How to Organize a Junk Drawer

Are you looking for a quick and easy way to declutter your junk drawer and bring a little organization to your space?

If your junk drawer has turned into a catch-all or dumping ground, then read on down to find out how to declutter a junk drawer the easy way. Also, it has been about six years since I wrote this post and my drawer is still organized! It’s difficult to believe it worked, but it did!

Learn How to Organize a Junk Drawer

We all have that one messy drawer where we put things like hair ties and batteries in because they don’t have a place to go. I am just as guilty as everyone else for doing this. Whatever you may call it, we all have it in our home.

Before I organized my drawer it was full of business cards, rubber bands, stamps, old receipts and miscellaneous items that somehow found their way in there. Basically, it was a hot mess of a space full of different items that had no functionally at all.

I will show you below what I did to transform my drawer, and all you have to do is follow the five organization tips I tell you about to go from a messy drawer to one that is in order!

Happy Organizing!

Junk Drawer Organization Tips

Follow these easy steps to make a designated space for all the extra items you have accumulated in your kitchen.

1. Clean out the drawer – The first step is to clean out the problem drawer. This is quite the feat when you are attempting to declutter. Get rid of things you haven’t used in the past six months, put things away where they should be, like photos and cables/cords/chargers. Once it is empty, it is a good idea to use a rag to wipe it out. It will need a good cleaning. I can promise you that.
2. Sort your items – I laid out my items that went together on my counter. For example, I put sharpies and pens together and had a separate pile for pencils because with three school-aged children, pencils require their space.
3. Buy a kitchen junk drawer organizer – Yep, It is that easy. Most home stores have junk drawer organizers or plastic containers that you can buy for organizing challenges, like this. I found my junk drawer organizer at Target, but I have seen them on Amazon too.
   • I bought a pencil holder for my drawer also because we have copious amounts of pencils.
   • Small containers for erasers, paper clips, sticky notes and more are great to get too. Once you have your new drawer insert, all the junk drawer items will find new homes or designated place where they can be put.
4. Fill your drawer dividers tray – Since I have three school-aged children, my junk drawer ended up being filled with the things they need daily. My trays are filled with little things like pencils, pens, glue sticks, a pair of scissors (or two like me) and small items like erasers, sharpeners, paper clips, tape, loose change, etc.
5. Organize for your life – There is no one correct way when organizing a junk kitchen drawer. Everyone’s drawer will be different. Just be sure to keep the things you will ACTUALLY use!

You Are Now Ready to Organize Your Junk Drawer!

I hope these organization tips help you transform your kitchen junk drawer from messy to amazing. You can also use these organization techniques to transform a home office desk too!

One final tip: Remember to organize in a way that works for you and your life.