Organization - The Junk Cabinet (part three) FREE DOWNLOADBALE

Following my previously mentioned organization plan I skipped to what I considered the black hole in my house.  The junk cabinets.  Yes, not just a single drawer or cabinet, but multiple cabinets housing the miscellaneous, "I can't throw this away" pieces of clutter in my home.



Silly me, so eager to start the project, forgot to photograph the before :(  I really wish I had so you could appreciate the amount of junk we have collected over 13 years (in this house -- 22 years total!).



But we will solider on!  My house is a basic farmhouse built around 1900.  There have been additions and upgrades to some areas of the house through the years.  The laundry room / office is not one of them.  I love much about this room.  The cabinets are large and deep making great storage space.  The walls and ceiling are covered in real wood bead board :D; the doors are real wood, solid panel doors; real crown molding and large base boards; a built in canning pantry with deep, wide shelves from floor to ceiling; and the room is very large.



 I decided to tackle the storage cabinets.  These are over my dryer and are used for laundry supplies, light bulbs, batteries, tools, dog supplies, emergency supplies, etc. 



First I measured the cabinet spaces.  The cabinets are a deep 26", 18" high between shelves, and 20" wide.  The cabinet has three doors but the inside is one continuous cabinet with no divisions and two shelves. 



After measuring I thought about how I wanted the items organized in the cabinets.  For instance, I knew I wanted flashlights in one place, on a lower shelf so my youngest can reach them when the electricity goes out.  I also wanted to gather and organized all of the dog supplies (extra collars, waste bags, medications, etc.) 



The best solution for my storage cabinets were plastic drawers in a "tower".  I found three drawer units at a local big box store for $8.00 each (what a steal!).  I knew each of the drawer / frames came apart from the main unit so I could easily adjust the height to fit my cabinets.

Two of the three drawers.  I took one off to fit the cabinet.  Larger, outdoor light bulbs are behind this unit.

For the batteries I used a leftover bead organizer.  I found this idea on Pinterest and had to use it.  Batteries are sorted by type, easy to see, and easy to access.

Batteries sorted by type.  Love this idea! 

I also created labels for each drawer.  Here is a FREE DOWNLOAD for you to customize your own labels.

Then the fun began.  I pulled everything out of the cabinets, purged, and sorted.  The finished result is amazing!  I am so happy with the cabinets!  No more searching through piles of stuff to find that one item.

The two drawer units are placed one each shelf, labeled, and sorted.  Behind the units are extra, larger items.  Below is my tool bag and cordless drill (I stole it from my husband!).  I added a small basket for my small garden tools.

I would love to hear about your organizing projects!

Cheers -- Tammi