I Use a Pencil Holder as a Kitchen Organizer

When my husband and I bought our Chicago rental, we had been thrilled to be out of our respective galley kitchens and into an open-concept dream. With plentiful cabinetry and even a kitchen island, I imagined our each day cooking routine freed from muddle, with every little thing we wanted at arm’s attain and neatly stowed away. However because it seems, we nonetheless don’t have sufficient space for storing even after combing via and paring down our pots, pans, cookware, and utensils. 

We’ve tried dozens of intelligent small house storage hacks to simplify our lives to various levels of success. Winners embody our fridge lazy Susan, matching amber glass dish detergent dispensers, and the no-installation paper towel and dish towel holder. As useful as all these storage hacks are, our greatest resolution is one I got here up with all by myself (maintain for applause!) for our drinkware storage. And I discovered it, of all locations, within the Workplace Merchandise division on Amazon.  

Because of my husband’s espresso behavior, our drinkware cupboard is filled with mugs. And because of my spilling behavior, all our ingesting glasses require a straw and lid. I’ve tried numerous storage strategies to maintain the glass straws and bamboo lids securely comfortable subsequent to their vessels. An adhesive cup holder stored falling off the cupboard door; equally, an adhesive pullout drawer merely didn’t keep put. All through our trial and error, inspiration was simply across the nook (actually!), caught to the facet of the fridge.

Since our kitchen drawers are occupied with utensils and spices, we don’t have house for a typical junk drawer. To treatment this, I bought a magnetic pencil holder to include a handful of pens, everlasting markers, scissors, and washi tape. Then I had a thought … What if I bought one other holder for our straws and lids? I can confidently attest that the magnetic pencil holder is a game-changer for storing straws. Frankly, it’s a flexible organizer that belongs in everybody’s kitchen. 

Straws and lids don’t take up a ton of house, however they’re provides I want to seize and go when wanted. The magnetic holder rests conveniently and securely alongside the facet of my fridge, and the magnet’s power retains the basket firmly in place. In a single compartment we retailer lids, with our numerous straws within the second compartment. For the reason that straws are saved vertically, the completely different sizes are apparent and I by no means seize the unsuitable one. 

Sooner or later, after we ditch our fabulous metropolis residence for the inevitable suburban relocation, we will simply repurpose our pencil-holder-turned-straw storage. I’ve began pondering of the way we will develop our fridge basket storage to even additional arrange our lives. 

For households with kiddos, the magnetic holders may corral kid-specific cutlery or maintain grab-and-go first support provides like bandages and each day nutritional vitamins. Savvy consumers can stash coupons there for simple attain — I do know in our kitchen, coupons get stacked and forgotten beneath a clip the place they expire earlier than getting used. These with dry-erase command stations can simply retailer markers and erasers securely. They’d even work as a helpful container for takeout napkins, menus, chopsticks, or different disposable cutlery. 

I really like a repurposed storage merchandise, and I do know these easy workplace provides will proceed to serve our kitchen nicely! 

Purchase: Magnetic Pencil Holder, $9.98