We’ve all been there. The unorganized kitchen drawer (ahem, junk drawer) that didn’t start as such. If you think about it, it didn’t take long for a small notepad, some scissors and a couple of matchboxes to mushroom into the fullfledged disaster of a drawer you hope no house guest will mistakingly open. But, who says you should resign yourself to a bottomless junk-drawer were everything disappears to? According to organizational expert, Jana Hicks, a commitment to a 3-tier process and a little elbow grease is all it takes to bring chaos to order.
For starters: Get inspired! Make each project fun by implementing your personality and style. A look through your favorite catalog, magazine or a trip to great destinations like the Container Store or Pottery Barn is all you need to get the creative juices fl owing.
Next: Map out your plan and stick with it. (Decide the scope and budget of the project).
Lastly, celebrate each completed project by implementing something pretty into the new space. (I promise, the added bonus to your newly uncluttered space will make it all worth it.)
The Prep: Before hitting the store, be sure to measure the drawer and buy organizers or bins that fi t your needs and taste. But here’s the important step before the purchase: Once you have measured your drawer and decided its purpose i.e, I will keep pens, pencils, paper clips, and sticky notes here, buy ONLY the size bin that fits each item—small square bins for paper clips, rectangle ones for pens and so on. In this way, you’ve built into your system a purpose for each bin, which will later help you avoid the tendency to place random items were they don’t belong.
Taming the Junk Drawer
• First, empty your drawer on the table, go through all the items and after throwing away what is not necessary, outdated, or no longer useful— gather the leftover content into categories: pens and pencils, writing pads and sticky notes, scissors and shears.
• Once you have defined your categories, take a clean damp rag, clean out the draw and let it dry.
• Lastly, install the organizer, put back all the items you’ve kept into the newly designated areas and enjoy. Psst, don’t forget that new item we talked about-this is a great time to add something useful and beautiful to your newly organized space. Think one of those fancy silicone spatulas, a Swissmar Peeler for tackling everything from carrots to cucumbers or that great pair of kitchen shears you have been eyeing at your favorite store.
Now that your junk drawer is fully organized, the key to keeping things neat is “maintaining the order gained.” Those great dividers or bins you’ve just purchased will serve as great reminders of putting things in their rightful place.
link2usmag.com 