10 Environmentally Friendly Organization Products You Can Make at Home 

Image of a scene in Central Park, photography by R. IsipLooking for some helpful, clever, inexpensive and environmentally friendly organization products?

While brand-new organizing products can be helpful, sometimes all you need to be better organized is a bit of imagination and creativity.

In honor of Earth Day, I’ve put together a list of small organization and/or storage projects you can quickly put together at home.

Most likely you have some materials already on hand to create one or two of the below projects.

As they say, waste not, want not!

Instant notebook.

This is so easy to do, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

What you need: Empty three-ring binder, three-hole puncher, 8-1/2 x 11” scrap paper/paper that has already been printed on one side that you no longer need.

What to do: Three-hole punch the scrap paper and insert into the three-ring binder. You’ve now got a handy binder for quick notes, sketches, doodles, whatever!

Clothespin memo board.

An easy way to keep important memos, invitations and notes visible.

What you need: Wooden clothespins, glue, a strip of wood or piece of strong string or wire.

What to do: Glue the wooden clothespins to the strip of wood or string or wire. Let dry. Mount on a wall or hang from nearby fixtures.

Shoebox charging station.

A convenient way to charge your electronic devices and store charging accessories.

What you need: A shoebox, a pair of scissors, charger accessories for your cell phone, digital camera etc.

What to do: Cut one hole on the long end of the shoebox and another hole on top of the shoebox cover. Thread the smaller end of the charger cord through both holes, making sure to gather the rest of the charger cord on the inside of the shoebox. Attach your digital device and plug the charger into a wall socket.

Glass jar storage.

A sturdy way to both easily see, and contain items.

What you need: Empty glass jars and their lids, your choice of small odds and ends that need to be contained (ex. paper clips, barrettes, cotton balls and so on.)

What to do: Thoroughly sanitize the jars and lids in boiling water and let dry thoroughly. Drop in your choice of odds and ends and store jars, on your desk, dresser, bathroom cabinet and so on.

Office supply tray.

Keep your office supplies in order.

What you need: A small shallow box, sturdy pieces of cardboard, a pair of scissors, glue.

What to do: Choose a mid- to deep-sized desk drawer in which you’d like to use your tray. Trim the sides of the box to less than the height of the drawer, and use scissors to cut small pieces of cardboard to act as dividers for your tray. Glue dividers in place and let dry thoroughly.

Magazine/file holder.

Store magazines and files in a pinch.

What you need: A sturdy cereal or other similarly shaped rectangular box, a pair of scissors, magazines, papers and files.

What to do: Make a horizontal incision across the narrow side of the box and then cut upwards towards the top of the box, in the shape of a magazine holder. Trim off any excess cardboard and drop in magazines or files.

Instant purse-switch bag.

Makes switching purses a breeze!

What you need: Your favorite purse or two, a small to medium-sized mesh or fabric zippered bag, a self-adhesive strip of hook and loop fastener, a pair of scissors.

What to do: Trim the length of the hook and loop fastener to the length of the small zippered bag, affix the loop end of the strip to the outside of the small bag and affix the hook end to an inside wall of your purse. Place frequently used items in the small bag such as your keys, wallet and cell phone, and simply remove the smaller pouch to make switching bags easy!

Wallet and key drop tray.

An easy way to keep track of your most important personal items.

What you need: A kitchen tray or old cookie sheet, scrap paper, a pencil and permanent black marker.

What to do: Clean the tray or cookie sheet throughly and let dry. On the sheet of scrap paper, write down all the important things you need before you leave your home such as wallet, house keys, car keys, cell phone, sunglasses, medication and so on. Finalize your list and then write down these items on one side of the tray with the permanent marker or in any manner you like on the tray. Simply drop these items on the tray when you arrive home and check the tray for these items when you’re getting ready to leave the house.

Scarf and/or tie rack.

A convenient way to store and access scarves and ties.

What you need: A wire or plastic hanger, loose three-ring circular binder clips, scarves and/or ties.

What to do: Open and attach the circular clips to the bottom of the hanger. Thread scarves and ties through the clips. Simply undo the clips to retrieve a scarf and/or tie.

Jewelry box.

What you need: An ice-cube tray or trays, large metal, plastic or wooden box, assortment of earrings, rings and other jewelry.

What to do: Clean and dry ice-cube tray. Store pieces of jewelry in each of the slots, stack trays if necessary, and store the lot in the larger metal or wooden box, dresser or vanity drawer.

How about you? Will you try any of the above ideas? Maybe you have an idea or two of your own that you’d like to share with others? Join in the conversation and leave a comment below!

 

5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook Mockup
About the Author

Rashelle

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity consultant who helps successful entrepreneurs and business owners manage their time and energy so they can reduce stress, work less, and make more money in their businesses. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Atlantic. Get her free guide, 5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook, by clicking here.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

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

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This