15 Creative Ways to Repurpose Household Items For Organization

1. Hanging shoe organizer 

You can easily repurpose a hanging shoe organizer. Hang it on the wall or over a door. You can hang it anywhere you need to store art supplies, toiletries, personal items in the bathroom, beauty supplies, put snacks in it for the kids, and hang it in the pantry.

2. Magazine holders

You can use them to store those plastic lids that always fall out of the cabinet whenever you open them up. You can also use it to store produce on the countertops or for bathroom cabinet organization. You can use it to keep gift bags nice and neat or stack those reusable bottles that frugal people like to have. 

3. Tissue boxes

The next item that's great to repurpose is tissue boxes. Have you ever had a tissue box that seemed to match perfectly with the decor of your room, and you can't find the design anymore? If the design is important to you, you can buy a new box of tissues, take them out of the new box, and put them in the old box. 

Another way to repurpose a tissue box is to use it to store plastic bags. You could add a couple of hooks and make it a little desk caddy. You can store hair brushes and combs in it. A great thing you can do with the longer tissue boxes is to cut the tops off and use them to organize your scarves or socks in your dresser drawers.  

4. Paper towel holder

My husband went through the house and mounted paper towel holders on the walls. I had one left over, and I put it on my dresser to hold my bangles, bracelets, and watches. You can also use it to store large spools of decorative ribbons. 

5. Glass jars 

Glass jars are always a great household item to reuse or repurpose. Just clean them out well and use them to organize your grains and spices in your pantry. You can grow plants in them, make a memory jar, or go old school with a glass jar and use it for a refreshing glass of ice water.  

6. Cereal boxes 

These are always fun items to repurpose because you can cover them with contact paper, cut some holes of different sizes and shapes, and turn them into movie night caddies for your kids. You can also take three boxes, cover those with contact paper, and turn them into file trays on your desk or even hang them on the wall for paper or storage. 

7. Cake pans

Place marbles in the bottom pan, set a second pan on top of the marbles, and add some paint to turn a couple of brown cake pans and into a DIY lazy Susan. 

8. Cleaning wipe canisters

Don't throw away those empty cleaning wipe canisters. Loosely roll some absorbent paper towels and place them in the empty cleaning wipe container, then pour in enough cleaning spray or multipurpose cleaner to saturate the towels. Voila, you have your own cleaning wipes. 

9. File tray

I had an old file tray I didn't need anymore, so I hung it in my cabinet using some removable hooks from Dollar Tree, and I stored packs of oatmeal and sauce packets in it. It's out of the way and utilizes the valuable vertical space below the shelves.  

10. Cardboard boxes

I love repurposing cardboard boxes with contact paper. I made horizontal storage for my dual-tip markers out of the boxes from my printer ink cartridges. I also took a couple of fruit cup boxes and made a kitchen caddy and Easter baskets, which was a really fun project for my kids. 

11. Picture frames

I made craft supplies and marker holders out of some picture frames I had from Dollar Tree by painting the glass and gluing some cups and hooks to them. I added a decorative craft storage solution to my little hobby area.

12. Plastic resealable bags

Do not underestimate them. Sometimes they come free with electronics or jewelry. Don't throw them away. Instead, put your phone or tablet in one, seal it up, and use it to protect your device in the shower or when relaxing in the tub. 

13. Eyeglass case

You can repurpose an old eyeglass case to store small items such as jewelry, earbuds, manicuring tools, or anything that needs to be kept separate from other things in your bag or readily accessible when traveling. 

14. Binder clips

I use these little gizmos all over the house. Binder clips come in different sizes, and I use them as clips for my snack and cereal bags. I clip them on the top of chalk or dry-erase boards to hold markers in place. You can attach them to your desk area to keep cords visible and accessible. You can even use them to keep your sweater closed if it doesn't have buttons.

15. Old ice cube trays

A couple of years ago, I switched out my regular ice cube trays for trays with lids. Instead of putting the old ones in a cabinet somewhere, I put them in a desk drawer to store small school supplies. They also work well for organizing small crafting materials like beads and glass. Plus, they're stackable so that you can put more than one tray in a small space. 

Repurposing household items

There are so many ways to repurpose the many things you have around the house, and it can save you money regularly. There's no telling what you can come up with when you decide to spend less and create more. What items have you repurposed? Share your ideas in the comments below.