike it is easier to evaluate if you have too many of that thing which makes getting rid of unnecessary clutter so much easier! 

From those piles throw away the trash (you know there has to some), decide what needs to go back into the drawer and what does not belong there. 

If it doesn't belong then go put it away where it does go.

Does not belong-

Now putting the stuff back into the perfectly clean and empty drawer.

All this goes back-

I add things back that have order already first-

Then I come up with a plan for what is left over. For me zip up bags and these pencil bags... 

that I had lying around fit my space perfectly. 

I like that I can see into the bags so I know which one I am pulling out and I also like that anyone can easily pull them out of the drawer, use what they need and then put it away when finished. 

This will work excellently for my family. (I hope)

Another way you can split things up is with drawer dividers.

Dollar store containers.

OR your own custom dividers like small gift boxes you have lying around. 

For cords, to prevent them from getting all tangled I use these handy velcro ties.

If you don't want to get those, rubber bands are a good alternative.

As you can see in the above pic I have way more cords then needed in this area! After putting some away I pulled these out to put in the "charger box" in the office, yep I have a whole shoe box dedicated to these types of cords. 

Here are some adapter cords mostly for when family comes over because we don't have the same chargers of course lol. I put these in a front pocket easily accessible and in the other pocket the mini adapters that came with our phones.

WHAT IS IN THAT BINDER? 

This is such a simple tool that I have been using for so long that I just skipped over it while taking pics and writing this blog post. I had to go back and add it in when I realized it was missed. My junk drawer binder is so useful!! 

Do you have miscellaneous papers that you need to keep track of that aren't necessarily important enough to put in a safe but you can't get rid of it yet? 

This is what my binder is for! It has some tricks of it's own to prevent it from becoming a "junk binder".

Right up front is my meal plan schedule, You can even put this into a sheet protector and use it over and over again every week. 

A Notebook, I always need one on hand to take notes in during calls. 

Another pencil organizer for coupons.

Baseball card holder for business cards, mostly ones I find of my husband's laying around. 

Of course if you are going paperless you can always just take a pic of business cards and keep them stored with all your other pics. I just haven't done this yet. Sometimes it is hard for me to let paper go, but I am trying. As I am writing this though taking pics of the business cards is sounding better and better.

Sheet protectors, one for stamps and return labels.

and other miscellaneous papers that I need like I am learning Chinese and my husband had the alphabet guide for HAM Radio.

Organizing the junk drawer can take any where from 15 mins - 2 hrs. But once it is done oh boy does it feel good. On top of that if you put items back into the drawer with intent, giving each thing a place it is 80% ( <- my own made up stat) more likely that it will be put back there, not only by you but by others in your household.

Here it is completed! 

Doesn't that feel good to see!

Here is the before in case you forgot...

Leave me a comment of your most frustrating area to organize and maintain!