Get It Done: Whip That Junk Drawer Into Shape

If the jumbled mess in your catch-all drawer inspires only dread, this quick organizing project is just the sort you need

Becky Harris August 24, 2012

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

Comment36

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

I know the purpose of the catch-all drawer should be that you can throw whatever you want in there and not worry too much about organization. The problem is, it tends to reach a point when you can't find anything, and you know there is important stuff in there. This is when it gets demoted from "catch-all drawer" to "junk drawer."

The catch-all drawer is usually near your front or side door or in the kitchen; it usually has in it the stuff you need as you exit or enter the house: keys, checks, stamps, rubber bands, paper clips, sunglasses, camera, chargers, pens, measuring tape and Post-Its. The catch-all drawer is actually a highly individualized space — everyone may have completely different things in it. You just have to be sure the catch-all isn't acting like a Venus flytrap, catching and then devouring all of your things. Let's get started.

Traditional Kitchen Adding Organizational Solutions

How to Organize Your Catch-all Drawer

Approximate time: 1 hour plus potential shopping time

Setup: Have a wastepaper basket and a recycling bin nearby, and another box for stuff that you'll be finding new homes for.

More: Take a before picture for extra satisfaction when you're done.

Before Photo

1. Open the drawer. Take a good look at all the stuff in there and be glad you're doing this. In an hour or less, your drawer will go from junk status to organized-necessities status.

2. Empty and assess. I'm actually doing this task as I write this ideabook. I'll share some ridiculous things in the drawer that are not useful to me at all:

Eyeglasses with hideous frames from about 20 prescriptions ago
Hardened Liquid Paper (I don't even have any use for Liquid Paper anymore)
5 sets of Delta Airlines headsets
6 inches of carpet tape, which is perhaps enough to use on a dollhouse area rug.
Packaging and headphones for every iPhone and iPod I have ever owned, including some that are no longer in my possession. I don't really need a shrine to Steve Jobs taking up space in here.

By the way, this is one of my two catch-all drawers.

Contemporary Home Office Contemporary Home Office

3. Pause and ponder. Out of all the things in this drawer, what do you actually use, and what is handy to have in this very spot? What belongs in a different place?

Determine: Would it be handier to have your stamps and checkbooks in your office? Do you want to spread some of the 10 Post-It pad around the house where you might need them? Is this the place where you want to keep every pen you own, or do you need them in other places in the house? Shouldn't that raffia be hanging out with the other wrapping supplies?

Bottom line: This is prime real estate. Only items that you use often and in the near vicinity of this drawer should get a spot in this drawer.

Ggem Design Co.

4. Sort everything.

Give your drawer a good wipe-down.
Put aside the items that belong in your catch-all drawer.
Throw old paper (coupons that expired four years ago, baggage claim checks, ticket stubs) in the recycling bin.
Toss the stuff that's as useless as hardened. Liquid Paper goes in the trash.
Place the items that will be put away in new homes in the other box. Carry said box around and put everything in its new designated space.

Lonny at K and B

5. Determine whether or not you need to go shopping. Take a look at what is left and what kind of organizers you'll need to keep it all in place. A silverware or makeup drawer organizer may suffice; if your drawer is deep, you may want to use shoeboxes. Cardboard jewelry boxes may be assembled to hold your goodies as well.

Jennifer Weiss Architecture

This is the ultimate catch-all spot. It has built-in chargers (something to consider) and a minimalist, contemporary look. Most of our catch-all drawers will never look this good, but we can try.

Tell me: What are some of the crazy things you found in your junk drawer?

How to get a handle on the junk drawer