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What are the Different Methods for Organizing Drawers?

By G. Wiesen
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,743
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There are a number of different methods for organizing drawers, though some particular methods are more popular and easier to implement. Trays within a drawer are one of the best and easiest ways to organize contents. Regardless of whether it contains silverware, pens and scissors, or a random assortment of collected miscellany, one or more trays will often help organize a drawer’s contents. Organizing drawers in a filing cabinet can often be made easier by using folders and dividers, and some drawers can be more easily organized by installing dividers or separate containers.

The use of trays is one of the most common, easy, and affordable methods for organizing drawers. This will typically involve one or more trays placed within a drawer to effectively make separate and distinct sections. The number and size of trays used will usually depend on the size of the drawer and the items being organized.

For example, using a tray to organize drawers in a kitchen will often involve the use of a single silverware tray within a drawer. This tray contains separate sections for each type of silverware to more easily keep forks, spoons, and knives separate. For a larger drawer with serving utensils, however, a single tray of this type may not work well. Two or three smaller trays may work better for organizing drawers of this type, and each tray could then contain a separate type of larger item. This type of system would also work well for organizing drawers containing office supplies such as pens, staples, and paper clips.

Organizing drawers that are part of a larger filing cabinet, however, often requires a different approach. This type of organizing is often best facilitated through the use of filing folders. These can be separated by category and ordered by most common usage or chronologically to make finding the proper file and paperwork faster. Many of these folders include tabs for easier labeling and quicker sorting, and dividers can also be utilized to keep categories or dates separate within the drawer.

Individual sections within a drawer can also be made by installing dividers to help with organizing drawers. These could be made from wood, plastic, or even cardboard and will typically serve a purpose similar to trays but the space created is often more flexible and easier to reshape. Separate containers can also be used within a drawer to create isolated and discrete areas of storage. These can then be taken out to access what is in each container and replaced to keep a work area clean and free from clutter.

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Discussion Comments
By myharley — On Jun 17, 2011

Our garage is a place where we seem to accumulate things faster than any other place. We came across a great deal on some cabinets a few months ago and purchased them to help keep this space organized and get stuff off the floor.

We installed several garage cabinets on both sides, organized and labeled them and got all the little containers of stuff off the floor. This gave us much more room and you don't feel like you are tripping over things when you walk through the garage any more.

By golf07 — On Jun 16, 2011

I think one of the things to keep in mind if you are wondering how to organize drawers is to make sure your dividers have enough compartments for what you need. There is one room in my house that I call the junk drawer. This drawer as an assortment of plastic organizers with several different sizes of compartments.

Even though it is a junk drawer, when you open it up, you can see that it is neat and organized and easy to find what you are looking for. It is full of small odds and ends of items that I need once in a while, or just don't know where to store.

I have one compartment in this drawer where I keep batteries so I always know where to find some when I need them.

By SarahSon — On Jun 14, 2011

Keeping my kitchen drawers organized is important to me. I have a silverware organizer in the top drawer for the silverware that gets used on a daily basis. Then I purchase drawer dividers to use in my drawer where I store knives and other kitchen utensils.

I try to make sure I have only one kind of any utensil (other than knives) in this drawer so it is easier to find things. If there are items that I only use once in a while, I try to keep all of them in a separate drawer.

This helps me avoid rummaging through several utensils to find the one I need. By keeping only the ones I use frequently in one spot, it helps eliminate a lot of clutter.

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