50 Useful DIY Tricks To Organize Your Whole Life

1. Tea Shelf

Organize all your teas (or coffees or spices or what-have-yous) in this prettified champagne box by Sarah from Look What I Made.

Materials: an old wine or champagne box (you can get it at wine stores or even some delis), two pieces of the lid of the box (you’ll get it in pieces anyway since it breaks when opened), four screws, decorative paper (old wrappig paper will do the trick), and a screwdriver.

1. Take the box and fit the paper in the back. Just fold the edges in to get the right size. No need to glue it- adding the shelves will secure it in place.

2. Take the pieces of the lid and fit them in where you want the shelf to go. Screw them to the sides.

3. Once you have the pieces of the lid set and steady, the little shelf is finished.

2. Book Letter Holder

Don’t let your mail just pile up on the counter this year. Use this tutorial by Renee from Bulb to Blossom to turn an old book into an elegant letter holder.

Materials: a book (a smaller hardcover works nicely), craft glue, a sponge brush, a ruler, and a utility knife.

1. First, after separating the book into equal sections, apply glue to the inside of the seam.

2. Use the sponge brush to spread the glue evenly along the seam.

3. Roll the first section of the book inward and press it into the seam, and hold in place.

4. Continue this process for the remaining sections.

5. After the glue has dried, use your ruler and utility knife to score the cover of several times, removing the excess. Do this for the front and back cover.

3. Address Book

You meant to send out those thank you cards, mail that New Year letter, and just keep in touch in general. However when the “daunting” task of writing that letter, and penning 30+ addresses… sometimes best of intentions is as far as it goes. So create this zero effort address mailing book by Ursula from Homemade by Carmonathat takes the scary out of the task! Perfect for Christmas cards, paying bills, sending out party invitations, or just your everyday letter.

Materials: binder, plastic divider pockets and/or sheet protectors, variety of address labels, and stationery materials (cards, envelopes, paper, stamps, stickers, and ribbon).

1. Create address labels. Using the template instructions included with the labels, type up addresses by category. Try categories such as His Side of the Family, Her Side of the Family, Friends of the Family, Business Associates, Church Friends, even Monthly Bills, etc. Don’t forget to create return address labels.

2. Print an address template on paper rather than directly onto labels. Addresses may change over time, and it is better to keep a paper template you can copy off of when you are ready to print your actual labels. Make any necessary changes on your computer and print up a new paper template rather than waste pre-printed labels. (The only exception is return address labels.)

3. Organize and stock the binder. Use pocket dividers or sheet protectors to organize address templates, a variety of label styles (same size), cute stationery, stickers, stamps, etc.

4. Use your address book often!! When it is time to plan that party or send those thank you notes, pull the appropriate address category, print your labels, adhere, and send.

4. Magnet Bowls

Simply paint some magnetic bowls and use them to store all your metal necessities, such as pins, paper clips, jewelry, nuts and bolts. This simple tutorial shows you how.

5. Cubby Shelf Organizer

This post shows you how to secure empty tape rolls to a glitter-covered tape roll to create a storage solution of jewelry and other odds and ends.

6. Screwdriver Coat Rack

Turn painted screw drivers into the handles of a modern DIY coat hanger.

7. Six-pack Craft Caddy

Easiest DIY ever- use six-pack beer box to store your craft supplies, such as knitting needles, tape measures, and yarn. This blog had the bright idea.

8. Makeup Brush Storage

This blogger shows you how to weave elastic through a sushi mat to make a nifty makeup brush storage solution.

9. Shoe Ladder

Paint a wooden ladder and you’ve got yourself a new shoe rack! As seen here.

10. Wire and Hanging Spice Storage

Stacking spices in a cupboard just doesn’t work. But you can easily (and cheaply) make a pretty and practical spice display with small glass bottles, wire, a white Sharpie, and this tutorial.

11. Peg Board Yarn Holder

Are you a knitter or crocheter? A peg board make for easy and artful yarn storage. Check out this post for details.

12. Color Block Mason Jars

Chalkboard paint and mason jars won’t be going out of style in January 2014. Try this colorful variation to decorate your office odds and ends, as done here.

13. Etched Glass Kitchen Containers

But if you’re over the whole chalkboard thing, try etched glass instead. These instructions explain how to make glass kitchen containers for keeping your pantry sorted.

14. Wrapping Paper Holder

Wrapping paper in disarray after the holidays? Use an wooden stool to organize it, as done here.

15. Earring Rack

Simply secure chicken wire to the interior of an empty frame to make a lovely and functional earring rack. This tutorial shows you how.

16. Salt Dough Magnets

Organize your life with these handy little magnets made from flour, salt, and water. Use them to keep track of the dishes, your to-do lists, etc. Check out this recipe.

17. Colorful Hook Hanger

Find a precut wooden base and screw in a jumble of differently colored perfect hooks. Store scarves, purses, keys, etc. by the door. Here are the details.

18. Scarf Hanger

Use a sturdy wooden hanger and shower curtain rings to organize all your scarves. Follow this simple tutorial.

19. Cord Organizer

Decorate some empty toilet paper rolls with washi tape and use them keep your cords untangled, as done here.

20. Knob Necklace Organizer

Screw a variety of door knobs onto a wooden board to make this necklace organizer.

21. Pen Holder

Simply stick a bunch of empty toilet paper rolls inside a decorated shoe box to keep your pen stash neatly organized. As done here.

22. Kitchen Shutter Door Organizer

Spray paint an old shutter door, and use it to hang your kitchen goods. Check outthese directions.

23. Bottle Bracelet Rack

Who knew most bottles are just the right size for stacking your bracelets on! As seen here.

24. Tights Tidier

This post shows you how to simply glue wooden clothing pegs to the wall and use them to keep all your colorful tights (or socks or stockings) sorted.

25. Ring Box

Make a ring storage box in about five minutes with this simple tutorial. Just stick pieces of foam into a cardboard box base.

26. Cork Board

Use this tutorial to create your own chic cork board for keeping all your 2014 invites in plain sight.

27. Ribbon Dispenser

Turn a straw dispenser into a ribbon holder, like this blogger did.

28. Hair Tie Clip

Use a carabiner to store those dozens of hair ties that are always lying around the house. This blogger had the clever idea.

29. Nail Polish Keys

Having a hard time keeping track of your keys? This year, color code them with nail polish to make it easier to keep them straight, as done here.

30. Paint Palette Jewelry Holder

Not just for paint, use a palette to store your earrings and rings. Details here.

31. Wall Crates

Paint old crates and adhere them to the wall to keep your mudroom clean and organized, like this blogger did.

32. Bungee Organizers

Make these bungee organizers to store scarves, sunglasses, headphones, you name it.

33. Clamp Cord Organizers

Keep your cords sorted while in use with large stationary clamps. This blog had the clever idea.

34. Magazine Shutter Rack

An old panel of shutters makes for a lovely magazine holder, as seen here.

35. Shopping Bag Organizers

Mount pretty shopping bags to the wall for keeping your stationary and other odds ane ends sorted, like this blogger did.

36. Battery Box

Use a plastic tackle box to keep batteries sorted by size, as seen here.

37. Egg Carton Sewing Kit

Make a little sewing kit in an egg carton, as done on this blog. Egg cartons are great for jewelry organizing, too!

38. Lost Sock Organizer

Don’t give up on single socks in the laundry. Make one of these lost sock organizersand they’ll find their match eventually.

39. Hidden Storage Books

Use this tutorial to make a secret place to stash a router, cable box, or whatever you like.

40. Laundry Room Cleaner Storage

Use a shoe storage rack to store your laundry room cleaners. As seen here.

41. Cord Labels

Use bread ties to mark labels at both ends so you don’t have to fish around to figure out which is which. Get the details here.

42. Wine Rack Pen Organizer

Put large plastic tumblers into wine rack slots and sort your pens or markers by color, as seen here.

43. Embroidery Thread Pegs

Wrap embroidery thread or scraps of yarn around painted pegs to keep things untangled and pretty. This blogger had the idea.

Follow this quick tutorial to secure magnetic strips inside your medicine cabinet for storing bobby pins and other bathroom necessities.

45. Christmas Ornament Cup Boards

Don’t just pile away all those ornaments, keep them safe in plastic cups glued to cardboard planks, as done here. You’ll be glad you did it come December.

46. Filing Cabinet Garage Storage

Paint an old filing cabinet, turn it on its side, and use it to store your rakes, brushes, shovels, etc. Get the full tutorial here.

47. Grocery Bag Storage

Turning an empty wipe container into a nifty container will make it easier to reuse and recycle all those empty plastic bags. Get the tutorial here.

48. Fridge Work Station

Turn old tins and wooden boxes into magnetic storage for the fridge. These directions explain how.

49. Sewn Baskets

With simple sewing skills and these instructions, you can make these pretty baskets for storing toys, socks, yarn, etc.

50. Instagram File Box

Keep your Prinstagram photos neatly organized in a manilla folder style file box. Check out this tutorial.