Tag: how to organize your kitchen

How To Organize Your Kitchen To Be Family Friendly

The kitchen is often the command center of family life. It is where you spend a lot of time with your kids, getting them ready for school, helping them with their homework and of course feeding them.

Kids In The Kitchen

 

Organizing family life

The kitchen is the ideal place to keep on top of important family matters – dates, activities etc etc.

 

 

At a minimum you will need a wall calendar or planner but you may want to extend this to a dry wipe board for each family member where you can keep on top of school projects, homework, tests and after school activities for the kids as well as social engagements and bills to pay for the adults.

For supreme kitchen organization ideas, check out the Daily System by PotteryBarn which is fully customizable.

How To Organize Your Kitchen To Be Family Friendly

For something smaller, MomAgenda has some great Family Planners and Chores Pads.

To help your kids learn to organize themselves, try this craft project and make some home to school place mats so they have a daily tick list of what not to forget.

Kitchen safety

Keeping a handle on family life is not the only way you can organize your kitchen with kids in mind. From a safety point of view you should ensure you have child proofed all low cabinets and drawers with safety catches if you have very small children.

Accessibility for kids

For slightly older children, you should consider creating a snack station – an easily accessible cabinet specifically organized with kids in mind. Fill it with plastic plates, cups, drinks and healthy snacks so they can help themselves when the ‘I’m hungry’ time starts. Just make sure they know it is out of bounds an hour before each meal.

Alternatively you could label drawers and cabinets with the names of items they are likely to want to find. You’ll be amazed at how quickly young ones will learn to read c-h-i-p-s.

The snack station is also a great place to hook up some brightly colored cleaning cloths so they can clean up their own spills.

Getting kids involved

As they get a bit older you may want to organize your kitchen with ‘getting them involved‘ in mind. Rather than stacking dishes, plates, cups and glasses in upper cabinets, move them to lower cabinets, yes even breakable items. This way they can help to set the table or help with emptying the dishwasher and putting things away.

Why not also invest in some kid friendly utensils or cleaning tools so they can help out with food preparation and cleaning up. Kids learn by copying and the younger they are, the more likely they are to want to help out.

If your kids often do their homework in the kitchen, make sure there is a drawer dedicated to school type stationery to save it from lying around on the countertops or getting mixed up with the rest of the junk in the junk drawer.

Finally if you have room, invest in some different colored plastic bins, one for each family member or at least each child. This will allow you to do a quick tidy round removing clutter into the relevant bin for that child to store in the correct place.

11 Ideas For How To Organize Your Kitchen For Free

It’s great to know that even if you don’t have the budget for fancy kitchen organization ideas and products that you can still save money and organize your kitchen for free.

You probably already own plenty of items that can be used as organizers, you just need to be creative.

 

 

Old food containers make the perfect drawer or cabinet shelf organizers. Try using yoghurt pots to hold twist ties, rubberbands, toothpicks and the like. Or how about margarine tubs to keep packet mixes or tupperware lids together and stood upright. Glass jars from pasta sauces or mayonnaise can hold flatware or kitchen utensils.

Cereal boxes or other cardboard you have lying around can be cut up and used as drawer dividers.
Diy Drawer organizer

Via DesignSponge.com

Cardboard boxes covered in attractive craft paper make perfect baskets for your wall shelves or even inside your cabinets to keep like items together. Think of all those diaper, shoe, liquor and online shopping boxes you put in the recycling. Recycle them yourself into a pretty basket organizer.

Shoe boxes, especially the cheap and clear plastic variety, can easily be repurposed to keep like items together. Think pasta, granola bars, baking goods etc.

Baking trays can be used to group all of your baking goods whilst not in use. And how about turning a rarely used loaf tin upside down and using it as a tiered shelf at the back of your cabinet to store cans on. This saves space in your baking cabinet AND helps you to see the dark depths of the canned goods shelf.

Do you have an old dish drainer that you no longer use? Store your pot lids or baking sheets in it. They are much easier to find and grab if they are stood up vertically.

Beg, borrow or re-use some tension style curtain rods that will fit the height of your kitchen cabinets. Position them in pairs, front to back, at intervals that will hold your bakeware, chopping boards, trays and heavy platters. This will keep them upright and means you don’t have to lift the whole stack each time you need one at the bottom.

Curtain Tension Rod Dividers

Via MarthaStewart.com

Use a tray in your glassware or mug cabinet. Cover the top and bottom with a non-skid liner and then lay it on top of the bottom row of items to create a helper shelf for another row and make the maximum use of space.

If you have any pitchers, pretty mugs or pottery vases that you don’t use very often, put them on display and use them to hold your utensils.

If you don’t have much lying around your own house, visit thrift shops or yard sales and see what you can find. Look beyond the current state of any prospective items as with a bit of paint and a makeover, you’ll be amazed at how good, someone else’s ‘junk’ can look.

Just A Little Creativity transformed an old wooden spice rack into these handy organizers with a bit of paint.

Spice Rack Makeover

Alternatively you can try your hand at some easy DIY projects to come up with the perfect custom organizers for your kitchen clutter. Check out these 15 inspiring ideas for DIY kitchen organizers, which range from using a metal ruler to make a magnetic under cabinet spice rack to making your own tiered or helper shelves if you’re any good at wood work. 

Please leave me a comment and let me know if you have any other ideas for how to organize your kitchen for free.

You might also be interested in:

How To Organize Your KitchenHow To Organize Your Kitchen On A Budget

Strapped for cash? Check out these cheap organizers for cabinets, counters and drawers and learn where to buy organizers for less.

Kitchen Organizers8 Kitchen Organizers For Under $20

Is money a little tight? Don’t miss these kitchen organization products that cost < $20. From expandable shelves to lid, bakeware, spice and wrap racks.

DIY Kitchen Organizers15 Inspiring DIY Kitchen Organizers

Want to save some money & make your own DIY kitchen organizers? Here are some great ideas for inspiration incl. those for cabinets, drawers, spices & more.

How To Organize Your Kitchen On A Budget

If funds are tight and you need to save money, don’t despair – you can still have an organized and clutter free kitchen.

You don’t need the budget of those home makeover shows or magazines. Not all kitchen organization products are expensive – there are plenty in the affordable range and some are even free.

But the worst thing you can do when deciding how to organize your kitchen on a budget is to start off by buying organizers. Instead you need to start off by decluttering. We all have way more than we need squirreled away in our cabinets and drawers that has built up over months and years – so start with a big sort out.

If you have less to organize, you’ll spend less on organizers.

 

 

Once you are clutter free, you can assess what food, flatware, tableware, bakeware, appliances and utensils you have as well as the space you have to store them in.

It may be that you find you now have plenty of storage space and do not need any organizers to help maximize the available space. But if you do need some help, look for kitchen organization products that help group your items together and provide easy access to them.

Please read on to discover:

  • the best types of kitchen organizers to look for
  • where to look for them
  • specific ideas for common problem areas, and
  • 8 kitchen organization products that cost less than $20.

The best types of kitchen organizers to look for

Whether you are looking to deep cleanse your pantry, control the chaos under your sink or regain the useful space in your kitchen drawers, the following affordable organizing products are sure to help:

  • shallow baskets or trays – for canned goods, spices, dish towels, napkins or even to be used as an extra shelf in a cabinet by stacking on top of glasses perhaps
  • stackable plastic tubs – for baking goods, bagged items such as chips and cookies
  • wire baskets – for packet mixes, pasta, fruit & vegetables
  • door mounted wire baskets – for plastic lids, wrap or cleaning items
  • hooks – for towels, utensils or even mugs
  • drawer dividers – for cutlery, utensils or even your ‘junk’
  • wall shelves combined with decorative boxes and baskets – to make use of wasted wall space.

Just remember:

  • square is best as round organizers waste space
  • shallow is best so you can see what you have stored
  • clear is best so you see inside without having to open the lid
  • plain is best unless it will be on display as it is often cheaper than pretty.

Where to look for cheap kitchen organizers

Stylish organizing and home stores are probably not the best bet when it comes to shopping for any kitchen organizers you may need. Instead see what you can find in dollar stores, cheap home centers and grocery stores. You could even check out thrift shops or a garage sale. You may find something like a bookcase worth repairing and using in your pantry or even brand new products. Many people buy these items but never get round to using them as they expect the spending of money to make them organized, rather than ‘them’ making them organized.

Specific ideas for common problem areas

Here are some of the affordable essentials that you should look for depending on what your problem areas are:

Kitchen cabinet organizers

Helper shelves – unless you stack cans 3 or 4 high in your cabinet, the chances are you will be wasting some space between shelves. Helper shelves help(!) as they are effectively an in between shelf that doubles the useable space.

Stepped shelves – these are ideal for deep pantry or cabinet shelves as they help you to see what is hidden at the back.

Under shelf racks and baskets – these slide onto the shelf above and make the most of the dead space above the items on each shelf. They are great for small items, perhaps napkins or dish cloths.

Over the door organizers – you can find baskets, trays, 2-tier baskets, towel bars, bag holders, paper towel holders and hooks that slot over your cabinet door to help organize many different items without taking up useful space. They start at only $2Impression pixel so are perfect if you are on a budget.

Kitchen counter organizers

CanistersIf you have tried to follow our “Up, In & Out” instructions for how to organize your kitchen countertops but are still left with some items that you need on show, there are many attractive organizers for you to consider. Budget items include:

  • a set of 4 stainless steel airtight canisters from Oggi for around $24,
  • a 10-slot hardwood knife block for around $20 from Henckels,
  • a 16 jar beechwood revolving spice rack from Kamenstein for around $20,
  • the superbly popular OXO Good Grips brushed steel utensil holder for around $20,
  • a brushed steel and acrylic flatware drainer/caddy for around $11,
  • a contemporary 6-mug holder for around $15,
  • appliance coversImpression pixel for can openers, toasters, blenders, mixers and coffee makers from $10.

8 Kitchen organization products for under $20

Kitchen Cabinet Organizer - Shelf Helper

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Seville Classics expandable kitchen shelf – approx $18 – double your shelf space

Cabinet Organizers Kitchen 3 Tier

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Copco 3 tier cabinet organizer – approx. $10 – perfect for seeing what’s at the back of your cabinet

 

Kitchen Space Savers Under Shelf Basket

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Grayline Housewares under shelf storage basket – approx. $9 – don’t waste the space under your cabinet shelves

Kitchen Bakeware & Lid Organizer

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Bakeware, lid & tray rack – approx. $7 – stand them up, it’s much easier

Kitchen Drawer Organizers

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Copco large 3 part mesh drawer organizer – approx. $10 – contemporary and space efficient utensil organizer

 

Kitchen Storage Racks

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Neu Home 3-tier slimline rack – approx. $13 – a sturdy, attractive and cheap spice rack

 

Kitchen Wrap Organizer

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Grayline Housewares wrap rack – approx. $7 – free up your kitchen drawer space today

Kitchen 6 Piece Set

==> Click HERE for more details <==

Grayline Housewares 6 piece cabinet organizer set – approx. $19 – everything you need to save space in any cabinet all in one affordable set

I’d love to hear your cheap kitchen organization ideas. Please leave me a comment.