A few months ago I shared my 10 Steps to Get Organized & Stay Organized, and it prompted a lot of questions from readers. You all wanted to know where I like to shop for organizing products and which are my favorite products. So today I've put together a list of my go-to organizing products!
This list certainly doesn't cover every bin, basket or container I've used in our house, but these are my favorite products - the ones I always think of first when I get ready to organize a new space!
My Favorite Places to Shop for Organizing Products
One of the questions I get asked most frequently is where I shop for my organizing supplies, so before we talk about specific products, let's chat about my favorite stores. It's actually a pretty short list - almost all of the bins, baskets, and storage containers I use in our home come from either Target or The Container Store, and on occasion, I buy a few items at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
I shop at Target primarily for decorative baskets and bins {like #13 in the image above}. Two important things to keep in mind when shopping for organizing products at Target: (1) The Target One Spot is a fantastic place to find small baskets and bins ($1-3) that work perfectly for organizing small items inside larger bins or in deep drawers; (2) Don't forget to shop online! You'll find a wider variety of storage items online than on store shelves, and if you have a Red Card, shipping is free. Many of the bins and baskets are sold online in packages of 2-6, which is a great way to save a little money if you need multiples, but isn't ideal if you just need one.
The Container Store is my number one go-to for all things organizing, primarily because of the wide variety of products and the fact that you can find many of the same items year after year. When beginning a new organizing project, I generally make a sketch of the dimensions of the space {see Step 5 on my 10 Steps to Get Organized post} and then go in search of the baskets and bins that will make the most effective use of the space. Because of the broad selection at The Container Store, I can usually do all of my shopping in one stop, rather than having to run from store to store looking for items that will best fit my space. Additionally, while I love the decorative storage options at Target {and the prices}, Target's product selection changes quite frequently. At The Container Store, on the other hand, I know I'll be able to purchase more of the same items if I need them in the future.
If I can't find what I need at any of my go-to stores, then I will move my search to Amazon {like when I was looking for the perfect file sorter for my kitchen counter}. The challenge with shopping for organizing products on Amazon {and at other online retailers} is that the measurements are not always reliable. Be sure to read the product reviews, as they will often shed light on whether the measurements are accurate. Amazon is a great option when shopping for more decorative storage containers, like pretty baskets that you'll have sitting out, rather than bins or dividers that need to fit inside a cabinet or drawer.
My Go-To Organizing Products
*Links to The Container Store are affiliate links. If you purchase from one of these links, I will make a very small commission, but there will be no additional cost to you.
{1} Clear Lidded Storage Boxes
I put these clear, lidded storage boxes first on my list because they are my absolutely favorite organizing product at the moment, and I can't believe that I only recently discovered them! These plastic containers come in many sizes, which are identified by the type of shoes and clothing that they are sized to fit {accessories, womens' shoes, tall shoes/heels, mens' shoes, boots, sweaters, etc.}. But don't be fooled by the names of these containers, they are good for so much more than shoes and sweaters! Starting at only $1.89 each for the standard shoe box size, these may just be the best value for your money at The Container Store! AND, they are sold {both in store and online} in cases - so you can get a case of 20 shoe box size containers for just $33.80.
The lids snap in place, and their contours make these containers easy to stack. Because they ae clear, you can easily see the contents inside. I recently purchased quite a few of these clear, lidded storage boxes in a variety of sizes to organize a lot of my sons' toys. I haven't quite finished this project, but I'll be blogging about it soon. In the meantime, here's a picture from my iPhone to give you a little sneak peek at these wonderful storage boxes in action.
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| Excuse the iPhone quality - a full post on this toy closet will be coming soon! |
Now that I've discovered them, I'll certainly be using these lidded storage boxes for more and more projects in the future!
{2} Tall Solid Shelf Dividers
These shelf dividers simply slide on to your solid shelves, and stay securely in place. They are great for keeping stacks of t-shirts, sweaters, and pants from tipping over, and they also work perfectly for organizing purses {as I showed you here}.
{3} Custom Drawer Organizer Strips
One of the keys to a well organized space is to use every available inch, and when it comes to drawers, one of the best ways to accomplish this is by using custom drawer organizer strips. The package comes with long, plastic dividers that you just measure, score and snap to the desired lengths. You then slide the divider strips into the self-adhesive mounts to create the ideal layout for your drawers. This options provides much more flexibility than traditional drawer dividers.
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| via The Container Store |
{4} Overcabinet Towel Bar
I use overcabinet towel bars everywhere I have cabinet doors - the kitchen, basement bar, bathrooms. And if I had cabinets in the laundry room, you can be sure I'd be using a towel bar in there as well. These towel bars hang from the top of the cabinet door, and can be used on the inside or outside of the door.
{5} Overcabinet Paper Towel Holder
Just like the overcabinet towel bar, the paper towel holder can be used on the inside or outside of any cabinet door throughout the house. Keeping our paper towels closed inside a kitchen cabinet not only saves counter space, but also prevents our young boys from dragging paper towels around the room {like they've been known to do with toilet paper}.
An overcabinet paper towel holder is just as useful in a basement bar, a laundry room, or even in a garage workshop.
{6} Viola Drawer Organizer
While I love the ability to customize my drawers using the drawer organizer strips at #3 {above}, there are places {like bathroom drawers} where I prefer to use organizer bins that I can lift out and easily clean. My favorite drawer organizers are the Viola bins from The Container Store, which come in three sizes.
I use a combination of the small and medium-sized Viola bins to organize our toiletries in our bathroom drawers. Be sure to measure your drawers carefully before purchasing these bins because the medium bin is not only wider, but also slightly taller than the small bin. Both sizes fit nicely in our bathroom drawers, but the medium Viola bins are just a bit too tall for our kitchen drawers {like our organized baking drawer}.
{7} Seamless Tin
It is important to always choose appropriately sized containers, and the Seamless Tins, from The Container Store, are perfect for organizing small items. In our bathroom drawers, I use the 8 oz. tins to store my hair accessories, such as bobby pins and hair ties, and I use the 16 oz. tins for slightly larger items, such as nail clippers and tweezers.
These tins come in a variety of sizes, and the lids fit securely, allowing them to be stored on their side {as I do in our bathroom drawers}. The Seamless Tins are also perfect for small craft items.
{8} Like-It Modular Drawers
When I was organizing our
pantry, I struggled with how to make the best use of the significant floor space below the lowest shelf - and the answer was the Like-It Modular Drawer System from The Container Store. These drawers come in a wide variety of size, but all are stackable in virtually any combination, making it easy to create a combination of drawers that perfectly fit your needs.
I was enamored with the Like-It modular drawers after using them in the pantry, but when searching for a solution for the awkward space
under our kitchen sink, I discovered another fabulous feature of the Like-It Drawers... the "lids" are removable! To take full advantage of cabinet height, I stacked two drawers, and removed the top of the upper drawer to make room for taller spray bottles and cleaners. The drawer still slides in and out smoothly with the lid removed, allowing me easy access to even those cleaners at the very back.
{9} Tint Stacking Drawers
While I'm a bit obsessed with the Like-It modular drawers {#8}, they are a bit pricey. They are a great solution when you need to be able to mix and match drawer sizes to perfectly fit your space, but there are times when more basic drawers will do. And for those situations, I prefer the Tint Stacking Drawers, also from The Container Store. These drawers come in just two sizes, but there are lots of fun colors. I use these drawers in quite a few of our closets {for t-shirts, workout clothes, accessories, and more} - but it turns out I haven't yet photographed any of those spaces for the blog.
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| via The Container Store |
{10} Brother Label Maker with Case
Labeling is an important step in the organizing process, and while there are lots of ways to create pretty labels, a simple label maker is always the quickest and easiest way to go. I've had my Brother label maker for more than 10 years and it's still going strong. The current version of the Brother label maker is available at The Container Store, and comes with a storage case.
{11} Elfa Door & Wall Rack System
When organizing, it is so important to consider every available space when planning - including wall space, floor space, and the backs of doors {see Step 5 on my 10 Steps to Get Organized post}. And one of the best ways to utilize wall and door space is with the an Elfa rack system. I have used Elfa door and wall racks in many different ways over time.
In my prior home {a small downtown condo}, I installed one Elfa rack on the inside of the laundry closet door to hold detergent and all the other laundry essentials, and another on the inside of the coat closet door to hold hats, scarves, and gloves, as well as extra cleaning supplies.
In our current home, I installed an Elfa media wall rack in our basement game closet to hold our collection of CDs {does that make me sound old?!}. I also recently installed an Elfa door rack on the back of our guest room closet door to organize all of my greeting cards and stationery.
And just last week, we installed an Elfa door rack on the inside of a closet in our master bathroom. I haven't quite finished this project, and I haven't blogged about it yet... so for now you just get a iPhone photo.
Long story short on these Elfa door racks - the possibilities are endless!
{12} Sterilite Stacking & Nesting Baskets
When choosing baskets for organizing on shelves, I strongly prefer baskets that can be stacked {in order to take full advantage of the shelf height}. For a long time, my favorites have been the Sterilite stacking baskets that come in three sizes (S, M and L), which at one time you could purchase at either Target or The Container Store.
Compared to other stacking baskets, the Sterilite baskets were the winners for me because when the handles are flipped inward, the baskets stack, but when the handles are put back in their original positions, the baskets nest inside of one another {making them easier to store if you have extras around the house - and I always do}.
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| via Target |
It appears that The Container Store is no longer selling these Sterilite baskets, and Target now only sells the medium and small baskets {not the large}, and only online in sets of six. However, The Container Store does sell Like-It Stack & Nest Basket
, which work much the same way, and appear to be a great alternative to the large Sterilite baskets.
{13} & {14} Threshold Canvas Baskets & Lidded Jute Baskets
These last two are my favorite decorative storage basket options at present! Unlike the other organizing products listed above, which are all about function, these baskets serve both form and function. There are constantly new options on the market, so you'll surely be able to find decorative baskets that fit your home and your style.
I use decorative baskets throughout our home - for magazines, blankets, and to corral the kids' toys. We have a toy basket like this in just about every room of our house, and it makes clean up so quick and easy!
What did I miss? What are your absolute favorite organizing products? I want to hear about them!
Labels: organization, organizing
