You don’t need to rush off to Target or The Container Store to get organized. There are simple things you can use from around your house to tame your clutter.

First off, be sure to do a thorough purge of stuff you don’t need. You may be able to free up storage containers when you empty them of your excess stuff.

Recycle containers from other things. Baby food containers make great storage for crafters. They can hold scrapbooking embellishments like eyelets and brads, or sewing notions like buttons and pins.

Empty milk crates make great storage for items out in your garage.

Diaper wipes containers can be used to hold kids’ art supplies or other small toys.
Coffee cans can be used to store small items. Plastic potato chip cans can be washed out and used to store pasta or rice. Cereal boxes can be decorated with paper and used to store magazines.

Dollar-store photo albums can be used to organize recipe cards and clippings. The albums protect your recipes from the hazards of cooking.

Re-purpose storage containers. For example, I had some flat, long Rubbermaid containers cluttering the back of my cupboards that I wasn’t using for anything. I used these as drawer organizers for my kitchen utensils.

Hangers can be used to hold belts. Shoe caddies can organize kids’ toys. An empty wrapping paper tube can tame the tangles from your Christmas tree lights.

There are so many options for organizing your stuff, if you just take a look around.

What are some things you’ve used to organize your home?