12 Clever Ways To Repurpose Photo Albums To Keep Your Home & Garden Organized

Before the vast majority of us stored all of our photos on the tiny computers in our pockets (aka our smartphones), there was a beautiful thing called photo albums. You may remember them and might have even stocked up on a few before social media became the new norm for sharing photos — or, perhaps you often see them heavily discounted at craft stores. Instead of throwing them away or letting them gather dust on the clearance sale shelf, there are a lot of great ways to repurpose old photo albums far beyond preserving life's precious moments in photographs. 

Most photo albums come with plastic pages and envelope slots or double-sided sticky sheets that work as a plastic covering for photos. That makes these albums ideal for holding onto important documents or any small items you want to keep organized, such as seed packets or even your jewelry collection. To help you breathe new life into your photo albums rather than sending them to a landfill, we came up with 12 of the best ways to transform them into useful everyday objects. 

Dreaming of being a world-class couponer but have no idea where to start? Take one of those old photo albums and sort out your coupons so you can be the ultimate discount shopper. Cut coupons you want to hold onto, then use tabs on the dividers to categorize them in whatever organizing system you prefer. You could categorize them by section in the store, if they come from the manufacturer or market, those with and without expiration dates, and so on. By flipping through the photo album's pages, you can easily find the one you need.

Have you ever come home after asking a family member to clean a room only to find that many of the tasks were left unfinished? Or maybe you often forget certain tasks when cleaning a space. If so, transform a photo album into an effective cleaning schedule with a to-do list for each room. You can even include photos of how you want cupboards to be organized or dishwashers to be loaded, and use dry-erase markers to check off tasks as you go. This can greatly help anyone who wants chores completed a certain way. 

If you feel like you're always losing seed packets after you purchase them, try this genius way gardeners should repurpose a photo album: use it to organize all of your many seed packets. Each individual photo slot is perfect for sliding a seed envelope into, and you can find the exact seeds you need quickly without having to buy a new seed organizing container. Sort the packets by plant type, such as flowers, fruits, and vegetables, or by planting season so you can locate specific seeds easily. 

Documents, receipts, social security cards, tax returns, passports, insurance cards... Every single person has important paperwork to keep track of, and these items can be difficult to organize in traditional portfolios and file-keeping systems. Instead, try using a photo album to hold these precious items so they don't get lost in a pile of papers. If possible, use a photo album that will fit in a fireproof safe for peace of mind. That way, you always know where all your important documents are and can quickly find what you need.

If you were lucky enough to have a box of recipes handed down to you, you know just how precious these handwritten archives can be. Make sure they are easier to use and organize with the help of an old photo album. You can store a recipe in each photo slot, organizing them by appetizer, main courses, desserts, and so on, or even by occasion like holidays and birthdays. If you find your ancestor's handwriting a bit tricky to decipher, you could store the original recipe card alongside a typed version for simplified reading. 

Nobody wants to be the parent or homeowner who never stops texting the babysitter or house sitter with a long list of names, numbers, and addresses. Instead, collect the names and phone numbers of services like doctors and veterinarians, as well as any other important information like details about your insurance, and store it all in an old photo album to organize your important documents in case of an emergency. That way, you have it all on hand for yourself as well as anyone else who will be looking after your home, pets, or children. 

It's easy to open up an envelope, see a notice for a bill, and then totally forget about it. Or, maybe you sometimes place bills on the counter and find out later that a family member recycled them. This can make it tricky to keep track of notices and what has already been paid for. Try sliding them into a photo album and sort it into sections for bills that are pending payment and ones that have already been paid. Or, if you have multiple photo albums, label one "Unpaid" and the other "Paid."

Nothing foils your plans to wear the perfect necklace out quite like finding it tangled up with two bracelets, a ring, and a broach. In regular jewelry boxes and trinket trays, it's very easy for jewelry pieces to become tangled. The solution isn't necessarily to splurge on an expensive jewelry organizer. Instead, try using an old photo album, especially one that's made for smaller polaroids. These are perfect for holding loose jewelry and keeping the chains of necklaces from intertwining. We love that this binder-style storage is also great for packing your jewelry during travel. 

Sometimes, going old school is best, and setting up a budget with cash instead of the tiny screen on your phone can really help you to actually see where your money is going. An easy way to create a cash budget system is to use photo album slots for different budget sections such as gas, groceries, utilities, fun money, savings, etc. Just label the sections with a marker, then divide up the cash as needed in these pockets month after month. This would also be a great tool for teaching kids how to budget. 

It's a shame that many of us receive beautiful cards only to recycle or lose them to a sea of junk in our filing cabinets. Sure, some live on the front of the fridge for a year or so, but what about after that? Try storing those cards in an old photo album so you can always flip through them when you're feeling sentimental in this perfect display for your holiday cards. This solution could also work if you have a collection of unused greeting cards and want to categorize them by type or occasion. 

Do you have lots of sticker sheets that you use when crafting, scrapbooking, or creating your monthly calendar? To keep them all orderly and protect them from damage, try placing the sticker sheets inside a photo album. This will allow you to easily flip through your stickers to find exactly what you need at any moment. It will also give you the opportunity to organize them by type or use as well. And you'll know at a glance when you're running out of a certain type so you can stock up on more.

Part of the fun of gardening is trying new things each year and learning how environmental factors can impact growth. However, it can be tricky to keep track of so many variables. The visual learners among us could use a photo album as a personal farmer's almanac. Notice that acidic soil changes the color of your hydrangeas or that tightly-packed soil produces small carrots? Include a before and after photo along with your notes about the change in your photo album so you can easily reference it in the future.