Cutlery can be such a nuisance when you’re trying to organize your kitchen. With such different shapes and sizes, it can be tough to find a way to store your tableware easily and keep your house clutter-free. These ten storage ideas will help you find the perfect storage solution while perfecting your DIY skills—no more rattling and shaking drawers to find a butter knife.
- Magnetic Knife Strip
If you’re the type of person who likes to have everything handy and ready to grab, or if you like the look of hanging pots and pans, then this is the cutlery storage solution for you. You can install a metal rod or plate to any wall in your kitchen and attach magnetic strips to knifes and other kitchenware items like spatulas and scissors. In a few easy minutes, you’ll have a stylish setup that makes cooking and serving a breeze.
- Mason Jars
The mason jar trend continues with this simple and cost-efficient way to organize cutlery in bunches of threes. Grab three large mason jars and label them “knives”, “forks”, and “spoons” in your best cursive—no chicken scratch allowed! You can dress up the jars with ribbons or lace or even bedazzle them in glitter paint. Arrange them neatly on your counter for a lovely, countryside feel.
- Hanging Fabric Bags
A creative way to store your cutlery—and use up old fabric—is to sew small pouches for each cutlery group. The pouches can be glued or stapled to a polished wood board and propped up against the counter, or tucked away in a side drawer. This easy tutorial will have you making pouches like a pro—pick three different fabrics to separate each utensil type.
- Plant Pots
Make use of all those empty plant pots in your garden by converting them to cutlery storage pots. After scrubbing them thoroughly (get those biceps working!), simply line them in felt and separate your cutlery into three pots. You can arrange them nicely on a window sill, on your counter, or even install a plant hanger from the ceiling to have them out of the way.
- Stacked Trays
Keep your cutlery tidy and out of sight with trays tucked inside a drawer. If you want to maximize your storage space, install rollers on the side of the cupboards and the sides of the trays, so that you can stay layers of trays and roll them out individually. You can pick up rollers from most hardware stores, and they’re fairly easy to install—even for the DIY rookie!
- Jewelry Box
Repurpose an old jewelry box by bringing it into your kitchen to store cutlery. Older boxes work best, with all kinds of drawers and storage spots. You can touch up the paint to match your kitchen with a fun chalk paint tutorial, or simply re-stain it to a gleaming finish. It’ll be a great talking piece at dinner parties, and your cutlery will look fancy as heck in it.
- Bread Loaf Pans
Make use of old loaf pans by filling three with cutlery and nailing them vertically along a wall or hanging board. You can spray paint the pans fun colors, or leave them as is for a very rustic look. The best part of this is the pans keep the cutlery perfectly organized and you can reach in for a handful so easily.
- Magnetic Rack
If you like the idea of a magnetic rack but find it looks too cluttered, simply hide the rack inside a cupboard. You’ll maximize unused space while maintaining a streamlined, minimalistic look for your kitchen. You can even designate a different cupboard for each utensil type for maximum efficiency.
- Old Tool Box
If you love reusing instead of discarding, grab an old tool box from the garage and convert it into a portable cutlery storage system. You can organize the cutlery in old, painted tin cans and fill the box with other handy items like napkins, salt and pepper, condiments, serving spoons, and more. You’ll love how easy it makes backyard BBQs and dinner parties!
- Custom Fitted Trays
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as something that is custom-fitted. Never again will you have to endure cutlery trays sliding around sloppily every time you slide out a drawer—these made-to-measure cutlery trays are a godsend and reasonably priced. Get out your handy tape measure—or your kid’s ruler—and simply order the style you want in a variety of materials and finish. Easy peasy!