15 Green Kitchen “Hacks” to keep Organized
Updated on July 1, 2016
Especially if you’re an avid cook, keeping your kitchen is an important part of the process. It’s also, however, hard to do when you’re constantly rustling around for ingredients and trying to get dishes washed before you need them again for your next culinary adventure. Luckily for us DIY enthusiasts, there are plenty of crafty kitchen “hacks” that will keep your space manageable.
Check out these 15 tactics for using all the space in your kitchen in creative ways!
1. Magnetic spice rack
Clean out some small glass jars with screw on lids, attach magnets to the top, and then affix a cookie sheet under a cabinet. Your spices will stick up there and out of the way! Instructables shows you how it’s done.
2. Hand rake wine glass rack
This idea from Country Living is organizational and decorative! Hanging wine glasses upside down between the teeth of a rake like this will clear out space in your cupboards and keep them safe from getting knocked off counters.
3. Hanger chip clip
Part of keeping things organized in the kitchen is making sure things stay fresh and don’t go stale. This idea for a homemade chip clip from Craftster does just that while also upcycling old store hangers you might have lying around your closets!
4. Chalkboard cupboard door
Real kitchen pros make use of every square inch, including the insides of the cupboard doors! The blank space there makes for a great noteboard if you can get your hands on some chalkboard paint, like this cupboard on Designs By Tamela. Use the space even further by making a measuring cup organizing rack on the bottom half of the door!
5. Wooden skewer knife rack
Felicia Kramer shows you a great DIY way to store your knives more space efficiently than your average bulky, store bought knife rack. All you need is a vase or tall glass and some wooden kebab sticks. Stick the knives into the top so they slide between the kebab sticks and sit at the handle.
6. Plastic bag dispenser
Using the empty case from a package of antibacterial wipes is a great way to store plastic bags! They’ll take up less space and be easier to reach without sifting through a pile. Tater Tots & Jello shows you how to fold them so they pull out nicely.
7. Pantry wall snack tins
Lil Blue Boo teaches you how to attach storage tins along the side of your pantry to get a little extra space for small packages. This clears off some shelving for bigger items. You might even label your tins to keep things extra organized!
8. Extra “drawers”
Have you ever wondered what those extra panels under your counters that look like drawers but aren’t are for? Well, we’re not sure either, but Domestically Speaking has an idea for making use of them! Turning them into pull-down storage gives you somewhere to put dish cleaning tools besides your counter tops.
9. Magnetic cabinet note board
If you like the idea of using the inside space on your cabinet doors for a note board but you’re not so sure about painting them with chalkboard paint, try out this DIY magnetic note board project instead! BHG shows you how it’s made.
10. Kitchen utensil pegboard
Apartment Therapy suggests using a square of pegboard on the wall and some double ended hooks to store your pots and pans. This storage tactic clears out space in your cupboards so you can keep things that can’t be hung up out of the way.
11. Magnetic outside fridge racks
Instructables shows you how easy it is to create simple storage baskets for the outside of your fridge. Find some baskets that will fit things like spices, glue magnetic pieces on one side, and stick them up!
12. File container organizers under the sink
Inspired Life uses file folder and magazine storage boxes to keep boxed kitchen supplies like aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and zip bags stacked and accessible. This simple idea stops those supplies from taking up all the space in your drawers, especially if you make use of the back of a cupboard door.
13. Big storage baskets
BHG sees the value of simple storage boxes and baskets. If you have false cupboard doors that are really just panels with empty space behind them, consider taking them off and making use of that space to slide storage baskets into!
14. Trash can drawers
Remember those empty cupboard spaces we were just talking about? If you’re a bit handy with tools and building projects, then you’ll have no trouble turning that space into a sliding garbage can cubby, just like this one on Dura Supreme. You might also use a cupboard you’re not using if you happen to have the space.
15. Kleenex box plastic bag storage
Grow Creative‘s idea for plastic bag storage made of empty tissue boxes is simple but creative. Any time you need a bag, you can just pull one right out the top like you would with a tissue. Do you have a bunch of bags to add to your stash? Just pop them into the top!
Have you figured out other useful DIY kitchen hacks that help keep you organized? Share them with us in the comments section!