15 DIY Home Organization Hacks

I’m sharing 15 budget-friendly DIY home organization hacks that can help you declutter by using storage solutions already in your home.  

I use all kinds of bins and boxes in Birch’s closet. Plus a stick-on hook!

Brainstorming is half the fun of organizing!

Sometimes I surprise myself that I still have organization tips and tricks to share, but then when I look around my own personal spaces, I am reminded just how many organization hacks I use on the daily. 

I’ve shared how you can organize your linen closet, organization tips for your kitchen, how to organize your phone, and even 20 storage ideas for empty mason jars! 

To me, a tidy home – one that is organized so you can save time and effort in finding stuff that you need – is a happy and welcoming home.

Having a clean and organized home is important to me, but I don’t necessarily think you need to always buy the overpriced matching clear bins to simplify your spaces.

Shop your home

One of my favorite things to do when I have an clutter problem to solve is to “shop my home” for containers or accessories that I can repurpose. 

Today’s post is dedicated to 15 DIY organization tips that can help you clean up counters and cupboards without breaking your budget. 

15 DIY Home Organization Hacks

1. Old wooden boxes are my favorite container.

My mom and grandmother used to love antiquing and I would always tell them to look for boxes. You can find vintage boxes for under $10. The same box at Pottery Barn would be $100! I have a bunch in my home (this one holds tablecloths). I love the warmth the wood adds to a space. 

2. Fold sheets with the pillow case inside, or store sheet sets inside their pillowcase.

A built-in solution all in one! I love the idea of rolling up sheets and storing them inside of their matching pillowcase. Sheet sets stay together. Sure, it takes an extra moment to put them inside, but you’ll never dig through your linen closet for a fallen pillowcase again. 

3. Decant the items in your pantry.

You guys know I use jars in 100 ways. Decant items like nuts, seeds, and granola into large, wide-mouth mason jars. Better yet, purchase these items in bulk so you have less cardboard and plastic waste to begin with. 

4. Use an empty egg carton to organize your jewelry or office supplies.

Don’t have a jewelry box? Not to worry. Use an an empty egg carton to organize your smaller pieces of jewelry like rings and stud earrings or paper clips and rubber bands. Cut off the lid so it looks pretty, and if you’re crafty, paint it!

5. Double up your clothing hangers with “soda” tabs. 

Instead of buying double hangers, break off the aluminum tabs from any type of canned beverage – like sparkling water – and place around the top of a clothes hanger. Then you can slip a second hanger through the other hole to layer hangers in your closet, taking up less space. This works well for storing sets and suits together. 

6. Corral kids’ craft supplies in a shoe organizer. 

Those shoe organizers that you hang on the back of a door are not just for shoes; use them to contain craft supplies – scissors, markers, glue, ribbon, etc. – and hang on the playroom door. Easy to sort, easy to spot, easy to return to its place. 

7. Think creatively about furniture.

We use a big buffet as large appliance storage in our living room (since our kitchen doesn’t have a walk-in pantry). I use a small secretary desk to store all of my Beautycounter business samples and paper. Any piece of furniture can become an instant storage solution and not always for what it was intended. 

8. Hang shallow shelves as a decorative way to store + display anything. 

If you’ve ever browsed Pinterest, I’m sure you’ve seen the IKEA shelves used in nurseries. These are perfect for facing books outward, but they’re also great for older kids’ knick-knacks, rock collections, as well as spice racks, for toiletries and more!

9. Repurpose pretty boxes

Any time I get a pretty gift box or decorated cardboard box (like my Birchbox collection!), I save it! We use these to store things like crayons and markers, Hex bugs, Pokémon cards, small Legos, and other toys that need to be grouped together. 

10. Tame cords by stuffing them inside empty toilet paper rolls. 

Empty toilet paper rolls are the perfect size to store wrapped up cords for your electronics. 

11. Store things in things.

I get mad any time a kid’s toy doesn’t have built-in storage. They all should! Birch has been doing these Melissa and Doug puzzles like crazy, and I love that they come with a storage box. All puzzles should come in a box! Then we pop open our West Elm coffee table and store the puzzles in there (since he loves to do them on the porch). 

12. Use large baskets to store lightweight things up high.

You know the giant Tupperware containers you only need a few times a year? We store those in a big basket high up in our kitchen. The basket is surprisingly easy to get down and sort through because it’s so lightweight. I use the same basket in my bathroom to store all the extra toilet paper!

13. Utilize hooks everywhere.

Messy space? Add a hook. The back of every door should have a hook! We use pretty adhesive hooks for super lightweight things (like a single hand towel) and durable screw decorative hooks for anything heavy, like towels. S hooks are great for existing shelves that might have room on the end (we use these in our garage a lot). 

14. Take advantage of the height in your fridge by using stackable bins. 

You don’t need to purchase the fanciest of bins that, say, The Home Edit recommends. I’ve used a wire basket, drawer organizers, bowls, and jars. Just don’t choose anything that will trap moisture (like cardboard). Target and The Dollar Store have affordable bin sets to organize your home – like these. 

15. Store extra water bottles on a wine rack.

You’ll want to tuck this out of sight and ensure you have the right kind of rack that the bottles don’t fall through (like this one), but extra water bottles are easy to access when stored on their side. 

What genius home organization hack can you share? Like, how do you organize your wrapping paper!? 

You may also enjoy:

• How To Keep Your Home Neat & Clean
• How To Organize Anything In Your House
• Simplify Your Home By Batching