Home Improvement Ideas Home Remodeling Remodeling on a Budget 17 Weekend Organizing Projects to Tidy Up Your Home By Jessica Bennett Jessica Bennett Instagram Jessica Bennett is an editor, writer, and former digital assistant home editor at BHG. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 26, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Helen Norman Bring order to your household by upgrading its storage capacity. A few simple tweaks can help you efficiently organize kitchen essentials, entryway gear, bathroom products, incoming paperwork, and more. Pick a room to start with and try one of these weekend organizing projects to quickly boost function and storage. 01 of 17 Simplify Bedroom Storage David A Land An organized, clutter-free bedroom promotes restful sleep. Limit the stack of books on your nightstand to only a couple of in-progress volumes, and use drawers to stash away miscellaneous items that would otherwise clutter up the tabletop. Adding a tray provides a spot to set a glass for water, jewelry, reading glasses, and other small items. If you have a bedside table that lacks storage, bring in a large basket to corral extra reading materials and other essentials. 02 of 17 Streamline Pantry Organization Jay Wilde Decant bulky pantry items like flour, sugar, and rice into attractive containers to streamline pantry storage. Gather smaller items like cans and individually packaged snacks into open bins for easy access. Designate specific shelves for different categories of items, such as breakfast foods, grab-and-go snacks, and dinner-making ingredients. 03 of 17 Customize Closet Storage Jay Wilde Outfit clothing closets with buyable organizers that boost storage capacity. Customizable shelving and rod systems, specialty racks and hangers, storage bins and baskets, shelf and drawer organizers, and hanging organizers are easy to install and help ensure everyone has plenty of places for all their things. Personalize storage by using colorful hat boxes, wire baskets, and vintage suitcases to organize fashion accessories and out-of-season apparel. 04 of 17 Rearrange Storage Furniture Jeff Herr If you're short on built-in storage, look to dressers, sideboards, kitchen carts, and bookcases to hold necessities, including bath towels, bed linens, kids' toys, and gift-wrapping trappings. Move in freestanding wardrobes or antique armoires that suit your style preferences. Outfit under-the-bed voids with specialty roll-out organizers and storage bins. 05 of 17 Upgrade Garage Organization David Patterson A well-organized garage means that you'll be able to find what you need when you need it. Furnish your garage with wall and ceiling storage systems, racks, and organizers that keep all types of utilitarian and recreational gear controlled, accessible, and protected. When all your outdoor equipment and essentials are organized, you'll have more garage space for storing unneeded things that have been cluttering up your house. 06 of 17 Convert a Closet David A. Land Lucky enough to have an underutilized closet? Optimize its potential and purpose by installing a work surface, mounting adjustable shelves, and arranging colorful organizers to hold office supplies or crafting gear. You can also hang a bulletin board or paint the wall behind the desktop with magnetic chalkboard paint to create an easily updated memo center. 07 of 17 Enhance Bathroom Storage Utilize empty wall space above your toilet to create extra bathroom storage for toiletries and linens. Space open shelves far enough apart to hold folded bath towels. Add a medicine cabinet to store less-aesthetically pleasing necessities. Or, simply move in an étagère-style unit designed to fit against the toilet wall. 08 of 17 Utilize Wall Space for Organization Helen Norman Think of underused walls as blank canvasses that can accommodate hardworking storage. Enhance organizing and display capacity by mounting floating ledges, corner shelves, and wire baskets that act as good-looking exhibit spaces and catchalls for all sorts of gear. 09 of 17 Reorganize Bookshelves John Bessler Rearrange your bookshelves to maximize book storage and make room for added accessories. Stacking books horizontally, instead of filing them vertically, is often a more efficient use of space that also creates spots to showcase art or small items on top. Equip the bookcases with lidded bins or baskets that hide paperwork, crafting supplies, and electronics in plain sight. 10 of 17 Sort the Small Stuff Werner Straube Stow small items, such as earrings, cuff links, necklaces, hair clips, spice jars, and memorabilia in organizers that group objects by type. Bins, binders, caddies, stackable boxes, and specialty organizers can also keep individual items untangled, protected, and within reach. Use countertop and desktop organizers to hold things you reach for every day. 11 of 17 Equip Entryways with Storage Marty Baldwin Outfit entryways and mudrooms with areas to corral coats, backpacks, dog leashes, and reusable shopping bags. Lockers, shelves, bookcases, or compartments that provide hooks all work well. Label the compartments by user name so each person knows where to put their gear. Arrange open bins or a freestanding shoe rack near the door to hold incoming shoes and boots. 12 of 17 Set Up a Communication Center Paul Dyer Place a small table or desk near your home's main entry to serve as a communication center. Equip the spot with file organizers (outfitted with labeled folders) and recharging docks to handle incoming and outgoing mail, electronics, and paperwork that needs returning to your kids' schools. Choose a furniture piece with a drawer so you can keep postage stamps, envelopes, note cards, and other mailing supplies within easy reach. 13 of 17 Modify Organization for Kids John Bessler Kids are more likely to put away their clothes, toys, and sporting gear when storage is customized to their sizes, interests, and needs. Place closet rods and wall hooks within each kid's hanging-up reach. Outfit bookcases with see-through bins or baskets. Identify each container's contents with a digital photo (for toddlers) and labels (for reading-age kids). 14 of 17 Restructure Cabinets John Granen Store supplies, tools, and staples close at hand to ensure that your kitchen, bathroom, and office operations run without a hitch. Look online, at storage retailers, and in home centers for cabinet and desk updates that sort and organize contents. Some options include compartmentalized drawer organizers, back-of-the-door racks, turntables, stacking bins, and tray holders that keep essentials sorted and accessible. 15 of 17 File Papers Efficiently Jay Wilde Assemble all your important paperwork in one place for easy storage and retrieval. Use one file cabinet or drawer to house your household's most vital records. Create labeled file folders for financial accounts, estate planning documents, home improvement receipts, medical and dental records, the previous years' tax returns, insurance policies, and employment and retirement information. 16 of 17 Consider Small Remodels Brie Williams A little DIY work can go a long way in extending storage. Reach between wall studs and add shallow shelves that can store kitchen essentials, bathroom products, or books and accessories. Build a banquette or window seat using above-the-fridge kitchen cabinets. Open a staircase wall to grab space for adding open bookshelves or closed-door cabinets. Frame a fireplace with custom built-in bookcases. 17 of 17 Create DIY Organizing Solutions John Bessler Get creative with DIY projects that boost storage and organization. Upholster a wall in fabric or corkboard to display inspirational photos and to-do lists. Paint a plywood panel with chalkboard paint and mount it on your fridge or near a door so you can post reminders. Hang colorful buckets to stow office, crafting, and cooking supplies. Dress a work table in a skirt to create hidden storage for not-so-pretty essentials. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit