Sure, you can always find me in the organization section at Sears or Target walking away with at least one or two fun items that help make my life a bit easier. But I always look to the resources I have laying around at home before unnecessary spending.

DIY Home Organization Tips

reuse a soda pop tab

One of my favorite discoveries has been the ability to use soda can tabs to help with an overflowing closet. Simply hang your first piece and second piece on two different hangers. Slide the tab over one of the hangers and then hook the second hanger into the bottom hole of the tab as pictured above. I particularly like to apply this DIY home organization tip to suit jacket and pants sets.

mismatched mug and empty jars 

I resourced the above picture from a great crafting blog called Think Fast by Kimberly Kesti. Many of us have an abundance of mismatched coffee mugs and empty jars in that sit on the shelves collecting dust.  You can use them to help organize a messy desk or even use them for decorating.  I like to use empty vases for mail, knitting needles and cough drops.

empty pill boxes

For some reason, my home collects pill boxes. I have also collected many earrings that are sans its counterpart, namely because they are too small. (I love tiny studs.) Using pill boxes to keep jewelry organized can help tremendously.

empty contact lens cases 

Another mystery is the multiple contact lens cases I’ve accrued along the years.  Contact lens cases are great for travel. You can squirt in foundation or knife in a dab of your favorite lipstick or eye makeup for a perfect travel size container.  They are also great for pills and small jewelry.

empty tissue boxes

This is a 2-for-1 DIY home organization tip. You get to reuse an empty tissue box and find a place for your empty plastic bags. Despite the fact that I take my own reusable bags to the supermarket, I tend come home with a few plastic bags anyway. Rather than randomly stashing them underneath the kitchen sink, you can stuff them inside an empty tissue box for easy access. I use a strong double-sided tape to suspend the box to the inside of my kitchen cabinet to free up space.

label cable cords with bread clips

Ever needed to remove a device from your entertainment center? What should be a simple process becomes a puzzling feat. Bread clips can be particularly handy in this situation. It’s a brillant way to keep your cords in order. Plus it becomes extra useful when you’re getting ready to unplug everything and cord-wrangle from scratch. If your carb habit can’t keep up with the amount of cords you have, you can also cut up an empty milk or juice jug, hole punch it and voila!

In the meantime, here are some real world solutions to cut down on shoe clutter:

Shoe Storage Racks

I ordered this inexpensive shoe rack from Lowe’s this fall and it has helped tremendously. For less than $22 it actually looks more expensive. I will say that I seem to be the one who uses it the most but the price is right and I love having it in the hall when neighbors come to visit.  (Yes we have an annoying “shoes-off” policy but we also have a crawling baby so make sure your socks aren’t smelly and deal with it.)

Individual Bins for Everyone

My neighbor places a bin for each family member near the door way for all personal items-shoes, mittens, hats, etc. She empties the bins periodically when they overflow.

Shoe Clutter Basket

One big shoe basket works as well (if you have a big family, make that a huge shoe basket). This is also handy when you are having company – you can just pick up one big basket and hide it in a closet. If you are a no-shoes-in-the-house family, you can also leave a basket of slippers by the door so family members can take off outdoor shoes and “slip” into something more comfy.

Keep Shoes Organized in Bedroom Closets

A key to controlling this downstairs clutter is to encourage all family members to move their shoes upstairs to their respective rooms. All of our bedroom closets have the over-the-closet-door shoe pocket organizers that work well and free up closet space too. I also use the pockets for scarves and belts.

Cut Down on Shoes 

How many times have you come across flip flops in your shoe area in the middle of winter? If you are vigilant about cleaning out your shoes by season, you could definitely combat your shoe clutter issue. You know there are several pairs of shoes that aren’t just wearable anymore. Toss or donate them for immediate shoe clutter relief. One or two pairs of shoes tops per family member per season for everyday wear should be ready to pop on and off by your home’s main exit.

Put the Little Ones to Work

Our middle child has just been assigned shoe organization as his everyday chore.  His chore is to make sure that the shoes are put away icily on the rack. As he is only 6 years old he views it as more of a game. The best part is when he lectures my husband about leaving his shoes in random corners of the house instead of “nice and neat” like mommy likes them. To my future daughter-in-law, I say thank you.

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Photo credit: Sankt Andreas

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Simple Tips to Getting Organized:

Organize Your Holiday Decorations

Storing your holiday decorations can be a nuisance.  Organize.com is running a spectacular January White Sale where you can save up to 20% on Holiday storage containers.  Use a 10% coupon code on your purchase to maximize your savings.    You can also check out GetOrganized.com who also has a special Holiday Storage category to help get your decorations organized in just minutes.

Organize Your Home Office

Treat your home office like a real business and equip yourself with durable plastic storage containers and paper or plastic filing systems.  You can simplify the organization of your bills and personal documentation by purchasing organizational products from Office Depot. Multiple coupon codes available to apply at checkout with minimum spend.  You can also check out great deals at Office Max to help organize your home office.

Organize Your Entire Home-Indoor and Outdoor Organization

The moment you begin your organizing project, you will find that every corner of your home could be clutter-free with the strategic use of specialty products created to make your life easier.  Organize your bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, garage and more.  You can shop organizational products by room at Problem Solvers and save up to 60% on outlet items.

Organize Your Photos

Your days of putting off that picture project are over.  You probably have hundreds of physical and digital photos that need an album or photo book to call home and Mixbook can help you preserve those special moments.   For a limited time only, use a 40% off discount code at checkout.  Lifephoto also has great tools that will help you organize your photos.  You can save up to 30% on select items.

Organize Your Life

If your mind and spirit are cluttered, your home and home office are likely to follow.  Perhaps the most important tip, try addressing any personal issues before tackling any large organizational projects.  The team at Gaiam is extremely helpful in physical, mental and spiritual transformation.  Visit our Gaiam page for featured coupon codes on select products.  We have a category dedicated to Health and Wellness that will help you organize your life as well.