20 Tips & Tools To Maximize Your Kitchen Drawers

20 Tips & Tools to Maximize YOUR Kitchen Drawers

Are YOU maximizing your kitchen drawer space?

Not sure? Keep reading to find out.

Kitchen drawers can be so tricky because of “standard industry” ideas and “habits” that have been handed down over the years. But the years have changed, considerably. We no longer need to only store our eating utensils, serving utensils, “junk”, dish cloths and dish towels in our drawers. We can do so much more! We can even take those items of the drawers. GASP! Yep, they do NOT have to be in a drawer. It is time to MAKE your kitchen drawers work for YOU and your family efficiently instead of how they are “supposed” to be. Today, I am saying it is OKAY to BREAK THE MOLD!!! Take the steps to do what works for you. In YOUR home.

This is something I have struggled with for years. Why? Because #1. I am left handed. Most kitchens run more efficiently for righties, BUT I have learned to switch it up and make things work for me. #2. I have some serious physical challenges, and some days just opening a drawer can cause major pain and set backs. But when we moved into this kitchen, I decided I no longer cared what the “standard” was, I was going to MAKE my kitchen work for ME! And I am happy to say it does, especially after one small change we made this spring. We took the dishcloths and cloth napkins OUT of the tiny, scrawny, designated drawer by the sink and moved them to these beautiful baskets by the stove, and the result has been a GOD send.

Why I am telling you this? It has nothing to do with drawers, right? Wrong! It is to show you that your kitchen drawers may be used more efficiently for something besides what you are currently storing there, and the items buried there may do well somewhere completely different, BUT you won’t know until you read on OR try.

In case you are hesitant to mix it up in YOUR kitchen drawers, let’s start with some tools that will help you organize what you have.

Tools to Organize Your Kitchen Drawers

1. Handmade drawer dividers. If you make them yourself, you know you are getting the exact size and style you want, BUT it does take a bit longer. Keystoinspiration.com has a FANTASTIC tutorial here.Photo from KeystoInspiration.com

TIP: Use a few pieces of strong cardboard for a few weeks if you are concerned the new system might not be quite right. It’s free, it’s easy and works like a trial run before you do all that work.

2. Store bought straight drawer dividers.

3. Use angled dividers. More details and this photo can be found at Kitchn.

4. Utensil organizers. I love these because they can be found at most resale shops, garage sales and even the dollar store. PLUS they come in a variety of colors and can be washed clean, used for junk drawers and kids stuff as well.

5. If you prefer wood or bamboo to plastic, they make these nice bamboo dividers as well. I paid less than $5 for ours, at a resale shop.

6. Thin baskets. Wicker, wood, plastic. It doesn’t matter. The best part? You can find them anywhere. At any price. In any color.

7. Square dividers like these. Square or rectangle does maximize the space more than round tends to.

8. Octagon dividers for those strange shaped items.

9. Re-purposed, recycled containers. These are my favorite because they are FREE. You can decorate them how you want, and feel no guilt if you need to change them out.

10. Magnet strips for those tiny metal tools you want to have but seem to constantly lose.

Methods for Maximizing Your Kitchen Drawers

1. Stack like items neatly. Now, I will say that this method takes a few more seconds maintenance, but the rewards of finding what you want, in a glance, are so worth it.

According to US NEWS and WORLD REPORT, Americans spend one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items.

2. Try folding or rolling your towels. Home Storage Solutions offers several ideas on unique towel storage here.

Photo from Home Storage Solutions 101

3. Use counter space. What takes up an entire drawer, may only need 4 inches of upright counter space. For great ideas on counter organization click here.

4. Remove excess. Do you really use 30 dish rags each week? No? Then put 16 of them in a small container at the bottom of the buffet or in the cabinet above the fridge. Stop battling ALL 30 when you need to do is put them away.

5. Move your hard to store items OUT of the drawer and move some easy to store items in.

NON-Standard Drawer Items That Can Be Put Into Drawers To Maximize Your Kitchen Storage

Tea bags- Photo and complete tutorial available at ramblesahm.
Spices- The options here are ENDLESS, but this tutorial from biggerthanthehreeofus is one of my favorites. Simple, tasteful and easy to find.
Create a snack zone for little people to help themselves. Photo and tips courtesy of GH.
Hidden, water resistant charging station. Photo from LGB Interiors.
Baking supplies- I love this baking drawer from Design Dazzle. Check it out here.
Tupperware Photo and more amazing tips for Tupperware organization can be found at neatmethod.com

Well, did we spark your imagination? Are you going to start maximizing your kitchen drawers? Or just keep on the way things are? The decision is yours? What will YOU do?

We would love to hear what you thought of these ideas and which you might use. Please leave a comment below, share on social media or drop us an email at tina@treasuredtidbits.com. We love to hear from you.

If you are looking to get organized and need some support, ideas and motivation, join our 30 Day Organization Challenge! The details can be found here and check out our Kitchen Drawer Organization Board here.

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. For more information read our disclosure link here.

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Tags: Drawer Dividers, Drawer Organization, Kitchen Drawer, Organization, spices, Towels

Organization | Tina Miller | October 11, 2016 11:29 am

2 Comments

By Christene Holder, October 11, 2016 @ 12:15 pm

Thanks for sharing my drawer dividers tutorial! I love all these ideas – this is a great list 🙂

>> Christene
By Tina Miller, October 11, 2016 @ 12:22 pm

Happy to! Christene

After looking at several I found yours was the one I was drawn to with great photos, clear instructions and I just love your site in general. I hope to share more as I incorporate your inspirations to my own home. 🙂

Treasured Tidbits by Tina