I promise this entire series is NOT about baskets.
But today is again.
Whenever I see a rectangular or square shallow basket at a thrift store, I buy it. Why? Because I still have drawers that aren’t organized. And, you can wash or rinse out baskets and let them dry in the sun so they are all clean.
Ideally, I’d love to have my drawers filled with baskets that all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle that way my knives won’t move around when I open the drawer.
When I run out of baskets I use any kind of wooden divider or even miniature drawers I found thrifting to help organize. It’s still a mess but, it feels better than one big pile of mess.
I use baskets to hold our poisonous plastic lids which I’m sure are killing us all.
And also for the lids to my pots and pans. I used baskets even when my cabinets didn’t have those fancy pull out things.
I even use baskets instead of drawers.
How do you organize your drawers?
Don’t forget to check out the other 31 Dayers.
I love baskets. Use to have them above my cabinets in the kitchen. I use them alot for organizing also, but didn’t think to look at the thrift store for them. Great idea! Love your blog!
I love baskets too…for organization and for just looking cute! As for my drawers…in our rental we only have 6 teeny ones in the kitchen, and they are pretty much just stuffed with our essentials, but in an orderly kind of way…no baskets involved tho, I need every square inch that I’ve got!
Blessings, Grace
I must have a basket fetish…we just moved and I was embarassed by the amount of baskets that I have : ) I love how you have used yours, you have given me some new ideas!
I usually go to the 99 Cents store and get the plastic baskets – shallow or deep – that help make my drawers a lot more organized! I’m cheap, too….plus they are easy to clean!
I started using empty plastic wipes boxes (without the lid) to organize my daughter’ s dresser. I have one for underwares, a few for socks and one for belts so far.
My husband shouts “No baskets!” when I leave the house to go shopping. I’m kind of an addict. My house looks just like your photos.
Love the bit about poisonous plastic lids. :)
baskets! baskets! baskets! i’m a basket case and proud. every drawer in my house has at LEAST one basket. i always hit thrift stores for those small square and rectangular ones for just what you use them for. i wash them in warm water and soap and let them dry in the sun. some i have lined w/ fabric when i need them not to snag things usually they are perfect as is. my husband lovingly teases me about my baskets but he appreciates our organized home.
Little “square” containers in my drawers. And I use the baskets as drawers, too.
Are we sisters? :)
Oh this is beyond brilliant. Iam going to steal, copy, mimic this……love this tip.
Cheers~
e
I’ve got to start picking up more square baskets! Thanks.
Does the “square not round” thing apply to killing-us-all plasticware, too?
I found you on Reluctant Entertainer and Chatting at the Sky…. These ideas are right up my alley since starting on a VERY messy room today… I am your newest follower…. :o)
I have a very deep drawer in my kitchen and ALOT of tupperware. So the deep drawer is for nothing more than tupperware lids. On the other side is a pull out shelf where all my tupperware goes. It may not work for everyone, but it works for me. Also, I rinse out my yogurt containers and let them dry. I line them up in my top left drawer and put individual pairs of socks, knee highs, hose, etc in them. It works great for my son who can lose ANYTHING!
I cannot wait to organize my kitchen junk drawer with some shallow baskets. I am very organizationally challenged. I so needed this series! Thank you.
Baskets certainly are wonderful, especially since they can be reused when needs change.
I always buy baskets at yard sales, but they’re usually bigger ones that I use for sorting just everything in the house BUT the contents of my drawers. You’ve given me a new idea! Thank you! Shallow baskets, here I come! (Does that make me shallow?)
I like the idea of a basket in the tupperware drawer!!! I’m going to do that at my house right now! ;-)
I love baskets!! I use them everywhere! But I never thought about using them to hold those lids that always get everywhere or pots n pan lids!! Ha isn’t that funny!
You are the perfect person to do this series. I’ve always wondered why your house seems to make more sense to me than mine does. And now I’m starting to get a feel for why – you think with logic. And I don’t, when it comes to my house.
What does that mean? It means I buy round baskets, that is what it means. NO MORE. I’ve already spent about 3 minutes and found a square basket to put my poisonous lids in, too. Instantly Less Messy. So thanks, sistah!
yeah, noticed how I posted this tip AFTER I sold all of my round baskets at the yard sale yesterday?
I drive a Honda Odyssey and discovered through a friend that the pull-up shelf between the driver’s and passenger seat holds a basket perfectly and doesn’t slide around! It gives me a spot to keep a copy of phone lists I always seem to need when driving the kids around, a small make-up bag, a few pens, breath mints/gun, a couple Cd’s, and other things that I always seem to need close by since I practically live in my car.
As silly as this sounds your advice for corralling our plastic-ware lids may change my life, Love this series! Can’t wait to start looking for baskets at thrift stores.
a basket in the car? I love it.
Ooooooo!! I have a Odyssey and I’m always getting in the back to retrieve the stuff that I store under that pull-up shelf from the back seats. Why didn’t I think of putting a basket there! Great tip!
I have a sideboard in my kitchen with two long, narrow openings near the top. I put two long, narrow baskets inside. One holds table cloths and place mats. The other holds, um, stuff. At least I’m being honest, right? ;)
Okay, so this totally makes since! I have a few in my garage that I’m going to bring into my bathroom! AND I can use them in my top drawer of my night stand for my “clutter”! Never thought about using them in my kitchen! Thanks girl!
Thanks for these great drawer/cupboard organizing tips. I would never have thought to use baskets for plastic lids or pot lids…And baskets instead of drawers? Brilliant! And just to let you know, I spent a huge chunk of time yesterday decluttering and cleaning my house…All in the name of the 31 Days to a Less Messy Nest challenge. I’m LOVING this challenge (and so is my dh)!
Baskets for pot lids!
This is the tip my life has been missing. My boys throw open cabinets and they come spilling out.
I could kiss you.
I can’t afford nice baskets to put my tupperware and lids in but I do have a toddler and lots of diaper boxes… just take the top flaps off and make one box for the containers and one box for the lids and all will live in harmony behind the cupboard doors!
I also use leftover boxes from tea, poptarts, snack bars and others to organize my kitchen and office drawers.
Never thought of using small baskets… nice.
I use boxes too!
I will definitely keep these tips in mind! You are such a wonderfully creative woman! I have been thinking lately on our small group and missing all the fellowship we had together, lets get a date on the calendar woman!
You are brilliant, my drawers are getting out of control. Thanks for the great tidbit.
Plastic containers. And the movers lost a couple key ones this move which totally threw my kitchen unpacking/organizing off!
I love how the baskets make something just everyday a little more special! I use tupperwear that has lost its lid….there are always some of those. Not as pretty, but practical. Thanks for all your posts on a less messy nest!!!
Me too! I’m going to have to show my hubby this post and all the comments to let him know I’m not crazy! I’m more convinced now that it’s just proof that we’re serious about our homemaking and that the hubbies should be glad that we’re so resourceful! Baskets are amazing!!!
Loved this!
I love this idea!!! I definitely need more baskets in my life.
One question… what are the bottle tops for?
Wow – I love all of those baskets. So much prettier than plastic organizers. I am going to be on the lookout for some for my drawers. I am loving this series. Wonderful!
xox
Jen
i love using baskets to organize. i use them in our dresser drawers for socks, underwear, etc. but just wondering…..why are you saving all those bottle caps? are you going to make something with them??
that’s my husband’s idea. some things you just don’t ask and let them have their way.
Organize my drawers? You mean I’m supposed to do that? I guess I’d better get on the ball…I love the basket idea…makes even a mess still look organized (by a mess I mean the plastic lids, etc.). I really need to try to do that!
Here’s another approach to basket cleaning – I have had good success with the kind of (willow?) baskets you have in your first photo with the spoons and bottlecaps in them – putting them in the top rack of the dishwasher. Helps get rid of that thrift store smell – and they get washed at a high temperature for good measure.
The top photo almost looks like a still life or a specimen case – I love that little red transferware plate – is it a butter pat? When my family members ask me where something is, my answer about 95% of the time is, “It’s in the basket…”. Eyes roll. They say ‘the basket’ part is a given.
I love your baskets. After spending a small fortune once @ the Container Store I started using old boxes – tea bag boxes work great for small items. They work well and actually hold up nicely. Your drawers look much better than mine though so I may try your idea. Thanks for sharing.
Baskets always manage to look stylish anywhere you put them but this takes stylish organisation to a whole new level! I would love to borrow this idea if I may and have stylish and organised drawers-thank you!
Best wishes,
Natasha.
Totally inspired to clean out and organize my drawers with fun baskets and other kinds of containers ! Thank you!
reading this post makes me feel like i can say “hi, i’m emily and i’m obsessed with baskets”. because, i am. but this makes my obsession a-okay.
thanks!
The tupperware lids in my cabinet are all over the place and I have been trying to decide how to organize them. A basket! I use them for everything else, but never thought to use it for the lids!! Thank you. I am going to organize them right now!!
Wendy
Maybe someone already said this, but—The Dollar Tree: square (well, rectangular) baskets, $1 a piece. I just picked up 8 and I think they are all in use. But I had not thought of using them IN my drawers. Genius. WAY better than the ROUND plastic containers I’m trying to make do with right now.
I love baskets. I keep one in the cabinet to hold gift cards, receipts for items that we may need to return to say Lowe’s or such. I keep a basket in the cabinet to hold packets of oatmeal, granola bars, and snacks. I don’t like having anything in their original boxes because I think we forget about them. But, my favorite basket has to be the one that sits behind my drivers seat and at the feet of my daughter who is in a car seat. It always has toys, books, a bag of golfish, wet wipes, sweater, Tylenol, a pull up, bib, disposable silverware. Anything you would want for a trip out to dinner. It keeps all the mess contained, I bought one in a color to match the interior of my car and I love that I still have a clean car. At least for now!
Apart from baskets, I also like trays to keep cupboards organised- they make it easy to keep similar jars and packets together, and you can easily slide them out to keep tabs on stuff at the back of the shelf without rifling through everything. (It also makes it very simple to keep cupboards clean!) Mine are clear acrylic from IKEA, which looks nice, but baking trays would work just as well. And wooden washing up drainers are good for storing pan lids and baking sheets upright so you can see exactly what you’re looking for straight away.
oh my. i can just hear the square baskets in thrift stores everywhere FLYING OFF THE SHELVES. heading to goodwill right now.
I noticed several other people asking this question too. . . so inquiring minds definitely want to know: “What are the bottle caps for?” (Also this is a great post. ;)
You can wash baskets and dry them in the sun? How did I never know this?!
I am so going to purchase some baskets for the kitchen. I’ve got some pot tops that I need to keep in one place.
I love baskets! I love any kinda cool container! Mainly because I am a Pile-r, I pile stuff, but if I contain it in a basket at least it looks neater, lol!
I never ever thought of looking at thrift stores and good will for baskets and containers, uh-oh! And here I am trying to get rid of stuff, I’ll be dropping off stuff at one door of Goodwill and carrying baskets out the other! :-)
Bernice
http://bernicewood.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/pruning-away-to-be-more/
Oh wow! You have given me the brilliantly simple and inexpensive way to FINALLY organize my plastic container cabinet and my pots and pans cabinet!!!! I am SOOOO grateful! I am so excited! Yay!!! Thank you so much for these great ideas!
I use small plastic craft boxes with multiple dividers to keep earring and small jewelry sorted in my dresser drawers. I use bigger craft boxers for breakable Christmas ornaments. One of my “go to” baskets contains things I need to wrap presents… i.e., tape, scissors, ribbon and stickers (no paper.) It makes life so easy. I also use baskets under my bathroom sink: one in the back for medicines we rarely use; one for hair dryers,etc. I also LOVE my plastic lazy susan with high sides that keeps cosmetics safely contained in the linen closet. This all make cleaning so easy. I just remove the containers and wash one by one and return to the drawer or closet. P.S. I have a few round containers that I like for storing headbands and round mirrors… they happen to fit well with the other containers in those drawers.
Sorry, kind of late to the party and playing catch-up. I love baskets! When I had my first daughter, instead of buying a traditional dresser, I decided on a buffet from Ikea. I used baskets (with basket liners) as the “drawers” and it worked beautifully. Now that I have two, I’ve gone ahead and gotten a dresser and moved the buffet to the living room as a sofa table. The baskets now corral all (most) of their toys.