Clutter. It takes over our homes on a daily basis. I’m always looking for new ways to organize and corral our items so that everything has a home. I’ve found no better way to organize our drawers than with these DIY upcycled drawer organizers!

I think I first came across this idea while following the I Heart Organizing Blog some years ago. I loved the idea of a cheap recycling project that would make my life more organized all at the same time! So my love affair with collecting boxes began. My husband can attest to my cardboard hoarding! Haha!

This project is so inexpensive! Just collect some cardboard boxes from food or household items and cut them into shorter containers for organizing! Fill an entire drawer with them and feel more organized instantly!

Here is a simple before and after in my son’s changing table drawer:

I still have too much stuff in this drawer but the DIY drawer organizers make such a difference!

Now, to make these DIY upcycled drawer organizers pretty, we’ll want to customize them with a print! Follow the tutorial below and you’ll have beautiful, organized drawers in no time… that is if you can keep your children out of them! 😉

DIY Upcycled Drawer Organizers

What You’ll Need:

Cardboard Boxes: Cereal boxes, cheese boxes, pasta boxes, etc.
Scissors
Tape, Glue or Spray Adhesive
Pencil
Paper or fabric of choice

How To Cover The Upcycled Cardboard Drawer Organizers:

1. Place your paper printed side down and place your pre-cut cardboard box organizer on top. Leave enough space on each side to cover the exterior and the interior walls of the box (don’t worry about the interior bottom at this point).

2. Use your pen or pencil to trace the base of the box. Then draw four small diagonal lines at least .5” from each corner (this allows enough paper to wrap the corner area). Then cut the square/rectangles away from the corners of the pattern and cut the short diagonal lines as well. See the photo below illustrating a dotted cutting line.

You’ll be left with a pattern resembling a plus sign (photo shown below).

3. Fold up the short sides and use a scissors to cut another small horizontal slit where the paper will fold into the box. You’ll then fold in those flaps so that the paper will seamlessly fold into the interior without bunching and the exterior flaps will hug the corners of the box.

DIY-Upcycled-Drawer-Organizers (6 of 30)

4. Use your tape or adhesive to begin attaching the paper to the sides and corners of the box.

5. When the two sides are done, begin the longer edges by folding in the tab from the diagonal line you cut at the corner.
6. Then fold the long end up and over the edge of the box and fasten with tape or adhesive. Repeat on the other side. 7. Now if you want to cover the bottom of the box as well, simply cut a piece of paper by tracing from the bottom of the box. Then affix to the bottom with tape.

There you have it! A completely affordable, adorable and customizable drawer organizer!

Larger Upcycled Drawer Organizers:

If you have a larger box it may not fit on one sheet of scrapbook paper. You could use wrapping paper instead or use this technique below with two pieces of scrapbook paper:

1. Cut out the pattern as you would in the first example, only this time we know the paper will not be large enough to cover the entire interior of the box.

2. Turn the pattern print-side-up and fold each side so it will fit right inside of the organizer.
3. Then flip it over once more and fold in all of the tabs. 4. Place the paper inside of the box to line the bottom. Fold down the sides and attached to the box with tape or adhesive. 5. Then repeat the steps for covering the exterior of the box. 6. I folded in the exterior side and taped them instead of allowing them to overhang on the interior. You could definitely do it either way you like!

The same can be done for a long rectangle box. You can also leave the interiors unfinished but for most of my drawers the interior is what I see most so I want it to be pretty too!

I used this long cheese box to house some makeup supplies in my medicine cabinet. It works great to corral everything and looks so nice!

Now everything I need gets pulled out at once and sits nicely on my sink when I need it!

This project is simple and costs next to nothing to make! So next time you are headed to the trash with a cardboard box, remember to save it for your upcycled drawer organizer projects! Your cluttered drawers will thank you!

Have fun and get creative!

-Lauren

*This post first appeared on Frolic Magazine Blog – submitted by Rustic Honey