I’m knocking out these smaller projects and feeling very good about it!
This week it was my kitchen tools drawers and caddy. This project was not hard and you can tell that I had already done this though it was awhile ago. The goal with this small project was really to pare down items that don’t ever get used and separate items that are regular use vs special use. Some special use items are a zester, garlic press, cheese grater and some baking tools.
BEFORE
This is a drawer that is closest to my stove and I go into this drawer several times a day. Clearly this drawer is not over crowded but I wanted to make sure that the most important items were here.
This drawer has always housed my more specialty items. You see my chopper, meat tenderizer, extra toothpicks, cord for my indoor grill. bagel/donut shapers along with various other items.
This is my utensil drawer and also the drawer where stuff gets tossed in. Those of you who know me well know that I can be very sentimental and this utensil tray is evidence of that. I have had this tray since I moved into my very first apartment in college in 1981. It is in fact, the only utensil tray I have ever owned. While there is likely a tray that would fit the drawer better, this one is my forever choice. There’s truly nothing particularly special about it but it does make me smile when I think about how long I’ve had it and when I recall how excited I was to buy it in 1981 as I started my “adult” life.
You can see that the utensils have their place and then other items including knives just get tossed around the perimeter.
In truth, this thing was the most disorganized of them all. This tool caddy sits right next to my stove and gets a ton of use. However, only a few tools get used on a regular basis. It definitely is good storage but it’s not good if you want a less cluttered look.
THE FINAL RESULTS
AFTER
Drawer 1
It likely doesn’t look much different but it functions better.
BEFORE 
AFTER
I added another bin to hold items that I use more often. A couple of these items came from the tool caddy.
DRAWER 2
This drawer got a couple of bins to help corral items and got several more items added to the drawer. Again, this is more of the specialty drawer. Close enough to be within reach but I don’t need to reach for them a lot.
BEFORE 
AFTER
In the “before” photo, items are strewn all over the drawer and it was sometimes hard to find what I wanted. Some of the specialty are weirdly shaped making corralling them even more difficult.
DRAWER 3
A container for the knives and a few miscellaneous items tucked behind the utensil tray. The larger knives have been removed and found a new home.
BEFORE 
AFTER
This drawer looks calmer to me. And, I don’t have to risk cutting my fingers on unsheathed knives because now I can see them!
THE TOOL CADDY
The tool caddy is gone! My most used tools are placed in the carafe and the knives are upright in the vase.
I’m fairly certain that things will change again at some point. My main goal was to get rid of what I was not and had not been using and to use what I already had on hand to organize.
At some point, I might want to get drawer dividers to corral items instead of the bins. It’s a bit of a cleaner look but what I have now is working and I am satisfied.
Woo Hoo!! I have been so tempted to keep putting these small projects off been then I remember how good I feel when they are complete!
Next up: the spice cabinet!
Any suggestions for organizing kitchen tools? Share in the comments!
Good job! It definitely is the right approach to organize according to frequency of use! Along those lines, why are the knives in front of your utensil tray instead of at the back of the drawer? Don’t you use forks/knives/spoons more often?
The knives are on the side because I have some other lesser used items in the back-an ice cream scoop, a thing that holds tea leaves and the parts to my coffee maker that allows me to make one cup of coffee instead of a whole pot! I use the knives much more than those items!