Here is an inexpensive but effective organizing tool that I use all over my house – fishing tackle boxes! Go to your local discount store – be sure to skip the craft area that has similar boxes for 4 times the price – and go all the way back to the sporting goods area to the fishing aisle. There you will find all shapes and sizes of clear plastic boxes with dividers that can be moved around to fit whatever it is you are trying to organize. The snap locks insure that it won’t burst open even if you drop it. They can be stored flat or on their side without items shifting from one compartment to the next, and the clear plastic allows you to view everything in the box.
I use tackle boxes to organize office supplies (pencil lead, erasers, paper clips, staples, coin wrappers, post-its, push pins, letter opener), the ‘junk’ drawer (super glue, batteries, spare keys, picture hangers, nails and fasteners, ball inflation needle, shoestrings), my scrapbooking area (ribbon, colored pens, brads, buttons, other notions), and my jewelry collection (great for storing lots of earrings in a small space, and you can always find the ones you want!) Since I work out in the morning before I go to work, I pack my jewelry for the day in a little 4 x 6 inch tackle box that fits nicely in my gym bag and keeps everything from getting tangled.
These containers can also be used in your makeup area (pencils, lipsticks, mascara, eyelash curler, small jars or tubes), auto (Shout wipes, hand sanitizer, spare sunglasses, pen and paper, registration and insurance papers, change, tire pressure gauge), or suitcase (toiletries, power cords and chargers, reading glasses.)
Tackle boxes are cheap, versatile, and durable – and they’re not just for fishing lures any more!