These organization ideas for your kitchen tools will have you cookin' up a storm in no time. Not sure how to store your kitchen utensils? These organization ideas for your kitchen tools will have you cookin' up a storm in no time. Home Organization 10 Smart Ways to Store Your Kitchen Tools 10 Smart Ways to Store Your Kitchen Tools.
I've set up workshops in many different places and for many different applications. The process of organizing your workshop [or workbench] is both personal and organic. Setups vary wildly depending on one’s specialty, while organization and workflow are often an organic process that can take months or years to fine-tune.
Along the way I’ve come across and devised some ways to improve efficiency and arrangement in many different types of workshops. Here are ten that I hope will help. Sound off in the discussion section if you have some tips of your own!
Open main compartments offer space for larger tools, such as drills, saws or hammers. Smaller internal and external pockets, loops and trays keep tools and other items organized and easy to find. Zipper closures help protect tools from the elements and keep them contained. Open-mouth designs provide easy access to and visibility of your tools. Home Organization Tools Under $20 Streamline your life for less with colorful, low-cost organizing and storage solutions. Kangaroom Storage Organizing Tote, $9.99; GreatUsefulStuff.com.
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Pegboard
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If you're planning to go vertical in your workshop, pegboard can be your best friend. It's inexpensive, and there are so many add-ons you can buy that provide near-infinite organizational possibilities.
Wire Spool Holder
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If you have lots of wire spools they can get hopelessly tangled with each other. Solve this with a simple holder. You can buy one or build one. I put mine together in less than an hour with some scrap wood and a wooden dowel.
Alligator Clip Clothesline
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I came up with this when my clips would constantly get tangled. Two push-pins and a piece of twine solved that problem. Now they're organized and easily accessible.
Component Drawers
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Friends of electrical engineers for many decades, component drawers are ideal for storing tiny electronic parts. They're also easily removable if you need to go rooting around.
Junk: Organize and Purge
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I keep several junk boxes: wood, metal, plastic, and electronics. About once a year it's a good idea to go through it and skim off what you won't use.
Strip and Toss
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There are many among us who are parts scavengers, but make sure to do it smartly! Strip the parts off what you need, organize them, and junk the rest. This (above) is my bin of motors, gears, belts, and pulleys.
Milk Crate Storage
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Organize Tools Ideas
They're rugged, modular, and free (easily picked from the roadside). Mine have been going strong for 15 years, and when I move to a new apartment, packing is as easy as flipping them 90 degrees.
Tools Away at End of Day
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I learned this while working construction. You can never predict how long you'll need a tool for, so keep it out until it's cleanup time. Putting everything away at once is also much more efficient than doing it piecemeal.
Tape Storage
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I learned this from my days in film production. Tie a carabiner to a rope, run your tape rolls through it, and hang it on a wall. Now they're all easily accessible and won't roll around everywhere.
Easy Access
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This is Adam Savage's toolbox from his model-making days. He'd have two of these scissor-lifting boxes at his sides, allowing him to quickly whip out whatever tool was needed. Building such a system is an organic process, so don't be afraid to switch things up as needed. .b
Ten Tips for Workshop Organization and Optimization | MAKE
Michael Colombo an interaction designer, inventor, and musician. Projects of note are the TapeScape audio robot, which was made almost entirely of a dual cassette deck, a method of casting plastic lumber from shopping bags, and the Magnetotron, an audio tape-based musical instrument. He is currently a Master’s candidate at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program, where he studies the art and science of everything.
Organizing Tools For Home
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Image via OZinOh (Flickr) and Yanas (Shutterstock).
Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Tessa.
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Organizing is hands-on work! You can save valuable running around time by assembling a few basic tools before you start an organizing project. To take a room from cluttered to cleansed, you need the following tools:
Sorting tools: You can probably find these tools lying around your house! For sorting, you need four large bins. Purchase paper in four different colors (like neon yellow, green, orange, and pink), and using a dark-colored marker, label the signs with large block letters: STAY, MOVE, SHARE, and GO. As your SHARE and GO bins fill up with items, periodically transfer the contents to trash bags. Label your trash bags so your SHARE pile doesn’t end up in the trash.
Installation tools: You can accomplish most projects with a hammer, Phillips screwdriver, flathead screwdriver, measuring tape, level, and drill. Spending $50 at the local hardware store can easily round out your tool collection.
Finishing tools: When it’s time to put your items away, select the proper containers (such as bins, boxes, or baskets) based on the size and characteristics of the items they’ll contain. You can save money and be eco-friendly by repurposing existing containers such as shoe boxes, crates, or canisters. And don’t forget to label each container.