My 8 Favorite Kitchen Organization Ideas (practical gift ideas!)

Oh, how I love a gift that's practical and might even make your life easier! So, since I have a huge appreciation for anything that's organized, I thought I'd share some of my favorite kitchen organization ideas that help keep everything in its place in our kitchen, in case you need some more gift ideas this holiday season!

First of all, when it comes to organizing your kitchen (or any part of your house, really) I love when everything has a designated "home." I'm always sure to follow this very important golden rule...

My golden rule for organization: Store like items together.

And here are some awesome, very affordable ways to help you do just that and more!

My Top Kitchen Organization Ideas

1. Racks for cutting boards and baking sheets
   There's really no better way to organize these things, in my opinion! Upright is the way to go vs. laying down flat. You can buy racks for this exact purpose or use a file folder organizer as a stand-in, as well.
   -
2. Knife drawer organizer
   I used to have my knives swimming around in this drawer, bumping up against (and probably dulling) each other every time we opened and closed it. Then one day I found this perfectly slim knife drawer organizer that almost looks like it was made for our drawer, but it wasn't. I love that we no longer might cut ourselves everytime we reach in to get something out, ha! (And yes, I am a big fan of kitchen shears LOL.)
   -
3. Under the cabinet hooks for quick access
   These right here might be borderline life-changing. For those things you use regularly but could get lost in a big drawer or cabinet with other items, install dedicated hooks! We used the screw-in kind for oven mitts on our cabinet door (I love these silicone oven mitts, by the way. They are great for hands that are sometimes wet and would otherwise get burnt through cloth mitts), and bought these easy plastic Command Strip bottle hangers for the other stuff (go-to spray bottle and dish brush).
   -
4. Sponge holder
   As I said above...I love when everything has a home! No need for your sponge to swim around in your dirty sink that's full of bacteria or have a chance of getting lost under a stack of dishes. It couldn't be easier to find it with this suction cup sponge holder!
   -
5. Spice drawer organizer
   We've tried organizing our spices in a few different places, but having them face up in one layer is by far the best way to actually see them all! And of course, this little spice drawer organizer (made just for this purpose) helps keep everything in its place. Anytime they're stored in a cabinet, or on a deep shelf, it always seems like something's hiding in the back and hard to find. I especially love how our spice drawer is located right where I usually stand—at the island doing food prep—for easy access.
   -
6. Pan and pot lid organizer
   This is another area where we've tried all sorts of different things until we got it right. A rack made just for pot lids (so they don't roll around) has definitely been the best way to keep this area organized.
   -
7. Labels in your fridge
   This one may be a little over the top for some, but let's not forget how throwing food down the drain is basically like throwing away money. With a simple label maker, fresh foods and leftovers (that need to be eaten soon) are less likely to get "lost" out of sight. And, since my family members aren't mind readers, I labeled our shelves so we could all be on the same page with where stuff goes. Now, my kids do like to drive me nuts and put the sour cream away on the fruit shelf, but I tell myself I'll miss this one day when they move out LOL!
   Seriously though, this system has been super helpful by greatly reducing both food waste and any hidden "science experiments" in the back of our fridge. The labels we have from top to bottom are as follows: Dairy, Leftovers (I tried to make this one eye level), Milk (tallest shelf), Fruit, Veg Overflow (for big boxes of greens that don't fit in the drawer), Cheese, Vegetables, and Meat.
   -
8. Clips for tracking who unloaded the dishwasher last
   We are not scared to put our capable children to work in the kitchen, and this simple system has saved us a lot of arguments about whose turn it is to empty the dreaded dishwasher next. Just because chores are really good for kids doesn't mean they like them (unfortunately)! And I certainly can't recall who emptied it last in a world where my kids want everything to be fair and square. The rule is when you unload or load the dishwasher, you are responsible for "flipping your clip," which is just a labeled clothespin. There are still some occasional arguments exclaiming "I forgot to flip it!" but overall, it has made this whole process a lot easier. Sorry, I don't have any good recommendations on how to do this if you have more than two kids!
   

Another gift idea, along these same lines, would be to offer to help someone organize their kitchen, either for them or with them. It would be a fabulous present to give (in my opinion) for someone who recently moved into a new house and can't seem to figure out where everything should go, or for someone who may be elderly and is having trouble with their current set up.

I'd love to hear what your favorite kitchen organizational tips are in the comments. :)