You don't have to look any further than your kitchen recycling bin for an easy and frugal way to organize those messy drawers. If you have empty food cans then you can make this three step do-it-yourself drawer organizer—and it works in just about any drawer in your home or office.
1 Corral messy makeup in tidy cans.
2 Only use cans with safe edges.
3 Any lightweight scarf will work.
4 Tie the cans together, creating an organizer.
5 Configure the cans in the drawer.
6 Organize once messy items inte neat sections.
7 Try the can organizer in your office drawer too.
You'll need:
- 3-9 cans of varying sizes*
- 1 lightweight scarf from your wardrobe closet
- 1 messy drawer of your choice (see ideas below)
*measure the height to ensure the drawer will close with the can standing up inside
Three Simple Steps:
- After ensuring the cans all have safe edges arrange them inside the empty drawer in the desired configuration
- Tie the scarf around the cans to secure them in place
- Organize the drawer by filling the cans with the items from the drawer
Get creative! Try the organizer in any of these drawers:
- vanity makeup
- desk drawer
- kitchen junk
- garage workshop
- child's homework
- child's playroom
- crafting area
Presto! You have a newly organized drawer using items from your own home which means you didn't have to spend a dime. I think my favorite part about this project is the ability to customize- - you can rearrange the cans as you wish to fit your need at the time.
GOT ITEMS YOU HATE TOSSING? TRY ME!
What other household items do you hate throwing away but aren't sure how to put to good use? I take requests!
Until next time keep it simple and clutter-free!
Jamie Novak, The World’s Most Relatable Organizer, is author of "Stop Throwing Money Away: Turn Clutter to Cash, Trash to Treasure—And Save the Planet While You're at It." Please visit her website at JamieNovak.com.
From: Tracy | 1/31/11 at 11:22 am
great idea - but i need pics - i can't visualize how this would work! how can you tie the scarf to secure the cans?
From: Melissa | 1/31/11 at 1:01 pm
Great tips!
From: Joan | 1/31/11 at 1:02 pm
Sweet!
From: Jamie Novak | 2/1/11 at 1:24 pm
Joan if you try it let me know what you put in the cans.
From: Jamie Novak | 2/1/11 at 1:25 pm
Melissa glad you like the tip, remember I take requests so if you have an item you hate to toss tell me and I'll come up with a clever re-use.
From: Jamie Novak | 2/1/11 at 1:27 pm
Hey Tracy,
Give it a try, it is *super* easy. Once you have two or more cans standing next to each other all you have to do is wrap the scarf around the cans.
By tying the scarf tight and making a knot or bow the cans are held tight. That's it. Then you can fill the cans...let me know if you have any questions.
From: Junk Drawer No More: Another DIY Organizer - Whole Living Daily : Whole Living | 2/16/11 at 9:01 am
[...] with this do-it-yourself drawer organizer made from a cereal box, really. Awhile back we re-used tin cans to organize your drawers, and we also re-purposed cereal box liners. Today we're going to use the [...]
From: Today’s Challenge: De-Junk Your Junk Drawer - Whole Living Daily : Whole Living | 3/7/11 at 2:01 am
[...] Whether yours is in the kitchen, office, garage (or all three), stay green and organized with a DIY drawer tray, courtesy of professional organizer Jamie Novak. Collect leftover food cans and wrap with an old [...]
From: sharon | 3/7/11 at 1:57 pm
visuals would be nice
From: babs | 3/7/11 at 1:59 pm
Seriously??? This looks awful, I fail to see how this 'improves' a messy drawer.
From: Jennifer | 3/7/11 at 6:17 pm
The pictures are there. You just need to scroll through them using the arrows...
From: Eva | 3/7/11 at 10:02 pm
I have to agree with babs...this isn't a particularly creative idea, and doesn't look very polished or crafty. Thanks, Whole Living, for the obvious filler content in your daily emails!
From: Regina | 9/6/11 at 5:12 pm
Chinese quart soup containers are perfect for organizing pens, short pencils, markers, etc in a deep drawer.