THE PROBLEM
You know it well...
Its the drawer with all the things in it. Some of those things belong. A lot of them don't.
And if you cleaned it out you would probably find more than a few surprises.
The issue is that you don't really know what's in it and if that's the case what's inside probably isn't serving you well.
THE SOLUTION
(In use for 4+ months at the time of this writing.)
My solution was to reframe the "junk drawer" into "the workhorse". One might even venture to call it a "utility drawer". Because that's what its supposed to be, right? It's supposed to have all the random bits and bobs you reach for as needed that don't really belong anywhere else. BUT that can get out of control fast! Recall with me now your kindergarten teacher reminding you "a place for everything and everything in its place".
You'll notice in my drawer there is no space for random Chinese takeout menus (be honest, you don't need those anymore) or screwdrivers (those live elsewhere). And although this space can be flexible and adapt over time, it has been formatted to hold and organize the things my husband and I find ourselves reaching for and little else.
THE STEPS
1. Ruthlessly determined what would and would NOT live in this drawer. Prioritized things we might want to access quickly on the way out the door (given the drawer's location). Committed to keeping things that belong together... well, together. I'm looking at you stapler AND staples AND staple-remover...and also you, pencils and pencil sharpener.
2. Measured the drawer from inside wall to inside wall (forward/back and side/side) and took note of the depth of the drawer itself.
3. Headed for Mecca. Err... The Container Store. There I fussed with different options before deciding on The Everything Drawer Organizers for two main reasons. This style of insert has 90 degree corners meaning that it will sit flush with neighboring inserts making it less likely to fly around the drawer (more on that in a moment). They are clear. As much as I love a wood insert, for a drawer this visually cluttered I didn't want any distractions.
4. I purchased more than I would need. These inserts come in a wide variety of widths and lengths (the depths are all the same for this particular usage) which is great for mixing and matching until your heart is content and your project is just right. So I grabbed more of each size than I expected to need. I purchased 4-6 of EACH SIZE and made sure I kept the receipt. I'm also in their POP! system which makes it easy to return without a receipt but I'm a belt and suspenders kind of gal.
5. I took them home and started to play. I tinkered and fussed until the things I had determined I wanted in the drawer all had a happy home. It wasn't a perfect fit but hey, these aren't fancy custom dividers. There is room on the far left where a ruler fits well but there's also a little room in the back. At the time I happened to be shopping for this solution The Home Edit was all the rage. They advocate for securing items like this with Glue Dots. I'm here to tell you not to waste your time. While I'm sure they work well for some applications, this is not it.
6. In order to keep my new found organizational achievement from sliding in the drawer, I turned to my trusty Museum Gel. I have no idea how it works and I don't care. But somehow it is a "clear, removable adhesive". A little ball of this stuff in each corner on the bottom of each insert and we were locked and loaded.
FINAL THOUGHTS
At the time of this writing this solution has been in use for more than 4 months and is serving us very well.
- The removable nature of the inserts (even though they have been secured with the Museum Gel) means it can adapt to our future needs should they change.
- Having the drawer filled with inserts means that random things don't sneak their way into this space.
- If we had kids (we don't) I think I may have put labels in the bottom of each insert so that it is easy to know the exact spot to which things should be returned. (i.e. A "SCISSORS" label in the bottom of that insert might be useful)
- No regrets!
Until next time, Jill
RESOURCES
Pilot V5 Retractable Pen (THE BEST PEN EVER!)
Cabinet Pull (In Honey Bronze)
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