Skip to main content

7 ways to organise small items in IKEA drawers

Are small items getting lost in your IKEA drawers? The usual advice is to get a tray or dividers for drawers to organise smaller things into neat sections. However, not all IKEA drawers come with made-to-fit trays.

But fear not, IKEAhackers readers have tray and drawer divider suggestions for the more popular IKEA drawers.

So, let’s organise those drawers!

#1 Small items tray for ALEX drawers

A simple and affordable idea to store pens and other small stationery items inside the ALEX drawer unit

SMÄCKER cutlery tray sits perfectly on the drawers, leaving some space underneath it for flat and thin items. Two trays can fit in one drawer, but the back slots in the deeper tray are hard to reach.

organise IKEA ALEX drawers

I came across this idea when I was working in the Workspaces department in IKEA, and customers were looking for small storage solutions.

The Kitchens department was next to mine, and SMÄCKER was right on the edge between two apartments, so a light bulb moment came fairly quickly!

organise IKEA ALEX drawers

I used to replenish our display ALEX products with the trays several times a day, as the customers were taking them fast!

organise IKEA ALEX drawers

It’s very convenient, practical and affordable! When I bought my ALEX, I bought two SMÄCKER trays for it, too.

~ by Marta

Buy SMÄCKER cutlery tray

#2 Drawer divider for HELMER

I bought 4 HELMER units to make a combo Credenza Desk. But I wanted to have removable inserts for the drawers. These Plano 3700 boxes are just the right size and come in many configurations.

The tops can be removed and stored in the drawer under the box.

The divided box is part number 3731 and the box with no dividers is part number 3730.

1. Remove the top from the box. Open the clips and lift the top 180 degrees. Push up on the top at the hinge side, the top will snap off.

PLANO 3700 box

2. Place the top inside the drawer upside dow. Place the box inside the top.

PLANO 3700 box

3. If you are using the divided box, separate the dividers by twisting them apart. You may need a sharp knife to remove the flashing left behind. Arrange the dividers as needed.

organise IKEA HELMER drawers

~ by Rich

Buy HELMER drawer unit.

#3 Tray for MALM chest

We use the top drawers from our MALM for a lot of small things, e.g. keys, pens etc. But even the smallest SKUBB boxes are still too big to give you a good overview of the small items.

GODMORGON storage tray

Buy GODMORGON Storage unit, set of 2 | IKEA.com

With the GODMORGON storage units and just a few pieces of cardboard and double-sided tape it makes the perfect organizer for all your small stuff

organise IKEA MALM drawers

See the GODMORGON small stuff organizer hack.

#4 Easy undersink drawer organization

So easy to make dividers to hold your personal items and hair appliances in the bottom drawer of the HEMNES bathroom sink.

HEMNES ODENSVIK sink vanity

Buy HEMNES / ODENSVIK Sink cabinet with 2 drawers | IKEA.com

organise IKEA HEMNES undersink drawers

A few handy magazine files and the space under the sink will be all sorted. Read more.

Buy FJÄLLA magazine files.

#5 Doubling the storage in MAXIMERA drawers

The MAXIMERA kitchen drawers have lots of unused space at the top. The vertical space is great for stacking vertically but they weren’t right for me. So I decided to add one more level that slides on the bars using a 3-D printed tray holder. Read more.

organise IKEA MAXIMERA drawers
#6 Lipstick organizer

Divider for lipsticks in the ALEX drawer unit. Unfortunately the IKEA HOFTA plastic dividers are discontinued. (Still a few on Amazon UK). Other plastic grids should work just as well.

The grids are also useful for smaller pieces of clothing like socks, ties, etc.

#7 Useful surface in a drawer

Not so much for organising a drawer but to maximise it. This is a simple hack for IKEA NORDLI modular drawer chest. Now each drawer not only has storage space it can also hide a useful table. Read more.

NORDLI drawer hidden table

Very handy if you don’t have space beside your sofa or bed for a table or nightstand.

What other items have you use to organise IKEA drawers? Let us know.

The post 7 ways to organise small items in IKEA drawers appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hackers Help: How to attach headboard to ESPEVÄR mattress base?

I’m trying to figure out if a headboard can be attached to an Espevar Mattress Base , and how to accomplish that. I’m looking at a standard metal headboard (because I just prefer the look of curved metal to what IKEA offers) and am not interested in a slat base with just a mattress on top, and a wall mounted headboard is not an option due to renting. Thanks for any help! ~ Amy *** Hi Amy I’ve not seen the ESPEVÄR in person but I believe it is possible to attach a headboard to it. From the website, the ESPEVÄR looks like a regular wooden slatted mattress base under a bed base slipover. As to how to attach it, that will depend on the fittings on the metal headboard. So you will just need to get the right hardware to secure the metal headboard to the wooden frame. And make some small openings on the slipcover to let the fixtures to go through. Jules Photo: IKEA.com Try these free-standing headboards for size A lime green and white headboard that takes centerstage in the r

Kitchen renovation reveal: Rhombus wall steals the show

It’s been a while since I did a home tour. If you’ve missed the previous reveals, you can catch up with my Master Bathroom remodel and Guest Bathroom reveal . Today, let’s focus on my kitchen renovation. Hands down, this is the most used room in my home. I spend crazy amounts of time in here, even when I’m not cooking. Just off to the side of the kitchen I converted an awkward space into a reading nook . In the mornings, I sit and read or pray and meditate, before it gets too warm. And on the other side, there’s a work-in-progress plant wall / indoor garden which also takes up a lot of my time. So, all in all, lots of traffic in here, and that’s not even counting cooking and eating time. The kitchen is definitely my favourite room, because the transformation is huge and I love how it turned out. Kitchen renovation: The before House 17 when I first got it, actually had 2 kitchens, which is a very common “Asian” home concept. First, the “dry kitchen”, which is where you make simp

IKEA sofa with genius armrest storage

Bet you never knew your sofa armrests were prime storage space. Ok, so the guys at IKEA are the masters of hidden / secret storage everywhere. In fact, one of the things I most loved about the  ESKILSTUNA sofa series was the undercover storage on the chaise lounge, but… what? More than 80 liters of storage space wasted on the armrests? NO WAY! I really don’t understand how they didn’t take that opportunity with several different armrest modules. Mobile chargers, cup / can holders, foldable tables, refrigerators… there’s SO MUCH space in there. I can’t stop thinking on different options! For myself, I went for two designs. First, a “full space” design on the (right) side of the chaise lounge. (The cavity fits two foldable chairs). Second, on the left armrest — a flip open section for “mobile charger / remote control storage / etc.”. Below that, a full-depth pull-out drawer, tall enough to store A4 sized magazines. This is the final result: Full space design, right of cha