Are you looking for different ways to organize items in your home or office?
Do you need some ideas when it comes to how you’ll collect and appropriately sort items?
Organizing items means putting like items with like.
But did you know there’s tons of different ways in which you can group items?
In this post, you’ll find a collection of forty ways you can organize like items with like.
This list will really get you thinking when it comes to how you decide to sort and group times together.
Some of these methods are quite obvious, while others are not so obvious.
Of course, you can organize items according to one, two, or more of these methods.
It’s completely up to you and your preferences.
Now, let’s move onto to the list!
Shape
Items in the home and office come in all different shapes. Do the items in question have a similar shape among them?
Examples: Rectangular reams of paper with rectangular reams of paper; Cylindrical spice containers with cylindrical spice containers
Size
Small, medium, large, tiny or gargantuan. Are the items in question of a similar size?
Examples: Small marbles with small marbles; Large stability balls with large stability balls
Color
The colors of the rainbow are bright, vivid, and there for you to use! Are the items in question of a similar color, hue, or tint?
Examples: Blue sweaters with blue sweaters; Red paint with red paint
Pattern
Repeating motifs and shapes can create intricate designs and forms. Are the items in question of a similar pattern?
Examples: Zigzag stripes with zigzag stripes; Polka dots with polka dots
Texture
Texture delights both sight and touch. Are the items in question of a similar texture?
Examples: Rough sandpaper with rough sandpaper; Smooth chocolate with smooth chocolate
Weight
Light as a spider’s web or as heavy as a skyscraper? Are the items in question of a similar weight?
Examples: Light paper with light paper; Heavy cream with heavy cream
Length
What’s long or short in any collection? Are the items in question of a similar length?
Examples: Standard yardsticks with standard yardsticks; Campfire matches with campfire matches
Width
Narrow, thick, fat or thin. Are the items in question of a similar width?
Examples: Thin notebooks with thin notebooks; Fat markers with fat markers
Height
As short as a shortbread or as tall as giraffe. Are the items in question of a similar height?
Examples: Short pencils with short pencils; Tall straws with tall straws
Volume
How much space do items take up? Are the items in question of a similar volume?
Examples: Two liters of soda with two liters of soda; Five milliliters of milk with five milliliters of milk
Relationship
Personal, professional, familial, or neighborly. Are the items in question of a similar relationship?
Examples: Personal diaries with personal diaries; Office papers with office papers
Category
How would you categorize items in your home or office? Are the items in question of a similar category?
Examples: History books with history books; 80s video games with 80s video games
Trend
Trends will always come and go. Are the items in question of a similar trend?
Examples: Bellbottom jeans with bellbottom jeans; Narrow ties with narrow ties
Time
Time is always there for you to use and is almost always on your side. Are the items in question of a similar time or time period?
Examples: Notes from last week with notes from last week; Victorian age items with Victorian age items
Accessibility
Can you quickly get what you need from your hallway, kitchen, or bathroom? Are the items in question of a similar accessibility?
Examples: Blankets with blankets in dead storage; Face creams with face creams on a bathroom counter
Language
How many different languages do you speak, write, and read? Are the items in question of a similar language?
Examples: French language magazines with French language magazines; Mandarin language books with Mandarin language books
Country
Where in the world did those items come from? Are the items in question from a similar country?
Examples: Vases from Japan with vases from Japan; Clocks from Switzerland with clocks from Switzerland
History
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. Are the items in question of a similar history?
Examples: 18th century European paintings with 18th century European paintings; 20th century American television shows with 20th century American television shows
Background
Can you give a little bit of a background your things? Are the items in question of a similar background?
Examples: Paintings from art camp with paintings from art camp; Lamps from your old apartment with lamps from your old apartment
Meaning
Hmm, have you been meaning to describe exactly what you mean? Are the items in question of a similar meaning?
Examples: Sentimental value earrings with sentimental value earrings; Holiday gifts with holiday gifts
Alphabetical order from A-Z
Sometimes, things can be as easy as A-B-C. Are the items in question of a similar alphabetic order?
Examples: File folders with file folders; Attendance records with attendance records
Alphabetical order from Z-A
Other times, things can be quite helpful in reverse if you need to check items. Are the items in question of a similar alphabetic order?
Examples: Last names with last names; Invoices with invoices
Use
Good, bad, or indifferent. How exactly can you put that item to use? Are the items in question of a similar use?
Examples: Artist’s paintbrushes with artist’s paintbrushes; Toothbrushes with toothbrushes
Strength
No matter what you do, be strong. Are the items in question of a similar strength?
Examples: Super glue with super glue; Strong rope with strong rope
Weakness
Feeling a little bit weak? Are the items in question of a similar weakness?
Examples: Weak lemonade with weak lemonade; Wobbly chair legs with wobbly chair legs
Artificial
Is that item real…or not? Are the items in question of a similar artificiality?
Examples: Artificial lighting with artificial lighting; Artificial flowers with artificial flowers
Natural
When in doubt, why not organize things naturally? Are the items in question of a similar nature?
Examples: Natural peanut butter with natural peanut butter; Natural history with natural history
Idea
Hey, you’ve got an absolutely great idea! Are the items in question of a similar idea?
Examples: Happiness with happiness; World peace with world peace
Design
Designs can add a bit spice to your life. Are the items in question of a similar design?
Examples: Art Deco drawings with Art Deco drawings; Classical architecture with classical architecture
Age
How many years old is that object? Are the items in question of a similar age?
Examples: Young flowers with young flowers; Old desks with old desks
Location
Where can you always find a particular item when you need it? Are the items in question of a similar location?
Examples: Books in the living room with books in the living room; Pens on top of a desk with pens on top of a desk
Number
One, two, three, four, five… Are the items in question of a similar number?
Examples: A dozen eggs with a dozen eggs; A six-pack of seltzer with a six-pack of seltzer
Purpose
How are you going to use that closet filled with stuff? Are the items in question of a similar purpose?
Examples: Notebooks for schoolwork with notebooks for schoolwork; Luggage for a short trip with luggage for a short trip
Sound
Now, hear this! Are the items in question of a similar sound?
Examples: Quiet jazz music with quiet jazz music; Loud radios with loud radios
Odor
Do you smell something satisfying…or suspicious? Are the items in question of a similar odor?
Examples: Sweet perfume with sweet perfume; Stagnant air with stagnant air
Taste
Don’t let your tastebuds fool you. Are the items in question of a similar taste?
Examples: Salty pretzels with salty pretzels; Sour lemon candy with sour lemon candy
Touch
You’ve always got the magic touch. Are the items in question offering a similar tactile experience?
Examples: Soft bathrobes with soft bathrobes; Smooth silk dresses with smooth silk dresses
Sight
Oh! Say…do you see? How do you see items? Are the items in question offering a similar viewpoint or angle?
Examples: Blurry watercolor paintings with blurry watercolor paintings; Crystal clear photographs with crystal clear photographs
Sentiment
You shouldn’t ignore your emotions. Are the items in question of a similar sentiment?
Examples: Sad romantic movies with sad romantic movies; Thoughtful birthday cards with thoughtful birthday cards
Value
What value do items hold for you? Are the items in question of a similar value?
Examples: Expensive dress shoes with expensive dress shoes; Inexpensive paper cups with inexpensive paper cups
How about you? What did you think of this comprehensive list? Are there any other organization methods that you can think of that you’d like to add to this collection? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!
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