Let’s be real for a minute. You’ve scrolled through Pinterest, you’ve double-tapped those perfectly curated, aesthetically pleasing kitchen photos on Instagram, and a little voice in your head whispered, “Yeah, my kitchen could look like that… if I won the lottery.” Or at the very least, if I had a spare $500 to drop at The Container Store. Well, let me tell you something: that’s a myth. A big, fat, expensive myth. You absolutely do not need to take out a second mortgage to get a kitchen that’s tidy, functional, and frankly, a joy to be in.
I’ve been organizing my entire life—mostly my friends’ homes because I just couldn’t stand their mess—and I’ve picked up a thing or two along the way. I’ve seen what works and what’s a total waste of time and money. So, trust me when I say these 20 tips are the real deal. They are tried-and-true, personally tested hacks that will change your kitchen for the better. Let’s get into it.
1. Give Your Utensils a Home with Drawer Dividers
First things first, let’s tackle the utensils drawer. Why does this drawer always become a jumbled mess of forks, spoons, and mismatched gadgets? It’s a universal mystery. The solution is shockingly simple: cheap plastic drawer organizers. The Dollar Store usually has these in various sizes, so you can mix and match to fit your drawer perfectly. You can give a specific spot for your forks, knives, spoons, and those miscellaneous gadgets that never seem to have a home. It keeps everything from jumbling together every time you open the drawer. It’s a small change, but man, what a difference it makes. It’s like giving your silverware a little apartment of its own.
2. Stand Your Dish Towels at Attention with File-Folder Bins
Dish towels have a habit of collapsing into a sad, messy pile, no matter how neatly you fold them. Don’t even get me started on the stress of trying to pull one out without disturbing the entire stack. An easy fix? File-folder bins. Stand your dish towels upright in these bins so you can grab one without messing up the whole pile. It’s like a filing system for your towels.
3. Tame Your Lids with Magazine Holders
Pan lids and food container tops are the bane of my existence. They never seem to fit anywhere and they always slide out when you open the cabinet. A simple and brilliant hack is to use slim plastic magazine holders. Stand them up inside a cabinet and slide your lids in vertically. It keeps them from getting all jumbled up, and you can see every single one at a glance. It’s so much better than the old “lid pile” method.
4. Stack Soda Cans with Soda Can Organizers
I love a good can of soda, but they can be a pain to store. They just take up so much space. Luckily, the Dollar Store often has these plastic soda can organizers that are meant for the fridge. But hey, who says they can only be used for soda? These are perfect for stacking cans neatly in your pantry, freeing up a surprising amount of shelf space. It’s a total space-saving win.
5. Add Clear Bins to Cupboards
Do you have that one cupboard where things just go to die? For me, it was the baking supplies cupboard. I never knew what I had, and I always had to pull everything out to find one thing. The solution is clear bins. You can get a bunch of these clear bins and use them to group like items together. Put all your snacks in one, baking supplies in another, and sauces in a third. Being able to see what’s inside without having to pull the bin out is a game-changer, plus it makes your cupboards look so much more organized.
6. Create a Mason Jar Storage System
Who doesn’t love a good mason jar? They’re classic, they’re cute, and they’re practical. The Dollar Store usually sells mason jars, which are perfect for uniform pantry storage. Use them for dry goods like flour, sugar, pasta, or even nuts and seeds. Add some chalkboard labels to the jars and you have a cute, uniform, and very functional pantry system that’s Pinterest-pretty.
7. Over-the-Door Shoe Organizers in the Pantry? Yes!
Okay, this one sounds a little crazy, but trust me on this. Get an over-the-door shoe organizer and hang it on the inside of your pantry door. Each pocket is perfect for holding small, individual items that usually get lost on shelves, like packets of seasoning, granola bars, or small bags of chips. It’s a fantastic way to utilize that vertical space.
8. Use Acrylic Bins to Tidy Your Fridge
Your fridge can get out of control quickly, and before you know it, you have a science experiment growing in the back corner. Use clear acrylic bins to keep things tidy. Group yogurts and sauces together, and put your snacks and lunch items in a designated bin. It keeps things visible and prevents them from getting shoved into the back of the fridge. It’s like giving your food its own VIP section.
9. Organize Your Freezer with Labeled Bins
Your freezer can become a wasteland of half-eaten leftovers and freezer-burned mystery meats. Use freezer bins with labels to group things like frozen veggies, meats, or leftovers. When everything has a designated home, it’s so much easier to find what you need. It also prevents you from buying a new bag of frozen peas because you couldn’t find the one you already have.
10. Build a Coffee Station Drawer
If you’re a coffee enthusiast like me, your morning routine is probably sacred. But a cluttered coffee station can ruin the whole vibe. So, why not build a coffee station right in a drawer? Use small bins from the Dollar Store to keep your K-cups, coffee pods, and stir sticks organized. It keeps the countertop free and everything you need for that perfect cup of coffee is in one organized place.
11. Add Magnetic Hooks to the Fridge Side
Your fridge has so much untapped real estate on its sides. Use magnetic hooks to hang oven mitts, measuring spoons, or even small, lightweight utensils. It’s a great way to use vertical space for things you use all the time, making them easy to grab while you’re cooking.
12. Store Snacks in Clear Cereal Containers
Those clear cereal containers from the Dollar Store are awesome for, well, cereal. But they also double as sleek snack dispensers. Put your chips, crackers, or other snacks in them. It keeps things fresh, looks so much better than the original bags, and makes your pantry look like a professional organizer came through. Plus, it’s a lot easier to see how much you have left.
13. Stack Plastic Baskets for Vertical Space
When you’re dealing with a small pantry, you need to use every inch of vertical space you can. Stackable plastic baskets are perfect for this. You can use them to group pantry items like pasta, chips, or baking supplies. They keep things from toppling over and let you use the entire height of the shelf.
14. Hang Tension Rods Under the Sink
This is one of my favorite hacks, IMO. The space under the sink can become a scary place full of bottles and cleaners that just get lost in the back. Use a tension rod to hang spray bottles by their handles. It frees up the bottom of the cabinet for other things and makes it super easy to grab what you need. Genius, right?
15. Use Small Bins for Cleaning Supplies
Don’t you hate it when you need to clean the counters but you have to dig for the spray bottle, the paper towels, and the cloth? A simple caddy from the Dollar Store can solve this problem. Put all your go-to cleaning supplies in one caddy so you can just grab and go. It makes tidying up so much easier and faster.
16. Lazy Susans for Spices and Oils
No more digging around for that one spice that’s always in the back. Lazy Susans are a lifesaver. Put all your spices on a small turntable and a quick spin gets you exactly what you need. They also work great for oils and vinegars.
17. Store Cutting Boards with File Racks
This is another “not what it was made for but it works perfectly” hack. Use a slim file rack to store your cutting boards and baking sheets upright. It keeps them from getting scratched and makes it easy to grab the one you need without having to pull out a whole stack. It’s a great way to utilize vertical space on your countertop or in your cabinet.
18. Add Command Hooks Inside Cabinet Doors
Your cabinet doors are prime real estate for organization. Use Command Hooks to hang measuring spoons, oven mitts, or even small baskets. It keeps these items from taking up valuable drawer space and makes them easy to find. I love this feature because it keeps things out of sight but still totally accessible.
19. Use Stackable Egg Containers
If you’ve ever opened your fridge to a broken egg, you know the struggle is real. The flimsy cardboard cartons just don’t cut it. The Dollar Store sells hard plastic, stackable egg containers that save fridge space and look Pinterest-pretty. They protect your eggs and let you stack things on top. It’s a win-win.
20. Try Tiered Shelf Risers for Cans and Jars
Tired of not being able to see what’s in the back of your pantry? Dollar Store shelf risers are the answer. They create a tiered system so you can see all your cans and jars at a glance, from the front to the back. No more digging around for a can of beans you know you have somewhere. This little riser makes your pantry feel like a mini grocery store.
Now, Go Forth and Organize!
Look, I get it. The idea of getting your kitchen organized can feel overwhelming, especially if you think you have to buy all the expensive, fancy stuff. But as we just proved, that’s just not true. You don’t need a custom-built pantry or a credit card with no limit. All you need is about $20 and a little creative eye.
My advice? Don’t try to do all 20 tips at once. That would be insane. Just pick three hacks from this list that speak to you the most and give them a try this week. Maybe you start with the utensils drawer, or you finally organize your spices. Just notice the difference it makes. It’s funny how a little organization can make a huge impact on your mood and how you feel about your space.
FYI, these are just a few ideas. The Dollar Store is full of hidden gems. Get creative! Next time you’re there, walk down the aisles with a new perspective. Ask yourself, “Could this be used for something else?” You’d be surprised by what you can find. And don’t forget to save these ideas to your Kitchen Organization board on Pinterest so you’ll have them handy next time you head to Dollar Tree. Happy organizing!
