Home » Crafty » Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy

Hi friends!  If you missed my post on Or So She Says last month where I shared my major organization overhaul for my craft drawers, here’s the whole shebang.

Let’s start with an “after” picture:

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy by Lauren from The Thinking Closet

They’ve undergone quite the change.  For way too long, my craft storage drawers were in a sad state of disorganization and in desperate need of some purging and a bit of structure.  They were becoming more like junk drawers than craft drawers, and it became a constant struggle to find things I knew I had…somewhere.  Finding something as simple as a glue stick or scrapbook scissors?  I’d have better luck spear fishing while blindfolded.  Here’s evidence in photo form:

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy via Lauren from The Thinking Closet

Suffice it to say, things were getting pretty scary; something needed to be done.

Rather than spend money on expensive drawer organizers, I decided to go the budget savvy route and make my own!  Here’s the how-to, in case I’m not alone in my craft drawer chaos and love of a good d.i.y. project.

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvey – – HOW TO:

1.  Gather supplies.  I had been saving boxes of all sizes for a few months now with this project in mind.  So, I piled them together in one messy heap.  I love projects where I can incorporate recycled materials!

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy via Lauren from The Thinking Closet

I had received some inspiration from one of my pins of a project by Lori from The Stonybrook House; she had covered cereal boxes in wrapping paper and mod podge to create a desk drawer organizer.  I decided to put my own spin on the project, using contact paper instead, which definitely saved me a lot of mess and time in the end!  I picked up this roll of light green floral contact paper at Target for just a few bucks.  Click here to view it on Amazon.  {Disclosure: Please know that if you make a purchase using a link on this page, I may earn a small commission, and I am very grateful for your support of this site. Thanks! Read all the fine print here.}

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy via Lauren from The Thinking Closet

2.  Sort and purge.  This is the hardest part, and I’ll be honest here: I let the messy heap of boxes just chill in the middle of our living room for a few days while I mustered up the courage to begin this process. But once I dove in, I was surprised with how quickly I was able to sort, as well as purge a bunch of items to the recycle bin and trash can.  Like those bottles of dried up acrylic paint from days of old?  Or the hundreds of address labels with my maiden name…from middle school?  Yeah.  It was high time.

3.  Arrange the boxes in your drawers.  Arranging the boxes is the fun part for those of you who enjoy puzzles.  I found I had just the right amount of boxes to fit the items I had.  My use of space was considerably more economical than it was before; I was able to fit three storage units’ worth of items into two!

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy via Lauren from The Thinking Closet

4.  Cover your boxes in contact paper.  Contact paper worked wonderfully for this project because there was no mess; also, if the paper didn’t lay smooth the first time, I could easily remove it and re-stick it.  One roll was just enough for me to cover my boxes for 3 large and 2 medium drawers.

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy by Lauren from The Thinking Closet

5.  Assemble your newly organized drawers and add labels!  I had some Martha Stewart Home Office™ with Avery™ Chalkboard Labels on hand from a previous project, so I slapped a few of those on my drawers and labeled them with a white chalkboard marker to finish the project.

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy by Lauren from The Thinking Closet

I also decided to cut up one label to create five mini-labels to help identify categories in my stationery drawer.

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy by Lauren from The Thinking Closet

To close:

I’m really excited about my new system…for several reasons:

  1. With this new method, each item has a “home,” making organization much easier to maintain.
  2. Drawers can be easily removed, so I can grab my glitter box for a craft project and quickly return it to the drawer when I’m finished.  Clean-up will be much faster.
  3. It’s cute!  The contact paper helps give a unified look to my drawers.  You’d never know those are oatmeal and cereal and K-cup boxes under there.
  4. It’s budget savvy and earth-friendly!  It only cost me a few buckeroons, and gave my messy heap o’ boxes a second life.

Craft Drawer Organization for the Budget Savvy by Lauren from The Thinking Closet

Now, that’s more like it!

Craving more organization projects?

Check out more organization goodness with these tutorials: D.I.Y. Wooden Chalkboard Labels, Rustic Key & Sunglasses Holder, and The Menu Planner to Rule Them All.

Organization Projects by Lauren from The Thinking Closet

Happy organizing!  {Linking up here.}

This is Lauren, signing off.

| |

65 Comments

  1. I love this! I would love it if you joined and contribute your awesome posts at my link party at City of Creative Dreams on Fridays 😀 Hope to see you there at City of Creative Dreams Link Party

  2. WOW! I love, love, LOVE this idea! I am crazy enough to love just the look of organization, so this is right up my alley! Thanks!

  3. I didn’t know that you could re-stick contact paper,…I thought it was a one shot deal which always scared me, lol. Your drawers look amazing now.

    1. Yes, the contact paper I used (contact brand) was re-stickable…but sticky enough that it’s not peeling off of the boxes, either. Best of both worlds! And thanks for the kind words, Terry. Those craft drawers were in major need of some organization…it was a long time coming!

  4. Lovely! You are a woman after my own heart. I plan to share this on my facebook page, Organized at Heart. I love reusing and up-cycling items.

    I found you through Katherine, Pillows a la Mode.

    1. Thanks for the share, Alys! And I’m glad to know you share in my love of a good upcycle. It’s such a rewarding feeling to take something that might have been heading for the trash or recycle bin and give it a new purpose and even a new look! And isn’t Katherine just the best? Such a wonderful bloggy buddy to so many.

  5. Such a great idea – I need to track down some pretty contact paper.

    I would love for you to link up at the Mommy Archive. We’re focused on craft rooms and cupboards this week but you can also link up your fab old posts on all sorts of other craft, home, food and parenting topics Alice@ Mums Make Lists x

    1. Alice! Try Target (if you have one), a Dollar Store, or Amazon (link in post). It’ll make a world of difference to have pretty contact paper dressing up those drawer organizers…at least, in my humble opinion. And it’s funny, a friend was just telling me about an archive clearing link party, and I hadn’t put two and two together that it was yours! Added your Tuesday Party to my link party list, so I’ll be sure to stop back in future weeks. Thanks!

  6. I recently re-did my craft/desk drawers as well! Sadly, they didn’t turn out half as lovely as yours. I think it’s mostly because more purging needs to happen; hoarding craft supplies is just too easy because you can re-use everything (at least according to Pinterest).
    I really like the idea of using re-cycled materials, but we don’t really eat cereal. Hmm, will have to have a think about what I could use instead!
    Really nice though, I especially like the chalk labels!

    1. Oh believe me, I understand about hoarding craft supplies. In addition to this storage, I have a big Tupperware in the basement, and another upstairs for my Silhouette materials…both are overflowing! Oh, and I’m hoarding more boxes for the someday when I use this same method on our hall closet. So, yeah. You’re not alone. And in addition to cereal boxes, I used old mailing packages, cracker boxes, root beer carriers…anything I could cover in contact paper! Ha ha. Glad you like the idea, though!

  7. So smart! I really need to do this. I’ve been saving small boxes from work, so I should be ready to go. Thanks for the inspiration!

  8. Lauren, this was such a fabulous frugal makeover! So do tell, is the drawer staying organized? I have a feeling it wouldn’t at my house with all the curious little fingers around here!

    Thanks for sharing this post at A New Creation!
    I really like those K cup boxes too and haven’t put them to good enough use yet. Sounds like a good reason to drink more coffee!

    1. Thanks, friend! Yes, the system is staying intact; however, I don’t have wee ones running around and doing their own “re-organizing.” So, maybe you could save your drawer organization projects for top drawers only (ha ha). Or use that as an excuse not to do it at all!

      Yes, the K-cup boxes are a fun size, aren’t they? Any excuse to drink more hot drinks is okay in my book.

      You’re so sweet to pop around to visit the projects of those who link up at your party. Will drop by in the next few days, fo’ sho’!

  9. GREAT Organization, everything feels light doesn’t it?… I loved what you u did with different boxes! I have saved a few as well to do that but I don’t have enough yet :D. the boxes look so cute btw!

    Thanks for the tips! 😀

    XOXO

    1. Thanks, Camila! You’ll be surprised how quickly you can acquire a slew of boxes once you start rescuing them before they hit the recycle bin. And funnily enough, now when I grocery shop, I sometimes think, “Oooo…that would be a great box for organizing with!” I shop with ulterior motives, I suppose. Ha ha.

  10. Great recycle idea! I hafta run down to the dungeon basement and grab as many boxes I have saved as I can. DH has threatened to throw them out for the trash this week. Dollar tree contact paper has been haunting me to use it and now I can! Thanks for the great idea!

    1. I need to hit up Dollar Tree next time around when looking for contact paper. Ha ha, and we have a dungeon basement, too, where I hoard my boxes. Glad you can rescue yours before they go to the trash!

  11. Love this!! I have so many boxes and that same contact paper! Guess what I’ll be doing next!! Hopping over from House of Hepworth’s! Glad I stumbled upon your site!! New follower!

    Oh, and Happy 30th!!

    Kate @ Uniquely Undone

  12. Such an awesome project. I just covered some diaper boxes with contact paper too. A few weeks ago I was in HomeGoods and in the clearance section down at the bottom I saw some chevron contact paper (I have been looking for months too). Whahhh? I just about died on the spot. I quickly grabbed it, because I was literally afraid someone else would. I held it close to my chest all the way to the register. What if some other chevron crazed mama saw it and grabbed it from me?!? What’s even more awesome is that it came in a set of 2 rolls and it was only $2.50. I seriously thought I might’ve been dreaming. So, I’ve been covering stuff all over my house and still have a ton left. I didn’t think of using boxes to go inside a plastic organizer, which I too have and is a crazy mess. Ok…sorry about the novel.

    1. Ha ha! A sewing room sounds like a fun place to organize…though I’d probably get distracted by fun fabrics and want to stop and create instead of organize. So, sorry. I probably wouldn’t be much help! 🙂 Hugs back.

  13. You are brilliant! I really need to take the time and do this. Half of my problem is that I can’t find anything when I am looking for it and I make a huge mess that I just shove wherever it can go… Which makes the next dig to find something problematic also. Thank you so much for such a wonderful idea! Love it 🙂

    1. I totally can relate to the frustration of not being able to find things that you know you have. That was my dilemma that led to this oh so necessary organization fest. But there are several other areas in our house (ahem…the front hall closet) that also need some drawer organization. I think once everything has its own special place to “live,” it’s so much less likely to get lost. Anyway, glad you liked the idea Krista! Hope it helps!

    1. Me, too! I used to spend way too much on organizational supplies when I was teaching full-time…now, I’m realizing you don’t really NEED to break the bank to get organized. It just takes a little creative thinking and planning, that’s all! Thanks for the pin, Tanya.

  14. I love this! I am such an organization junkie and always looking for fun new ways to organize 🙂 Love the contact paper you picked up. So pretty… gotta love Target for always coming through, right!! 😉
    Kenley

    1. Thank you, Sarina. This is a small part of our home this is organized…and it definitely has solved a lot of my crafting woes. Now I can actually find things. But I just need to apply this same approach to the rest of the house! Ha ha. Happy organizing to you!

    1. Thanks, Maria! And I’m happy to share my process with y’all. (Isn’t the Sew Darn Crafty linky party grrrrreat? I’ve discovered so many incredible bloggers and inspiring projects through that party. In fact, it was one of the very first link parties I ever knew about. Sigh. Takes me back to the early days of blogging when I was oh so in the dark. Ha ha.)

  15. What a fun blog you have! i’m glad I found it 🙂 Also, great organizational idea…I need all the help I can get with things like that! Nice to meet you 🙂
    Jade

    1. I know! Drawer dividers can be so pricey! I love places like The Container Store, but I don’t like the pretty penny I have to drop when making purchases. For me, this does the job and doesn’t look half bad! And you can’t beat the price tag. Glad you approve, Laura Jane!

  16. Great organization! I have that same contact paper… picked it up at my local dollar store:) Planning to use it soon to decorate some file organizing bins! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing,
    Krista

    1. Your pantry turned out amazing (you definitely have organizational prowess), so I can’t wait to see how your file organizing bins turn out! And I love that we share the same taste in contact paper!

  17. You sure did a bang up organizing job. Can imagine it feels really good to know where things are, be able to go right to them when needed. Sometimes it’s hard to start a project like that as you know it’s going to mean some extra work. But once it’s finished it’s worth the extra effort. Happy Days

    1. It has made a world of difference. And you’re so right about it being worth the effort. I need to remember that as I try to muster up the motivation to tackle the front hall closet with this same system. Have a happy St. Patty’s Day, JaneEllen!

  18. I am almost positive I used that same contact paper for my ironing board shelf. I’m such a container hoarder, I can’t wait to start putting them all to use. Great upcycle!

    1. Thanks, London! And I love that you have used this same contact paper! I bought mine at Target, but I heard they also sell it at the dollar store. Score!

      And I’m always saving old boxes and containers thinking I might be able to use them in the future. I was so glad this project actually put those boxes to use!

    1. They really did the job then! Glad to hear I’m not the only one getting a second or third life out of recycled materials! What a great idea to use copy paper boxes for book cases! Thanks for sharing.

Your comments make my day!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *