How to Organise a Desk Drawer

Do you dread opening your drawers because you secretly fear that the hideous mess you've forcibly stuffed into it will spring out and engulf you?

Don't worry - help is at hand. Using these simple tips, you'll be able to get your drawers into some semblance of order and need never fear opening them again.

Supplies you'll need before you start:

• Sheets of newspaper
• A bin liner (for the junk you'll be throwing away)
• Organisational & storage aids - rubber bands, small containers, small recycled yoghurt pots and butter tubs, small plastic jars, plastic bags, etc.
• A marker pen (for labeling)
• 1 dry cloth (for wiping down)
• Drawer liner/newspaper/wrapping paper - any paper of your choice with which to line the drawer

Get started

First, spread a couple of sheets of newspaper on the floor around the drawer.

Next, take everything out of the drawer. Yes, I mean everything. Sort the items into piles on the sheets of newspaper. Group items that are related or similar, together.

Anything that's damaged, that you'd forgotten all about, that has absolutely no use that you can think of whatsoever, gets immediately tossed into the bin liner.

Now, review the piles of items on the newspaper sheets and consider them carefully. Is there anything that could still be gotten rid of? I'll bet you there is. Well, you know what to do! That's right, toss it!

OK - having rid yourself of the unnecessaries, you're now ready to move to the next step.

Start filling up the plastic bags, yoghurt pots, plastic containers and other storage containers with the items arranged in piles on the newspaper sheet. Loose items such as pens or items packed in small plastic bags can be secured using rubber bands. Once again, group similar items that you're likely to need at the same time, together. For example, you could stack post-its next to notepaper, and boxes of staples next to the cellotape dispenser. Label containers using the marker pen.

Now, wipe down the empty drawer with a dry cloth, get rid of any dust in the drawer, and put in the drawer liner. Smooth it down so that there are no bulges or tears in the paper.

You're now ready to start stacking the storage containers in which the loose items have been placed, inside the drawer. Make use of spaces in between containers to stack items which can stand on their own or have a defined shape, such as post-it packs or staple boxes. Do this until you've run out of either storage containers or space in the drawer.

Extra storage containers or items which can't fit back in the drawer even after you try to rearrange things, will just have to be relocated to another drawer.

You may now find yourself opening your drawer several times a day, just to admire its new, supremely organized look!