Five Easy Steps to Organize Drawers Using Dividers

It looks like January is the month of endless resolutions, from diet and exercise to overcoming personal challenges and organizing almost every part of your life.

Well, I only know a little about diet and exercise, but the organization is right down my alley during January and all year.

Three years ago, I posted pictures of the messy drawers in my kitchen. 

You don't want the world to see these pictures, but anyway, you publish them as a good reminder of the work you need to tackle.

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Then, time starts rolling, and before you know it, two full years have passed, and you've done absolutely nothing!

Yep. It was only last year that I brought the organization to the drawer in the kitchen island, and wow, it made a HUGE difference! Not only did I create a central divider for this drawer, but a double drawer/divider was also installed to take advantage of all the space that the big drawer had.

You can check that entire project right here: DIY - Double Drawer.

Throughout last year, I also brought the organization to these little drawers close to the stove, but I still need to share those transformations with you.

Let's take a look at them with the following before and afters:

Drawer 1

I removed those hideous plastic dividers, and now it looks much better. But I still want to add a double drawer in here. The only problem is figuring out where to store those measuring cups. 

Those are the only ones taking more vertical space than I want to give them. The extra drawer would store my knives in a wood block on the counter.

Drawer 2

Remember the infamous drawer number 2? Gee, what a disaster this was! Many of those items, like the serving spoons and pretty tongs, went to live in the top drawer of the kitchen island. The other items that I use when cooking stay in here.

I even got new stuff! We are lemon/lime lovers. You name it: tea with lime, salads, and chicken with lime or lemon. Well, that yellow citrus juicer is the only one that passed the test of brutal use! We have been using it for a year, and it's still going strong. I got it HERE.
The same thing happened with the garlic press, which came with the pink garlic peeler. <3

Drawer 3

The spice drawer was wasting lots of space, so a double drawer was installed there. I still have a bit of space to fill up.

Again, if you want to build a double-stack drawer unit, check HERE my full tutorial.

Drawer 4

This final drawer was the last one I organized. I love how easy it is to find things here now. Kitchen towels, gloves, trivets, pot holders, and aprons all fit here!

So, after all this organization, I would like to share with you the following FIVE EASY STEPS TO ORGANIZE DRAWERS USING DIVIDERS:

1. Use wood to build the dividers.

If you're a woodworker, you might have lots of scrap pieces of wood you want to use, and that's fine. However, most of the time, I prefer to buy strips of wood to create these dividers.

It's the easiest way to go. You'll find them at most Home Depot stores as in the picture above. You will only need a hand saw to make the cuts across each board.

These boards are all 48 inches long. They come in different thicknesses: ¼", ½," ¾," and other kinds of wood: Pine, poplar, and oak.

I like to use half-inch poplar stock. Quarter-inch material is too light, unstable, and bends easily, and ¾" material is too chunky to use in small drawers. The width of the boards depends on how deep the drawer is.

For the upper section of double drawers, I always use ½" x 2" x 4' (remember that 2" is, in reality, 1½").

2. Empty the drawer and organize its contents

The first step in organizing a messy drawer is emptying it completely. Get rid of stuff you no longer use and bring items you want to return. Place everything into the drawer and see how to create a divider.

Keep the most used stuff in the front of the drawer.

3. Measure and cut the dividers

Once you're happy with how everything looks, start creating the dividers.

The first divider to be set was the one all along the drawer. Then came the cross sections.

Once you're happy with your setup, remove all the pieces.

4. Prep and assemble the dividers

Sand all the pieces to get rid of sharp edges. Bring them back into the drawer and mark where they need to connect.

Extend those marks on both sides of the board using a square ruler. One side is the glued-in, and the other is the line to drive the nails.

Ryobi Cordless Brad Nailer

Place the first two pieces on a flat surface (use clamps if needed), apply wood glue on both connecting pieces, and then secure them with 1" brad nails. Continue with all the other joins.

* You can use Clear Power Grab - Instant -all purpose- Interior construction adhesive to connect the dividers if you don't have a Brad nailer. Well, I have yet to use that product. I suggest trying it on a future project to see if it works. ;)

Use a clear poly spray to protect the wood.

5. Bring the divider back into the drawer

My rule: Never attach dividers to the drawer. They should fit nicely and tight, but you should be able to get them out of the drawer without any trouble.

My two reasons why I don't attach them to the drawer are: Changing the drawer's pulls would be a pain with those extra pieces inside. And, if I change my utensils or buy new stuff, I might want to reconfigure those spaces to fit those new items.
Another reason is that it would be easier to clean the drawer without the divider inside. ;)

Well, I hope you've found new tips and ideas on bringing organization to those messy drawers.
I would love for you to share any tips you might have. Thanks! ;)

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