11 Simple Ways To Organize Your Home

Looking for easy ways to organize your home? I can help with that. Here are 11 simple storage and organizing ideas to tidy up your problem spaces in a jiffy. 
January is supposed to be a month of fresh starts, new beginnings and clean slates.

And if you are into home decor, even the tiniest bit, it's supposed to be about organization.

At least that's what the internet says.

Apparently, it's not enough for you to make some New Year's resolutions. Your house has to have some, too.

Get it in shape. Ditch the clutter.

And cut those messy habits out. 

Well. While I'm all for an organized house, I don't necessarily subscribe to the January refresh thing.

I organize throughout the year, when I feel like a space needs some attention. And to be honest, I do the bulk of my organizing in the fall.

Right before the holidays. 

However, I realize there are a lot of people out there who do love to start the year off with a place for everything and everything in its place.

So before January slips away, I thought I'd share some past projects for inspiration.

11 Simple Ways To Get Organized This Year

In no particular order, here's how I keep my place tidy.

1. Quick Tips To Organize Your Paperwork

Organizing paperwork is one of those nagging tasks that seems never ending. Even in a digital age, there are some things that just have to be printed, signed, mailed or saved.

I'm not a huge fan of making a big deal out of sorting and filing it and I certainly don't want to spend a lot of money to do it.

Instead, here's my super simple method that keeps it out of my view, so I don't constantly feel pressured to tackle it, until I'm ready to take care of it.

How I prioritize what gets dealt with first and what to do with it all when I'm done.

Fabulous.

2. Keep Cords Out Of The Way

Cords and wires from computers, phones and tvs are a hazard, take up space on your desk or work area and they're ugly. Which bugs me the most.

So a few years ago, I found this handy dandy little solution that has made all that mess just go away.

To be honest, it's my favorite organizational tip on the list.

3. Organize, Track And Automate Your Bills

Ok, so this one is more of an intangible kind of organization, but it's still related to your home, since it's your household's finances.

I do it with this budget sheet I made years ago and it helps to plan and see where my money needs to go without an app or some fancy accounting program.

Then I can automate my recurring payments and manually schedule the others so there's no late fees, no missed due dates and no surprises.

And a real savings plan in place.

There's no fancy math involved either. I promise.

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4. Plastic Baskets Are Your Best Friend In The Bathroom

Long before we renovated our hallway bathroom, I was already using plastic baskets to organize all the girls' stuff.

Wicker ones are prettier, for sure, but they're pricey and they don't hold up well to leaky shampoo bottles and the like. Plastic can be washed out over and over again.

Plus, they're like a buck a piece, so if they do break, or get too icky, no big loss.

And they're light enough to add to a door with command hooks make more room in a tight space. 

5. Handles Are Helpful

If I have items that I need to carry from room to room, I store them in something with handles.

Painting supplies or yarn, for example, come with me, so I can enjoy those activities anywhere, inside or out. Therefore, it make sense that my organizational solution would be portable.

And your carrier doesn't need to be anything special. Old shopping bags, unused purses or even a DIY tote are all great ways to store your supplies. Hang them in a closet until you need them.

Then just grab and go.

6. Use Old Dress Bags To Store Curtains

If you're like me, addicted to fabric and own lots of curtains, storage can be an issue. Especially if you hate ironing.

I've found that the easiest way to keep my window treatments looking fresh is by hanging them in the closet in old garment bags.

Fancy dress bags work the best. They're thick, have zippers and are made to protect delicate fabric. So when I pull those panels out again, they're fresh and still pressed.

Love that.

7. If It Doesn't Fit, You Must Ditch

I live in cottage that was built in 1920's for summer living. Well, maybe.

Our home is rumored to be the first home built for year round living in the community. But that doesn't change the fact that the closets are small. Really, really small. 

Closet organizers- like these hanging ones - are great, but let's face it, when your space is limited, fancy shelving isn't going to make that much of a difference. What you need to do is pare down. 

And that's exactly what I do when I go through my closet each season.

I have a metric for what stays and what goes, but let's just say as I get older, what fit my body last year, may not fit this year.

Or more accurately, it may no longer fit me. 

Hard choices, I get it, but it makes for a much neater closet, that's for sure.

8. Contact Paper Is Essential

Hear me out. When you get new bedding and pillows, you want to make your bed every day and keep your room neat so you can appreciate the view.

You're more motivated to pick up the laundry and put your socks away, rather than leave them on the floor. Strewn about, they ruin the look.

The same thing happens when you put contact paper in a drawer or cabinet.

Everything old is new again, fresh and clean and your desire to keep it looking that way rises. 

Trust me.

And if you need to know exactly how to apply contact paper without the bumps, lumps and wrinkles, I have a tutorial for that.

9. A Pantry Makeover Will Save You Money

A pantry makeover is a quick way to add some style to your kitchen and get the most of your grocery dollars. And it can be done on a very small budget. 

My pantry was a disaster for far too long. Nothing was visible, so we either ended up tossing expired foods by the bagful or buying doubles and triples of too many others.

Once we renovated it, by adding peel and stick wallpaper, I knew I needed to up my organizational game. Again, beauty was not my main concern when choosing bins or baskets. Function ruled.

A few inexpensive, well thought out items, including a DIY or two, and an old bowl that I only used on holidays, helped make the most of our space. 

10. Create Storage In Plain Sight

If you are a cottage or small space dweller, like me, you many need to get creative with your storage spaces. 

And I find that fabric is enormously helpful. Plus it doubles as decor. 

For example, when I created a ring clip skirt for a table in my basement family room, it added a pop of color and a stealthy hideaway for toys.

In the kitchen, by adding fabric to the glass cabinets above my desk area, I turned those see through display areas into covered hideaways for seldom used mismatched glassware. 

Much better than having a bunch of plastic buckets stacked on top of one another in a corner. Certainly, much more appealing.

And isn't that {more than} half the goal?

Of course, I feel my last organizational tip is truly the most important one of all.

11. Simplify

How you ask? Well, it's pretty basic, and it's been a quiet theme running throughout my tips. 

And one that's made all the difference in my home and my life. 

Simplify. Keep only what is necessary or truly brings you joy.

When in doubt, throw it out. Or donate it or give it to a family member. But let it go.

Very few things in life can't be replaced and if you end up with remorse you can go out and pick up new. Sentimental items sure...but even many of those can find their way back into your life.

I'm not saying you have to live with nothing, but the bottom line is that the more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to manage.

To wade through, clean up, clear out.

And organize.

Over and over again.

Apparently in January.

And really, aren't there things you'd rather be doing with your time?

When you do organize?