If you’re like me, you spend half the day on a mission to find the second missing sock, torturing your family members with never-ending "have you seen" questions about this and that, trapping yourself in the eternal "lost and found" limbo. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way, so bear with us.
Bored Panda has compiled a list full of practical and super simple ideas that will give your home (and soul) some much-needed order. From making an "eat me first" bin in your fridge to making a magnetic organizer for your makeup to mount on the wall, this is something you wanna take notes on and thank us later.
At the end of the day, there’s enough chaos in this world already, so the last thing you want is having it at home.
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My Synesthesia Means That I Remember Books Better By Their Color Than By Title Or Author, So This Is What Happens When I Have Enough Shelf Space
Keep Matching Bedsheets And Covers Inside The Pillowcase
Showed My Sister The Joy Of Konmari! She Asked For Help With Her Linen Closet And I Think We Did A Great Job Even With Her Wanting To Keep A Little Too Much
For many, organizing their homes can be a truly daunting task. When you look around, it may become overwhelming and we’re stuck in a "to do" list limbo, unsure where exactly to start.
To find out more about organizing our homes like a pro, Bored Panda reached out to Erin Mursch, a certified KonMari consultant and founder of “Organized For Good.” Erin said that the first thing you want to do after deciding it’s time for a change is getting clear on your "why."
“It's one thing to acknowledge you're not satisfied with the status quo, it's another to have a clear vision of the life that awaits you after your space is completely organized.”
With Quarantine In Order, There Is Lots Of Time To Tackle My Craft Corner. It Took A While, But... My Embroidery Yarn Spark(Le)s So Much Joy Now
Oh boy does this take ages. I spent hours doing this when I used to cross stitch.
Hang An Office File Organizer On The Inside Of Your Tupperware Cabinet To Keep Up With The Lids
My Grandpa Uses The Actual Hardware For Labeling The Drawers
Great idea. Though I’d have to keep the original colour of the hardware (rather than painting it to match the colour of the drawer) as it would confuse my eyes.
The organizing expert suggested asking yourself questions like “once your home is tidy, what will your daily routine look like? What activities will you enjoy doing in your home?” They should help you to come up with a clear vision of the finish line, which “makes you much more likely to get there and keep your home organized for good.” Only once you feel connected to the vision in front of you, you may begin the physical work of organizing.
Erin said that despite the trend of Instagram-worthy pantries and playrooms of the rich and famous, you don't need to spend a lot of money to tidy your home. “Time and energy is really all it takes. One of the biggest mistakes I see is planning storage too soon. Buying containers, dividers, and other organizing products is usually not necessary when you begin by eliminating what you no longer use and love.”
An Easy Way To Organize Your Cables And Prevent Them From Getting Tangled
I use this sorting now, and there was sooo many cables that could be thrown out, because there was too many of a kind.
DIY Pantry Door Spice Rack
Attic Storage…fantastic Idea For Organizing Holiday Decor
The expert suggests always reusing storage containers you already have, or using simple boxes as dividers inside drawers. “For example, shoe boxes without lids work well to support clothing folded vertically inside drawers, and iPhone boxes are the perfect size to organize small items within drawers of bathrooms or office desks,” Erin suggested.
Erin explained that the key is decluttering and organizing thoroughly. “If you focus on keeping only items that support your ideal life, then your home will certainly stay organized longer, and you'll automatically become more mindful of what you bring into your home,” she said.
Old Book-Ends Keep My Shirts Tidy As I Approach Laundry Day And My Drawer Gets Emptier
I Konmari’d The Fridge. Each Bin Is A Dinner! I Put Together All The Ingredients So I Can Just Pull Out A Bin And Everything Is Right There
My Vertical Tea Station
That’s lovely! I will put something like this in my guest bedroom (already have an organiser thing in my kitchen).
However, Erin warns us to keep in mind that some things like like laundry or dishes will never be done, so mastering those habits is key. “Don't beat yourself up if things get out of place every once in a while, and 'don't let perfect be the enemy of good' is a Voltaire quote I find myself repeating often.” Start from a simple sweep, and return items to their space so things get back in order.
“The essence of being organized is having a home for everything and returning an item to its rightful home after each use. Toothbrush back in the drawer, coat back on the hook or in the closet, toys in the basket, books on the shelf. It is simple, but does require consistent effort,” Erin concluded.
If You're Moving, You Can Use This Method To Easily Transport All The Clothes That You Hang
Create Non-Slip Hangers With Hot Glue
Cut Dollar Store Pool Noodles Into Quarters To Keep Your Boots Upright In The Floor Of Your Closet
Wow, more impressive are the three types of boots in different colors
A Drying Rack That Rolls Out To Sit Over Your Sink
Label Your Cords
I Stole This One From My Mom
Thought You Might Like To See How I Store My Stud Earrings
This reminds me of the sheets of stick on earrings you'd get as kids (at least in the 90s and early 00s)
Mount Coat Hooks Near The Door To Create A Handy Shoe Rack
I Was Growing Sick Of Always Having To Lift All The Plates To Get To The Larger Ones
Lots of kitchens here in Spain have a drying rack above the sink in the cabinet. It's a similar idea to this but there is no bottom shelve underneath the rack so it can dry in the cupboard.
Stash Under-Bed Storage Bins In Your Deepest Cabinets To Make Everything Accessible, Even In The Back Of The Cabinets
Or even better, you can buy rolling shelves made of stainless steel at the Container Store and mount them inside your cabinets. They're sturdy enough that if you move or redo your kitchen you can take them out and reuse them.
Keep Cables Cleaned Up With Binder Clips
Create An "Eat Me First" Bin In Your Fridge Or Your Pantry (Or Both!) To Help Cut Down On Food Waste
You just need to remember to move them from the "regular" shelf to the "eat me first" one before the expiration date!
Two Dowels For Mounting Rolls Of Trash Bags Under Your Sink
Interesting idea, but my kinds of plastic bag rolls don't have a hole in them.
Hang Rain Gutter Shelves To Store Kids Books
We use IKEA spice racks for this. Paint them bright colours, put a chair underneath and you have a great reading corner.
Wrangle Your Freezer Bags With Binder Clips
Instead Of Tossing Out Your Old Egg Cartons, Try This Out
Store the squeeze bottles upside down in an egg carton. It not only keeps them organized and sliding around the fridge, but also helps you to squeeze them easily when you need.
No not with egg boxes they get skanky. Use an old ice cube tray and that way when a bottle leaks (as they’re prone to do) you can easily wash and reuse.
Group Together Books You Haven’t Read Yet
I do this. I have a shelf just for books that I have read and want to keep and a shelf for unread books. I donate the books that I have read and no longer want.
A Coffee Measuring Spoon That Doubles As A Clip For Your Bag Of Beans
Organize Hair Ties
Store Bath Toys In A Fruit Basket
@Rabbit Carrot these are for rinsing hair and also just play toys me and my sister did this all the time. Your second comment is also faulty because these are always plastic mugs - never glass.
Turn A TV Armoire Into Craft Storage
I don't particularly want to make this, but I kinda do want to have this ;)
Use Small Storage Solutions To Make It Easier To Find Your Stuff
Used Wasted Space In Pantry. Way More Organized
Wow, that's a lot of canned goods. I guess that's great to have if you live somewhere that gets bad weather for sure!
11 Trash Bags Full Of Donations Later And I Can Finally Say That My Closet And Everything In It Sparks Joy
Yeah, when it comes to clothes, sometimes you just have to cull the herd.
Attach An Empty Tissue Box To The Inside Of A Kitchen Cabinet For Easy-To-Grab Storage
Before And After Jewelry. My Jewelry Now Brings Me Joy And I Can See It All
The Aftermath Of The Yarn Sorting Session - These Little Fellas Are The Ones That I’ve Decided To Keep And This Time I Won’t Stuff Them In Plastic Bags And Cardboard Boxes
I Finished My Laundry Room. I Can Finally Breathe In Here And Enjoy This Space
The Way My Mom Organizes My Dad's Shoes
or keep them in the original box, and save money by printing a 4x6" print for 5c at kmart / wallmart....
Store Christmas Decorations And Festive Lights In Egg Cartons
Organize Your Pantry With Labeled Bins
Bath Toy Organization Using A Shower Rod
DIY Backpack Station
I like the blackboards for the names—-I assume they match the picture above?
How I Organized My Papers Post-Konmari
I want to put them in alphabetical order..... this is bugging me now. haha
Divide Up Your Drawers With Mesh Organizers From The Office Supply Store To Make Sure Every Utensil Has A Spot
Adapt IKEA's Fintorp Kitchen Organizer Into Over-The-Toilet Organizers
Yeah maybe slightly away from the loo. I don’t want my hand creams and lotions covered in loo spray and toilet germs thanks.
Home Organizing Hacks
Opt For A Murphy Bed With Built-In Storage
Murphy beds are really ahead of the home organization/space- saving curve—especially ones that incorporate shelving and cabinetry. They optimize floor space and are perfect for any home, especially studio apartments.
Tame Cords By Stuffing Them Inside Toilet Paper Rolls
Clothespin For Earplugs
Sort Your Pantry Into Easy-To-Identify Sections Using Magazine Organizers
Something As Simple As Matching Hangers Can Make Such A Difference
Did The Drawer, And Now It Looks Like I Have An Office Supply Store
Stock Your Fridge With Bins, Baskets, And Maybe A Lazy Susan Or Two
Prevent Any Annoying Clothes Hanger Slippage By Wrapping Your Hangers With Pipe Cleaners
Alternatively (but not so pretty): wrap some rubber bands around the edges.
Don't Underestimate The Power Of A Simple Metal Shelf (And Lidded Bins)
Turn A Dresser Into A Craft Station
Organize The Under The Sink Cleaning Cupboard
Color Code Your Circuit-Breaker Box So You Don't Have To Hunt For The Right Switch When The Breaker Flips
Why would you need this? In Sweden it's in the law that these needs to be clearly labeled to begin with, with numbers and text
A Set Of Magnetic Spice Tins That You Can Hang On The Side Of Your Fridge
A Little Before And After Gem
Organize Canned Goods In A Magazine Holder
That requires the cans to have the same dimensions... they rarely does here.
Store Spices On A Cupboard Riser
And just like that, you can actually see your coriander.
I don't want to see coriander in my spice rack :D but seriously, nice idea!
Shower Organizing
Organize Your Pantry By Using Baskets And Labels
You could use the same solutions in a cupboard or on a shelf.
Load More Replies...Honestly... I know damn well where in my cupboards I find which stuff. It IS organized without fancy baskets or labels. And that’s the way in almost every kitchen I have ever been.
You do understand that this wasn't written specifically for you, right?
Load More Replies...Haha, no way my husband is going to read labels while reloading groceries... He would just put things where there is the most space
Move Your Coffee Station Inside A Drawer
Tuck all your coffee and tea accoutrements into neat little acrylic bins.
My “coffee station“ consists of a bag of coffee beans, a coffee grinder and a box of coffee filters. What IS even half the stuff in that person's drawer?!
Turn Those Builder-Grade Shelves Into Convenient Storage Space Using S-Hooks From The Hardware Store
Consider A Storage Bench
Whether it is built in or freestanding, a bench with storage at the base could be just what you need. Renovating? Think about a built-in bench that opens up for more storage and top it off with some newly upholstered cushions. These built-ins make the perfect seating for any breakfast nook.
It’s a great idea but I’m not fond of the red and white striped floor, ceiling, and couch.
Wall-Mount Produce Baskets
Farmhouse charm meets utility.
Place Larger Books On The Bottom
Isn’t that just common sense? Who places the bigger ones on the top (smaller) shelves, that’s crackers.
If You Share A Bathroom With Several People, Assigned Plastic Drawers Can Give Everyone Their Own Space
Keep Your Bobby Pins In Check With Magnets
Can Find Anything Within 30 Seconds
Use Every Space In Your Pantry
Strip All Of The Restaurant Crayons, Leftover School Crayons, And Whatever Else Crayons There Are Of Their Boxes, Then Pour 'Em Into A Cheap Candy Jar
I’m Keeping These & Getting Rid Of The Shoes I Bought For The “Pretend Me”. Example: 3” Heels. I Bought Them Thinking, “I’ll Wear These On A Fancy Date With My Husband Or To The Theater!!”. We Don’t Go On Super Fancy Dates & I Don’t Go To The Theater. Never Buying Clothes For The Pretend Me Again
I enjoy having some Pretend Me items. It makes me feel like I have a life. XD
Store Wrapping Paper In A Decorative Hamper
Does anyone actually buy that much wrapping paper to store though. I buy lots at Christmas sure but it gets used way before I need to store it.
Use Command Clips & A Bracelet To Child Proof Your Fridge
Start A System For Organizing Your Papers If You Don't Already Have One
I started this when I moved into my current home. It's the first house I bought so I wanted a folder for all things mortgage/house/taxes related, and then I figured I should do a good clean-out of the old bills and insurance folders as well. I bought three matching folders and started anew. It's just so convenient to find everything easily. And don't be afraid to throw stuff away if you've been an adult for a while. You no longer need that bill from the phone you bought in 2005. Honestly.
Cover Empty Aluminum Cans With Washi Or Fabric Tape To Make Pretty Pencil Organizers On The Cheap
The Insides Of Cabinets Are Also Great Places To Put Hooks For Rags, Gloves, And Pot Holders
This would be thin enough to fit. Though ,one are on hooks above my stove/oven so I can reach them quickly. Plus most of them are kind of pretty, so OK for display.
Use A Stacked Plate Rack To Make Extra Counter Storage Space
So Much Joy When I Open My Closet
Love the scarf and legging hanger. This makes me almost want regular closet doors rather than sliding ones. ALMOST.
Make Use Of Windowsills
An often overlooked organization-approved surface, windowsills make the perfect countertop for all of those trinket dishes we were talking about earlier.
Organize That Pantry!
Use Labels Everywhere
Play With Horizontal Book Stacks
Horizontal book stacks are very impractical though. If you want a book from that stack, you have to remove all of the ones on top if it first.
Fold All Of Your The Clothes You Store In Your Drawers According To The Konmari Method
It looks nice but you can tell immediately that the top part will be pinched in the moment you try to close the drawer.
Two Smaller Dowels For Your Foil And Parchment Paper
So My Joy!
The bins allowed for some vertical storage and really cleaned things up. Very nice, you guys put a lot of thought into this!
Store Games In Individual Plastic Drawers
Simply remove the drawer when you’re ready to play.
Add A Black-Board In Your Pantry For Grocery Lists
Only Use The Top Shelf For Decor
Tame Your Linen Closet With The Help Of A Few Bins And Pretty Labels
For Smaller Items (Like Spray Paint), Rely On The Humble Shoe Organizer
Just be sure it’s sturdy. If it’s flimsy, the weight of the cans would tear it up.
Use Coat Hooks Instead Of A Towel Rod For Shared Bathrooms
Some of us aren't lucky enough to live without roommates, so when the germophobe in your life insists on their own hand towel, hang up coat hooks to keep things organized.
Unless they're over a radiator they won't dry very well like that - the towel rail exists because it facilitates drying.
A Second Set Of Magazine Holders For Organizing Your Re-Useable Water Bottles
This would be doable, as long as the bottles aren’t too wide.
A Wine Rack That Converts To Only Take Up As Much Space As You Have Wine
It wastes space with more than one bottle, under the rack, and for just one you could just remove the rack completely and have more room but keep it standing upright.
Hang Spice Racks To Organize Your Hair Products And Lotions
Install Multiple Towel Rods On The Back Of Your Door
I Used Command Hooks To Hang My Pan Lids Onto The Inside Of A Cabinet Door
Declutter With Drawer Dividers
I use old shoeboxes. If I want to make them pretty, I use the leftover pieces of wrapping paper—-not big enough for most gift boxes, but perfect for a shoebox without the top.
Under The Sink Win
Did My Desk Drawers
Where did all the other stuff go then? The bottom drawer looks like it contains stuff from other places.
I Couldn’t Stop With The Kid’s Bedroom. I Spent All Night Purging The Playroom. It Was Such A Mess That My 3 Year Old (Who Made The Mess) Wouldn’t Play In There Any Longer. He’s Going To Be Shocked When He Wakes Up
Curate Canisters
Assign shelves a type of food or use, like baking essentials, dry ingredients, and snacks, and place boxed goods into glass canisters for affective pantry storage.
We try to buy things in glass jars in the first place. Though my husband likes to run off with them and repurpose them for all his various small tools, screws and so forth.
An Inclined Paper Sorter That Makes It Easy To Grab The Baking Sheets You Need Out Of Your Lower Cabinets
I have two baking sheets, both of which reside permanently in the place they belong to: the oven.
Purged On The Linens
Add A Pegboard
A pegboard wall is an interesting way to organize anything from cooking tools to gym equipment.
Never store spices like this, they'll go stale in a millisecond. They should be stored either in the dark or in opaque containers, far, far away from heat sources or humidity.
Hang Once-Opened Potato Chip Bags In Your Pantry
Use Bins In The Pantry
If your pantry is a disorganized mess, consider organizing everything into “zones.” For example, you can group items into breakfast, baking, dinner, etc.
Makes sense if you have a lot of small wrapped bars, etc. better than the box where you can’t tell how many are left at a glance.
Organize Clutter With Large Trays
We suggest placing a bigger tray atop a coffee table or console table to house a variety of home goods.
What's the benefit though? You can't actually get any more items on there? Easy to move to polish the furniture but then you have a tray to clean.
I Konmari'd My Tissue Paper
My Earrings Finally Spark Joy After Being Scattered Around My Room For Years
I wish I had room on my dresser for this. Then again, my cats would steal my earrings.
Find More Closet Rod Space With A Double-Hang Closet Rod
Hate these. With a passion. They were all the rage in the ‘90s—-and that’s how long I have hated them. They suck if you have dresses or coats (the hems get wrinkled), and people—-especially landlords—-seem to fill the closet with two rows of rods, without taking longer garments into consideration. Plus, unless you get expensive built-ins, the plastic ones will collapse if you have a lot of clothes.
Use Your Nightstand's Drawer As An Easy Place To Hide All Of Your Charger Cords
If you blue tack it to the to or the side the heat problems "should be" avoided also I use the power board with the little power switches and have it either on or beside my beside table where I can reach it so I can turn whatever I'm not using off and not have to worry about drawing power on standby mode or those god awful little blinking lights.
DIY Mason Jar Holder
If You're A Major Scarf Collector, Use Shower Curtain Rings And An Over-The-Door Shoe Rack To Organize Your Favorites
Stack Your Clutches Neatly Using Envelope And Paper Organizers From The Office Supply Store
Don’t carry clutches, sorry. (No disrespect to clutches. It’s me. I need my hands free. Besides, I would lose a clutch purse so easily.)
Store Folded Clothes Vertically
Hang Up Your Laundry
If you hang up your laundry hamper on the wall, you can free up some valuable floor real estate.
Corral Craft Supplies In A Shoe Organizer
Clean and clear and under control.
Home Organizing Hacks
So now I am going to run all over creation looking for gloves like these with the little hole in them so I can hang them up like this. Oh can't forget the dish towel too with the little hole. Sheesh!
Add 2 Rows Of Books Per Shelf
Make Your Shower Look Neat Even When You Buy Oversized Bulk Bottles Of Shampoo, Conditioner, And Body Wash By Refilling Pretty Pump Bottles
Put A Small Wine Rack On Your Bathroom Cabinet Or Under Your Bathroom Cabinet To Hold All Of Your Hairstyling Tools
Hang Up An Oversized Cork Board So You Can Easily Pin Things You Need (And Want!) To Remember
Roll Your Towels, Don't Fold Them
Take Advantage Of Hard-To-Reach Spots
Line sturdy door frames with antique bottles or decorative objects for a whimsical and unexpected vibe.
Color-Coordinate Your Books
Organizing your books by color is great exercise in decluttering and remembering what books you actually have in your collection.
It's fine if you have a very small number of books, but the thought of this gives me a facial tick. I have hundreds of books. The library is sorted by the Dewey Decimal system, not Pantone.
Keep A Big Basket Next To Or At The Foot Of Your Bed For Tossing Throw Pillows And Other Decorative Items When It's Time To Sleep
Remove The Dust Jackets
That is just dumb..... They are there for a reason.... What I do is remove them when I am reading the book, and put it back on, when I put the book back on the shelf.....
I really need to stop reading the comments. Every single post has some idiot pointing out how the hack wouldn't work for their specific situation, as if the entire post was written for them. @KathrynBalis is the WORST.
Came to say the same thing! Who cares if you don’t have a pantry!?
Load More Replies...So many great ideas, I absolutely love storage so this post is certainly useful.
Another tip: buy less stuff so there is less to organize (and you dont have to throw so much away)
So many of these tips are just dealing with excess. Who needs four wooden juicer things or five pairs of exactly the same kind of scissors? Why have three identical green things on the toilet tank, or three dozen pillows on the sofa and the floor and the bed?
Load More Replies...I believe those hanging shoe organisers are being used for everything but shoes. XD
Honestly, they're pretty useless for shoes, unless you have teeny feet
Load More Replies...Having a bad day at work. Took a break and now I'm feeling better after looking at these postings. Order makes me happy and calms me down
As much as I love when stuff is organized, this post just reminds me to go the minimal lifestyle. So much unnecessary stuff!
some of us have problems getting rid of things, or it makes us happier to have lots of stuff. I, for one, would HATE not having all of my hard copy books. e-books are great, but not the same.
Load More Replies...So much plastic. Can't we have any other ideas than "Buy a plastic storage bin"?
Does anyone have real experience with the vertical Konmari clothes stacking thing? Is it really practical?
For me, it was! I’d try again with the bookends, because that was my frustration. Pull out the drawer, see all of what you have, pick one. I even sorted by color. At the end of a season, I could see what I didn’t wear, pull those out and figure out why. Doesn’t fit or just don’t like any more? Donate. Weird stain? Toss. BUT you have to fold everything really well. If everything is differently sized, it won’t work. Hey, all those years in retail paid off!
Load More Replies...Clearing floors and tables once a month goes a long ways toward having a useful space. A table that is not completely clear at least that often will often be useless.
There were some great ideas in this post hours ago, but sadly they are deleted. Thanks for the BP stuff...
The last line of the article states, "Note: this post originally had 134 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes." Click on the hyperlink at "134 images" to see the full list.
Load More Replies...Some really helpful tips here Liucija - Thank you. And somehow you posted it on exactly the right day :-) :-)
I really need to stop reading the comments. Every single post has some idiot pointing out how the hack wouldn't work for their specific situation, as if the entire post was written for them. @KathrynBalis is the WORST.
Came to say the same thing! Who cares if you don’t have a pantry!?
Load More Replies...So many great ideas, I absolutely love storage so this post is certainly useful.
Another tip: buy less stuff so there is less to organize (and you dont have to throw so much away)
So many of these tips are just dealing with excess. Who needs four wooden juicer things or five pairs of exactly the same kind of scissors? Why have three identical green things on the toilet tank, or three dozen pillows on the sofa and the floor and the bed?
Load More Replies...I believe those hanging shoe organisers are being used for everything but shoes. XD
Honestly, they're pretty useless for shoes, unless you have teeny feet
Load More Replies...Having a bad day at work. Took a break and now I'm feeling better after looking at these postings. Order makes me happy and calms me down
As much as I love when stuff is organized, this post just reminds me to go the minimal lifestyle. So much unnecessary stuff!
some of us have problems getting rid of things, or it makes us happier to have lots of stuff. I, for one, would HATE not having all of my hard copy books. e-books are great, but not the same.
Load More Replies...So much plastic. Can't we have any other ideas than "Buy a plastic storage bin"?
Does anyone have real experience with the vertical Konmari clothes stacking thing? Is it really practical?
For me, it was! I’d try again with the bookends, because that was my frustration. Pull out the drawer, see all of what you have, pick one. I even sorted by color. At the end of a season, I could see what I didn’t wear, pull those out and figure out why. Doesn’t fit or just don’t like any more? Donate. Weird stain? Toss. BUT you have to fold everything really well. If everything is differently sized, it won’t work. Hey, all those years in retail paid off!
Load More Replies...Clearing floors and tables once a month goes a long ways toward having a useful space. A table that is not completely clear at least that often will often be useless.
There were some great ideas in this post hours ago, but sadly they are deleted. Thanks for the BP stuff...
The last line of the article states, "Note: this post originally had 134 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes." Click on the hyperlink at "134 images" to see the full list.
Load More Replies...Some really helpful tips here Liucija - Thank you. And somehow you posted it on exactly the right day :-) :-)