Does your home seem to always become a black hole full of clutter? Not sure where to put everything or how to organize areas that last? These cheap and easy home organizing hacks will be sure to help calm the chaos and keep them organized for the long haul.
Organizing has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I was little, I would go to friends’ houses and organize their rooms, but never my own. I love the idea of finding a home for everything and doing it as cheaply as possible! Make sure to check out my Kitchen Drawer Organization post for even more inspiration!
Recently, my parents relocated to Tucson from Nevada to a much smaller home. It is perfect for them, but they have a lot more items than will fit into their new home. My mother was overwhelmed by the cleaning products and kitchen items she had and needed a proper place to store everything that made sense and was easy to access. I was so excited when she asked me to come to organize her garage cabinets and transform the space into one she can properly use.
Take Everything Out
This is such an important first step to any organizing project. You want to have a fresh slate for the area you are working on, so taking everything out gives you a chance to really assess what space you actually have so you can put things back in the most efficient way.
It really helps to have an extra table pulled out so you can transfer everything to one location. Once everything is out of the space give it a good wipe down and continue on to the next step.
Assess The Area
This is the time that I will take a good look at the space that I am working on. I also grab some Post-it notes and make a rough draft of the different shelves or cubbies. This way you can move them around if you need to, which I did about 15 times, and figure out your game plan for that area.
Consolidate
Next, take a look at the items you took out. Never, I repeat, never organize a space without purging and throwing things out first. You don’t want to end up thinking you need a ton of organizing bins, go out and buy them only to find out that you didn’t even keep half the items you had. Purge first, shop later.
I like to have a few different boxes:
- Trash
- Donate
- Belongs Elsewhere
After that, I go through each item one by one until everything is divided up among the boxes. Now that everything is sorted, I go through to the next step.
Categorize & Label
This part is really fun for me. I enjoy putting similar items together and labeling my sections. With this project, I labeled each shelf so my parents knew exactly where everything belonged. Categories like Laundry, Cleaning, Paper Products, Canned Goods, Baking Supplies were just a few areas my mom needed to be designated. Once we had everything sorted and categorized, it was time to move everything back!
Create Zones
Zones are super important if you want your systems to last. Not only does it help you and other members of the family remember where things go, but it also brings a uniformed look to the space. Examples of zones would be:
- Baking- everything that has to do with baking goes here. If you don’t bake with it, it doesn’t belong here
- Paper Products- napkins, plates, toilet paper, etc.
- Cleaning Products- this one is pretty self-explanatory. But having all your cleaning products in one space is super helpful in knowing what you have on hand and what you need to grab next time you are at Target, because where else does anybody shop?
After everything was in its right zone, and this took some rearranging, I made sure to label each shelf and we were all done! It’s amazing how many people think they don’t have enough space or need to constantly be buying organizing containers. But once you purge and go through things, you’ll be shocked by how much you don’t need!
And I say this with love, THINGS ARE JUST THINGS. It is perfectly ok to get rid of something you haven’t used in months or years or things that do not make you happy. I’d much rather enjoy the space I have than be bogged down by the things I don’t need. You can always buy it again if you realize you actually needed it. But odds are, if you haven’t used it in 6 months, it can go away.
References
I have found some other incredible organizing blogs for you guys!! I hope you’ll head on over and take a peek. Let them know I sent you!
And now for the finished product! I am so happy with how this turned out. My parents love it because they can access things easily and my mom can put things back in the proper place. Which is your favorite? Let me know down below!
Pin To Your Favorite Pinterest Board
Hover over the image below to pin it, and come pin with me!
Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out Kelsey Farley! If you have give any of these home organizing hacks a try, I’d love to hear about it. Share your experience on Instagram with hashtag #kelseyfarleyblog and tag me @kelseycfarley so I can follow along and share your photos on my page/stories. Make sure you subscribe before you leave so you can snag your FREE Daily Plan Tracker. I hope it inspires you to take control of your day and make sure to tag me when you use it! I love you guys, and I’ll talk to you soon.
