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Get Organized!

Whether you're the type who accumulates things just by breathing, or you have a streamlined home and keep your physical footprint in check, we could all use a bit more organization in our lives to make things easier. This guide highlights some of the systems, tips and tricks that Instructables users have employed to keep track of their junk (gold) and make their home environment a little more tidy and user friendly.

Bike Rack / Bike Storage for the Home or Apartment by dan

Modular Water Jug Storage Bins by randofo

How To Make The Low Cost Inventory Storage System by hipgirl

Sliding pants rack by phantazn

Ultimate Parts Storage by tomward

Floating Shoe Rack by pharmer1

Laptop Bag Organizer by jdhorne

Floating Multi-Use Wall Storage by voodooduck

Floating Pipe Shoe Shelf by Grathio

Nifty Car Organizer by joonatan15

Pot Lid Organizer by trebuchet03

Easy "Free" Magazine Storage by aznliu

Electronic Accessory Charging Dock by frazeeg

Pantry by canida

Build a Peg Board Tool Cart (by Brad Justinen) by sensoryhouse

Custom Fitting Drawer Organization Boxes by Lathien

Convert an old ironing board nook into a spicy spice rack by tiffanytomato

Disc Mount - Store and Display CDs on Metal Surfaces by laboratory424

Line-Cook Knife Rack by Leche de Pollo

Sewing Organizer by saleyla

How to Build a Ball Bin Shelf by lee_schnitz

DIY Kitchen Pot Rack by ClayOgre

Space Saving Closet Hangers by chwbcc

How to get organized and improve your lifestyle! by flaresam

37 comments

May 28, 2012. 9:24 AM

triumphman says:

Too much thinkering! Hurts my brain! Chillaxe dudes and dudettes!

May 21, 2012. 11:39 PMperson% says:

you should see my instructable on how to make a two layer box to store electronic components, or other small stuff, it might be interesting to you.

May 21, 2012. 11:58 PMperson% says:

sorry, I forgot this

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-box-to-store-your-components-or-other-stuf/

Sep 8, 2010. 4:50 AMcraftyv says:

Just an observation: People who are creative are very rarely neat freeks as it is a contradiction in how our minds work.
To be creative requires a certain amount of spontanaity (thinking outside the box) so to speak, whilst to be organised requires discipline and control.

Both are equally valid but rarely occur in the same person.

Note: I have several storage boxes ready for my craft /art stuff but I just can't seem to get it together. Strange how I like organisation programs and instructables but I am useless at it. Good organising everyone.

Mar 28, 2012. 4:16 PMcdrake6 says:

I am constantly crafty and have been doing crafts with my parents as a kid as well as passing on new and old ideas to the younger generations in my family. I also have OCD and am a sort of neat freak. I draw. I paint. I do web and graphic design. I post an online column and write fiction and am a gamer and listen to everything from classical Bach to Eminem to Evanescence, Lynard Skynard and Blake Shelton to Katy Perry and Halestorm.

I have OCD and can't stand getting my hands greasy yet love hiking and getting dirty while doing it. I was raised in a strict military family, am learning Tai Chi and meditate to deal with stress. Anime and B-Movies amuse me, but I love watching documentaries and foreign films.

I am constantly telling the kids at my house "Sometimes you have to think outside the box. Sometimes you have to think inside the box. Sometimes you have to BE the box.... And then sometimes just for fun... I act like a plastic bag."

:D

May 11, 2012. 7:28 PM

Thrasym says:

"Sometimes you have to think outside the box. Sometimes you have to think inside the box. Sometimes you have to BE the box.... And then sometimes just for fun... I act like a plastic bag."

I'll have to steal that quote.

Mar 28, 2012. 11:22 PMcraftyv says:

I absolutely love your philosophy re-box to plastic bag, brilliant. I didn't mean to sound emphatic but I really did think neatness and creativity didn't go together. (obviously thinking about myself) Boy did people let me know how wrong I was. I too was raised in a military family where my dad was the "Boss" [ Regimental Sargent Major in the british army.] Yeh! strict. Great post. Craftyv.

Jan 15, 2012. 7:19 PMkomecake says:

I disagree. You can't speak for the entire creative world. I am highly organized and if I am not I get super stressed out, but this doesn't mean I am always clean or that things don't get disorganized. It's just that I feel much better when they are and I am always looking for new ways to organize... but am also very crazy. In fact, my crafts have taken over my closet. Soon there will be no room left for clothes. *nod nod*

Jan 15, 2012. 6:49 PM

HMice says:

However, the way our creative minds work, gives us the need to express ourselves. Therefore an expression may be something that is more useful to other kinds of people. We feel the need to create things for different kinds of people. Know what I'm saying?

Jul 16, 2011. 12:03 PMwscripps says:

Well it's actually more common than one might think. Most people that I work with in the web application and design industry are very creative and organized. I can't imagine working with a designer that didn't know how to manage his/her projects correctly and stay organized with all of the do do lists we have put together. I used to use the same excuse for being disorganized but, then realized I needed to grow up.

Jul 16, 2011. 11:59 AMwscripps says:

Apr 3, 2011. 8:25 AMFuzzyBearGeek says:

Great brain. Your observations are fun. :)

Mar 20, 2011. 6:08 PM

Pippikins says:

you are very right. Isn't ADD an amazing thing?

Nov 15, 2010. 11:16 AMDesignerUserName says:

Does this make me an anomaly to the creative mind? :D

Nov 20, 2010. 4:31 PMcraftyv says:

Maybe I'm the anomaly and, conveniently, I blame my lack of neatness on my creative mind. That's probably nearer the truth. My intentions are good but the act of returning things to the right place seems beyond me.
I actually love all the storage ideas which are very creative and make great use of "used" materials where they can. Hope lots of people try them. Good crafting everyone.

Mar 28, 2012. 4:05 PMcdrake6 says:

I love these ideas and will be sure to try them out. I myself have a few crafty things that i've used around the house. With my nieces and nephews over here all the time (age 7 & 9, 8 & 10, 14 & 16) organization is a must. Here's what i did....

Had an old bird cage someone gave me. Cleaned it up and used top cage part for storing my movie poster tubes. Occasionally the bottom part doubles as an outside porch table for the kids. It's essentially a tray with three legs but they love it and bring it inside to use as well when there's a bunch of them here. The white cart was meant for kitchen, bathroom or laundry room storage. We took the top rack off so the radio would fit but even that isn't wasted. My computer savvy ones use it under their laptops so they don't overheat and it gives them a place to put notebooks and pens when they're all doing homework.

Recently i went through my closets and found a bunch of junk in some old milk crates. Laced them together with a handful of garbage / bread ties and made a shelf out of it for the kids. The extension cord is there so the kids can take the "Radio Cart" as they call it and use it on the porch. They just lift part of the screen on the window and feed the cord through and they can rock out all afternoon. I hope others can use these ideas too!

May 31, 2011. 12:24 PMtaria says:

being organized means I can't find anything and have to tear it up just to find what I'm looking for. And 9 times outta 10 it's not in the spot I thought it was.

May 31, 2011. 12:23 PMtaria says:

I'm somewhat organized, you should see the mess my shelves are in at the moment, I just do the next best thing and put a curtain up and walla no more mess to stare at, works every time....lol

Nov 28, 2010. 10:43 AMWhales says:

My hat instructable would fit well here....

http://www.instructables.com/id/Stylish-Floating-Wall-Hat-Rack/

Jul 23, 2010. 10:32 PMSpice rack says:

I was really amaze on how you sell these spices and some spice racks. It's clean, accessible and well organized, and best of all its cheap!

Feb 5, 2009. 12:38 PMFlumpkins says:

This group should be called "Holding stuff" Organizing (Which I need help on soooo badly) might be something like not shoving things in random places. Organizing isn't just about holding things.

Jun 13, 2010. 3:36 PMSasquatchKid says:

Me to im so un orginized

Apr 20, 2009. 1:56 PMamadoraa123 says:

I agree in full.

Apr 20, 2009. 5:43 PMFlumpkins says:

Thank you! Someone understands!

Feb 13, 2009. 5:23 PMwaraji says:

(removed by author or community request)

Feb 13, 2009. 8:36 PMFlumpkins says:

Hello? That's what 80% of this stuff is

Feb 14, 2009. 12:18 AMwaraji says:

(removed by author or community request)

Feb 14, 2009. 7:21 PMFlumpkins says:

What do you not understand about IT'S ALL HOLDING STUFF!!! I want something else. It's that same old song and dance

Feb 15, 2009. 9:04 AMSgt.Waffles says:

I hold things all the time. In fact, I am holding something right now. Hey, I'm pretty good at this. Can I join the club?

Sep 18, 2009. 8:52 PMdashi says:

I like clubs! Let's start a club! Who wants to be in our club!!!

Feb 9, 2009. 2:21 AMcatarinac says:

I'm very good at organizing other people stuff but not my own. Does anyone else have this problem? :)

Mar 20, 2011. 6:09 PM

Pippikins says:

Everybody that I know of

Feb 14, 2009. 1:08 AMwaraji says:

Yes catarinac, I think that each person, (me too!) me has their emotional attachment to their stuff and other people will have more objective view.

Oct 6, 2010. 1:32 PMpsyoper22 says:

same here...it's a weird phenomenon. my crap is everywhere, meanwhile, i'll go over my friends house and sort their recycling bin for 30 minutes...or go over my father's house and spend 2 hours organizing his storage shed. i can't seem to make 10 minutes for myself to stack my own things...

May 6, 2009. 6:09 AMrustlabs says:

is it possible to submit my instructable to this guide? it has been up for days and got hardly any views :(

http://www.instructables.com/id/milk-crate-clothing-storage/