Lined Drawer Organizer Projects

Basket Organizers

• Baskets decorate a drawer and work well for kitchen utensils and for items that you take out of drawers, such as art supplies, craft materials and office supplies. With everything for specific projects in separate baskets, it's convenient to carry the baskets to a work table. Streamlined, fine-weave baskets maximize drawer space. Durable fabrics -- such as cotton and linen -- work well to line baskets. Sewing the lining into the basket on the inside near the rim, or gluing it with fabric glue, will keep the lining in place. Bright solid colors or small prints such as gingham or polka dots make cheerful linings.

Tins

• Tins of various sizes make strong organizers. Using square and rectangular ones that are nearly as deep as the drawer makes the most use of the space. Putting the lid on the bottom of the tin allows you to keep the lids handy and display the effect of the liners. If you opt to use round or oval tins, cutting two or more pie-shape wedges out of the fabric that lines the sides of the container will help you to fit the material into the tin. Alternatively, cutting a piece of fabric to fit the bottom and then a rectangular piece to cover the inside sides allows you to line the curved shape without excess bulk.

Eco-Friendly

• Go green by using recycled or sustainable materials for drawer organizers. Bamboo drawer inserts come in many styles and sizes, providing an attractive organizing system that's strong, lightweight and made from a sustainable material. Reusing gift boxes in handy sizes works well for creating lined organizers for bedroom drawers. Cutting dividers out of heavy-duty cardboard and taping the dividers into the inside of a box creates customized storage, such as small cubes for baby bibs or rectangles in different sizes for kitchen or garage tools. Gluing a liner into the inside of the organizer and over its edges gives it a finished look and hides the homemade construction.

Lined Organizer Tips

• Square and rectangular boxes hold rolled ties, briefs, bras, panties, jewelry, belts, tank tops and kitchen or office supplies, keeping each drawer neat. Line boxes for breakable kitchen items, jewelry or lingerie with felt or velvet. Any kind of strong fabric or paper will work to line boxes or ready-made organizers for more durable items.

  Tins store hardware and other heavy items that can break or damage cardboard, plastic and baskets. If you have deep drawers and want to store items you don't use often, putting the lids on the tins after you line and fill them allows you to stack them to save space.