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100s of Organizers to Use in Your Home + Office

Tools You Can Use to Organze Every Room

By , About.com Guide

Sometimes you need a little assist when organizing something in your home and office, and that is where organizers come in very, very handy. Each one satisfies a different household or office challenge: How Do I Organize My Pens / Scarves / Hats / Kitchen Appliances?

Accessory Organizers

Jenna Lyons Closet OrganizationPhoto / Domino Magazine
Accessories come in varying shapes and sizes so there are very few one-size-fits-all options here.
  • Re-purpose and over-the door plastic shoe rack and tuck all of your accessories into the pockets. (Obviously, this won't work for handbags, which I have detailed below)
  • Store your accessories in labeled, clear plastic containers on the floor or on shelves in your closet.

Bathroom Organizers

Under the Sink by Martha StewartPhoto / Martha Stewart
No matter how large or small your bathroom is, This is an easy place to get creative with organization and storage. My favorite organizer here is a tray to hold everyday jewelry, face wash and moisturizer. If you use something daily, it's nice to keep it out on the counter top, but keep it neat and tidy in a tray.

Cable Organizers

Beautifully designed and organized living room from Domino Magazine.Photo © Domino Magazine
What a pain these are to keep organized. First, always label them! Then,
  • I like to wind larger outdoor cables around a hook on the wall.
  • At your desk, or in smaller spaces, use a Cable Turtle to keep cables and wires from becoming intertwined.
Living Rooms 101

Closet Organizers

Because there are so many of them available, closet organizers get their own page.

Coupon Organizers

Coupon Organizer

Choose something small enough to fit into your handbag, but large enough to hold a decent amount of coupons.

  • The Wordles is a nice size, as is this Turquoise Mini Journal if you carry around a smaller collection of coupons and also like to take notes on the go.
Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping and Recipes 101

Desk Organizers

Desk with Books and CalendarPhoto / Josh Beggs
I don't think you need a lot of stuff to organize your desk, so I'm going to keep this list to the basics:
  • A pencil cup that can hold the pens, pencils, scissors and other tools you reach for most often.
  • Supposing that you have a larger filing drawer or cabinet, just a small desktop file holder or similar mail catcher.
  • And, finally, a good lamp to read and work by.

Drawer Organizers

Photo © The Container Store

Drawer dividers were a revelation to me (I am not kidding, seriously, revelatory). I thought they, like shelf dividers, were a waste of time, until I started writing about organizing junk drawers and realized the key to an organized drawer in dividing it into mini zones, which drawer dividers do so well.

Garage Organizers

Elfa Garage Utility ShelvingPhoto / The Container Store

Most garage organizers are about lifting the things you have on the ground up onto the walls or into overhead storage so you can continue to fit your car into the space.

Handbag Organizers

Handbgas from merrimentstyle.comHandbgas from merrimentstyle.com
I like handbags that have built-in organizers, and most good brands already come with an outside pocket for keys and your cell phone, and inside pocket for gum and lip-gloss and possibly a divider that creates separate spaces for work-stuff and play-stuff. Here are some additional organizers:
  • I like to use clear plastic folders to carry coupons and important papers so I can retrieve them easily, especially when I travel. I also have a gigantic wallet with lots of compartments. I use a tray by the front door to unload everything when I switch handbags, this way I’m not thinking “oh no—that’s in my other handbag!”

Jewelry Organizers

Blueprint Magazine Closet OrganizationPhoto / Blueprint Magazine

You could go with the traditional jewelry box here, but I love the idea of hanging necklaces either on the inside door of your closet or bathroom. This way they are easier to retrieve. I keep the earrings and rings I use regularly on a decorative cake stand in my bathroom. You can get really creative here and make your jewelry a decor element in your space.

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