How To Organize Kitchen Drawers Once And For All

Are your kitchen drawers a little out of control? Have you worked to make them tidy only to find they go right back to messy in no time? I have a few tips to teach you how to organize kitchen drawers so they stay neat – and it’s not hard.

Let’s face it: the kitchen is the busiest room in the house. Mine feels like a revolving door. When there is so much activity in a space, it’s easy for things to get out of control. When things get messy, sometimes it’s easier to start small—like dealing with the drawers. This little how-to-organize kitchen drawers guide might be just what you need to motivate yourself to get this room in order.

You will learn ideas for kitchen drawers, kitchen utensil organization ideas, what to put in small kitchen drawers, and more. I will share my pictures and links to the items I used to keep my space tidy.

This post is all about how to organize kitchen drawers like a pro!

How To Organize Kitchen Drawers To Keep Them Neat

Always keep in mind that your clutter is talking to you. If you keep organizing and reorganizing a space, something isn’t working. Most of the time, it means you have too much stuff. And that’s ok! If you declutter and things still get disorganized, you might need to define the space more clearly. Let’s get to it!

1. Kitchen Utensil Organization Ideas

This is the best drawer to start with! Why? Because it already has a defined purpose and just needs the right organizer. Start by taking everything out of the drawer and giving it a good cleaning. Next, take a look at your space and how many things you are trying to put in that drawer. If you need to purge, now is the time.

Here’s a tip: You don’t have to keep every piece of flatware in that drawer. If you have a lot of extras and need to keep them for special times, let’s move those to another location. Keep only the amount you need on a normal day in this drawer. This tip will keep your drawer from getting overstuffed and messy.

Do You Need A Utensil Organizer For Flatware? Here Are A Few Ideas:

My Exact Flatware Organizer: This one is bamboo and is expandable!
Flatware Organizer for Small Drawer: This teeny-tiny organizer is just over 5 inches wide!
Flatware Organizer for Large Drawer: This organizer has 9 slots and expands to almost 20 inches.
Flatware Idea for Unique Spaces: This company offers individual stackable boxes that allow you to create your own design.

2. Kitchen Knife Drawer Organization Ideas

If you want to clear your countertops, you can opt to store your knives in a drawer. But before you toss them in, there is a better way to store them. There are organizers built just for storing your knives, and there are so many choices.

Here’s a tip: Empty the drawer you want to use for knives and take stock of everything you want to add back. Count your knives and measure before you order an organizer. The more you plan, the easier it will be to pick out the right one for your drawer.

Knife Organizer Options for Your Drawer

My Exact Organizer: This is great if you don’t have a ton of knives and need to store other tools, too.
Large Organizer for Knives: This is a great option if you have a full drawer to dedicate to knives. It holds 16 knives and a sharpening tool.
Small Organizer for Knives: This little guy is less than 5.5 inches but holds 16 knives! A lot of bang for your buck!
Extra Large Organizer for Knives: If you have an extensive knife collection, this one HOLDS 55 KNIVES!

3. Kitchen Tool Drawer Organization Ideas

The kitchen tool drawer can get out of control really fast. Casually, you collect things over the years that seem to end up in this drawer, and they just stay there. It’s also a hard drawer to purge. Do you really need an ice cream scooper? How about a cherry pitter? It’s hard to know what to keep and what to purge from this space. Also, as kitchen tools age, some people grow attached to them. There are a ton of reasons this drawer is a challenge to organize, but you can do it!

Here’s a Tip: Try a half-way purge for this drawer. Sort the tools into a purge pile, keep pile, and a “not sure yet” pile. Take your “not sure yet” pile and tuck it away in another place. If you haven’t needed anything from this space in a few months, purge the pile without revisiting.

Kitchen Tool Drawer Organizer Ideas

My Exact Organizers: I used two of these adjustable boxes, and I added another little box divider that came with THIS SET.
Expandable Organizer: This larger organizer with lots of compartments is perfect for you if you have a lot of different-sized tools.
DIY Box Organizers: If you have unique tools and need to build your own space, try this set of wooden boxes.
Adjustable & Expandable Organizer: This is the most adjustable organizer I have seen to fit virtually any drawer!

4. Coffee and Tea Drawer Organization Ideas

Coffee and tea drawers have become super popular for a reason: they are functional and pretty, and you can see what you need to restock. It might take a few tries to get this drawer just right, but it’s worth the effort. Everyone has a different coffee maker these days, and they make organizers for everything!

Here’s a tip: It’s time to get real about the types of drinks you actually make in your family. If you are keeping weird teas from a gift basket, it’s time to gift them on. This drawer should be very functional. And if your family loves hot chocolate, use this drawer for all of the best fixings for the best hot chocolate in town!

The best coffee and tea drawer organizers

My Exact Organizers: This drawer was made up of two different sets: a 5-piece adjustable set and a wooden box set.
Tea Bag and Coffee Pod Organizer: This one has space for pods and tea bags, and it’s expandable!
Nespresso Pod Organizer: If you are looking for an organizer just for Nespresso pods – I got you!
Tea Organizer: If you are a tea drinker and love variety, you might want to add some tea boxes to your drawer.

5. Junk Drawer Organization Ideas

Junk drawers can be the hardest drawers to organize. To be honest, I have organized and reorganized mine so many times. I am hopeful that this time, it will work. The goal is to give this drawer a clear purpose and stop using it as a drop zone.

Here’s a tip: Take everything out and return the random stuff to its real home. I’m going to take this drawer a step further and label the boxes with what is supposed to be stored in each section. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it works!

Junk drawer organizers that might work for you

My Exact Organizers: These little boxes can be mixed and matched to create the perfect fit. Leftovers can be added to other drawers!
Expandable & Adjustable: This organizer is the most adaptable I have found, and it comes with labels!
Most Color Choices: This little box set can add color to your drawers! It comes with 25 pieces and 8 colors!

6. Bags and Wraps Organization Ideas

Most of us have a space with Ziploc-style bags and plastic wrap or foil. And these areas can get messy so fast. The boxes can get worn, and it’s hard to tell when you’re running low on supplies. They have so many drawer organizers for this issue now; who knew? I used my very old bread drawer for this space, and I had to rotate one box to make it work, but so far, it’s a great solution.

Here’s a tip: Measure and plan this drawer out before you purchase any of the storage boxes. This can be a tricky space to organize, and some of the products are built for larger modern drawers. Also, parchment paper will not fit in any of the organizers I found. I’m still working on that!

Bag and Wrap Organizers That Might Work For Your Space

My Exact Organizers: These organizers have been great, even though I turned one upright to fit my space! (I did color the label with a black sharpie to make it match my kitchen just a little better.)
Magnetic Organizer: This 6-in-1 organizer has two magnetic boxes for foils that can be attached in various ways for more options.
Modular Organizer: This organizer has 4 modular boxes that can be placed to fit any drawer! It’s a perfect set for any space.

7. Kitchen Towel and Oven Mitt Organization Ideas

A deep drawer can be a great place to store your kitchen towels and oven mitts. It allows you the space to stand them up and keep them neat. Before you start organizing this drawer, be sure to purge it first. I got rid of my old kitchen towels and grabbed a set of matching ones. I also had holes in my old oven mitts and opted for these silicone ones that match my kitchen. My mom makes my washcloths! Thanks Mom!

Here’s a tip: Using a drawer divider rather than a container gives you the full length of the drawer, which works great for organizing your kitchen towels!

Kitchen Towel Drawer Tools To Help You Organize

My Exact Organizers: This is my DRAWER DIVIDER, and this is MY LITTLE WHITE BOX.
Kitchen Towel Drawer Organizer: This one is amazing! It limits the number of towels you have and keeps them so neat.
Drawer Boxes: Dresser drawer boxes are a great option for this drawer! You can mix and match, and they come in lots of colors.

How To Organize Kitchen Drawers Once And For All