Everyone have struggles with the space and the organization of stuff. Usually we just drop them in a drawer or a desk without even thinking in the order.

This can be later frustrating, mostly because we don't remember where each thing is...

That is a good reason to try to organize ourselves but we don't need to buy anything to improve our space asigned to storage.

I'll give you some tips to re organize the space that you already have and re use some things that can be "useless" in some ways but usefull in another ones.

Step 1: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P1: Taking Everything Out

As you can see, at first glance my drawer is full of stuff. At first I didn't even know what I store there.

The first thing that you have to do is taking out everything from the drawer. Then clean everything and if you are not going to use something, you should sell it, give it to someone or use it for another thing. In this case I didn't drop anything just to show you the difference before and after.

After doing the cleaning, separate all the things in little groups. Some examples can be metallic things, cables, electric parts and so on.

Step 2: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P2: Metal With Metal

For some reason I have this case with some metallic parts, so I decided to use it and store all the metallic parts there. From iron pieces to gears. In the case can fit a lot of stuff, just you need to arrange it in certain order. For example, the gears were positioned vertically and in the middle in order to have space at the sides.

This is when playing Tetris (R) becomes useful.

Step 3: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P3: Use the Boxes

Again, I have this plastic box with some wheels and motors. Which I just added some ohter things like the transformator and the Hard drive motor.

This is an example that you can use. If you already have a box, fill it with things that you don't use continuously.

Step 4: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P4: Tangling Cables

As you saw in the part 1 from the drawer set, I have a lot of cables. This can be really annoying because the cables usually tangle with everything. That why I use this method to store them.

I have no idea of the name of the knot, but I use it with cables with a high number caliber.

The low number caliber cables (lower than 8 AWG) can't be knotted like this, or at least is harder. In the next step you can see how I knot them.

Step 5: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P5: More Cables

The thicker cables are knotted in a simple way.

After knotting all the cables, put them together before storing them in the drawers.

Step 6: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P6: Magnets

I like magnets, but is not a good idea to store them with the electronic parts. That's the reason why I put the magnets in a cardboard box and ready to be placed at the bottom of the drawer. In this place is perfect and there is no danger for the electric and electronic parts.

Step 7: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P7: Separate in Groups

Before start to putting everything back in the drawer, you should divide the stuff in groups as I already wrote.

The definition of the groups is your desition, but try to make them with similar characteristics.

Step 8: Saving and Organizing Space in a Drawer P8: Organize the Drawer

The last step is filling the drawer. In the first picture you can see some EPP parts that will be the dividers for the groups in the drawer.

Step 9: The Plastic Glasses

I got this idea when I was trying to separate my coins.

As you can see, the glasses can be used like a money box for each tipe of coins.

Also you can put them one inside the other to have a money box with separated coins. Easy and cheap.

But you can store a lot of stuff, for instance the coins and the keys. Of course you can use as many glasses as you wish but is not a good idea to put them all in a single column. Maybe 3 to 5 glasses per column, in order to avoid accidents and drop the stuff in the ground.

Step 10: Re Ordering the Bookshelf

I like to read. But the space is limited in the bookshelf...when you place the books in a traditional way.

In the 3rd picture you can see the new arragement for the books BUT it come with the inconvenience that is not easy to know which book is each.

The solution is easy. Just Cut a piece of recycled paper with the size of the book and write it's name on it. Then open the book and place the paper on it.

Repeat the same process for each one of your books and that's all. You can place more books in the same bookshelf without any modification to it.

Step 11: Re Using an Old Box

Another box filled with electronic parts. There is no rule to place things on it.

My suggestion is to place the things that you don't use regularly at the bottom. And to try out different configurations to find out which one is the best option for your needs.