The dreaded junk drawer… most of us have one. I’ll raise my hand here—I do too.

But now, it’s a functional drawer I can use every day—and it didn’t take anything complicated to get there.

Always Clear It Out

Whenever I organize a space, I start by clearing it out completely.

As I go, I sort everything into categories. In this drawer, one category that had really gotten out of control was cords—I didn’t realize how many we had until I saw them all together.

This step does two things:

• It shows you exactly what you’re working with
• It helps you decide what actually needs to come back into the space

It also makes it much easier to determine whether you need any storage solutions—or if you simply need less.

Don’t Be Afraid to Cut Down

I’m not saying you need to be a minimalist.

But most of us don’t need 20 of the same cord in a single drawer (myself included).

Taking a few minutes to check what actually works—and what you realistically use—makes a big difference. Once I did that, it was much easier to let go of the extras.

And pens… that’s usually a category of its own.

Thoughtful Storage

In a small space like a junk drawer, storage makes a big difference—but only after you’ve edited what’s inside.

I used a few small drawer organizers, and they completely changed how the space functions. Instead of everything shifting and piling up, each category now has a place.

That shift alone makes it easier to maintain, because the drawer naturally resets itself as you use it.

By the end, I had a drawer where I can actually find what I need—nothing buried, nothing tangled, nothing shoved to the back.

It’s a small space, but having it work well makes everyday life feel just a little easier.

If you have a space like this that never quite stays under control, it’s not just you—there’s usually a simple system missing. And it’s something we can absolutely put in place.