9 Organization Tips for the New Year

organized closet

The New Year is the perfect time for a fresh start. Your New Year's resolution may be to 'cut back,' but instead of starting a diet like everyone else, you're ready to declutter and shed some dead weight around the house.


It's natural to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of organizing the items in your home, especially after they've started to take over. You've probably had those moments of standing in a room, looking around and not knowing where to begin. Don't let another year pass by without tackling the job you've been putting off for so long. Let this year be your year of freedom.


Start With These Nine Organization Tips:


1. Boxes will be your new best friends this year. They're not only great for hiding clutter, but you can label them, stack them, and put them out of the main rooms for storing lesser used items you don't want to toss. They even come in great colors and prints so you can show them off, too.


storage baskets


2. Shelves are a great way to get things off the floors and countertops, where clutter seems to rest. Get decorative and put a running shelf around the entire room, close to the ceiling, for books and knickknacks. If you're more utilitarian, hang them at eye level for useful items you want handy. Add shelving to the garage or closets for things you'd rather hide, but have accessible.


3. Shoe organizers, like behind-the-door shoe holders, are great for tiny things that get in the way like hair bands, makeup, brushes, and even socks or jewelry-things that seem to clutter counters and dresser tops. Try school or purse organizers for smaller papers that tend to get lost in the shuffle.


4. Pockets that hang on the wall, or file organizers, are great for important papers you don't want to lose. Classify them and keep related papers together so you can easily find them as needed.


5. Pegboard is an ideal solution to hang things that sit on counters. You can get hooks and buckets and store cooking utensils, pens and pencils, silverware, scissors, and just about anything else you need off the counters. Grab an old frame from a thrift store, set the pegboard in and spray paint the whole thing your favorite color before hanging hooks - it doubles as a decoration!


Tension rods are great for hanging items like scarves and neckties. Use shower curtain rings to hang each item separately on the rod.


Magnet strips will hang just about anything, from knives to spices to keys and even bigger things like pictures. Grab a magnet role from your local craft store and start magnetizing the things you want to hang.


6. Hooks let you put pretty much whatever you want on your walls. Walls are a major source of unused, available space in the home. If space is an issue leading to clutter, apply hooks. You can hang organizing baskets, clothing, bikes and some furniture on hooks.


organized and clean bedroom


7. Bins come in just about every shape and size. If the space underneath your bed is normally dark and scary; clean it out, fill up some flat bins designed to go under the bed, and let them keep your things neat for you. Winter clothes and shoes, purses or bags, blankets, and other items you need, but don't use too often, can go right under the bed.


The best way to start getting organized is to have the tools you need to start and finish the job. Organizing doesn't have to get expensive, nor does it have to be overwhelming. Assess what you want to do and get the right organizing tools to help you achieve your goal; this might require some research and help from a representative at a home goods store. To keep from getting overwhelmed, start with one room at a time and do a little bit every day. Before you know it, you will have fulfilled your New Year's resolution.