Repurpose Wood Scraps Into Handy Storage Organizers For Your Home

When you're cleaning up after a DIY or home improvement project, you'll often need to decide what to do with the leftover wood scraps you have lying around. It might be tempting to throw these pieces in the bin to save space and declutter your garage. However, there are actually tons of interesting things you can do with them that will improve your home's organization instead. Need to clear up the clutter in your home office? Your scrap wood might provide the perfect solution. Looking for a way to keep your kitchen utensils in order? A couple of panels of leftover wood might be able to solve this problem, too. Just a few pieces of finished wood could even help spruce up your entryway to make it a more functional and inviting space.

Building a shelf, putting together a mug tree, or constructing a set of small storage cubes are just a few of the ways you can use your extra wood pieces to complement your home's current organizational systems. Don't have any spare scraps that you can upcycle lying around in your garage or tool shed? You could try asking your local hardware store if they have any pieces in the back of the shop that they can't sell anymore. Alternatively, you could use leftover pallets. However, there's a quick safety check you can't skip before working with wood pallets. Ready to get started? Here are some outstanding organizational fixtures you can construct at home with your leftover wood.

If the contents of your kitchen drawers are getting out of hand, you might want to try using a few small planks of plywood or MDF wood to make dividers. You can easily customize the arrangement of the pieces depending on what you're storing. Plus, all you need for fitting them into place is a touch of wood glue. Your dividers could be a great way to keep your utensils in order without having to purchase an organizer tray. In a larger drawer, you could instead use them vertically to separate pot lids.

Are you in the habit of leaving your keys and the other contents of your pockets on the table near your front door? While this is, of course, convenient, it doesn't exactly contribute to keeping your entryway clean and organized. A catch-all tray might be the perfect solution. It's a simple yet effective place to stow things like your wallet, your sunglasses, or your earbuds so that they're out of the way yet still easy to reach when you need to quickly head out the door.

Elevating your computer screen could be a simple yet effective way to make your home office a more ergonomically friendly work environment. If you use a monitor or laptop stand, you could also free up space below your computer for folders or papers. Luckily, completing this DIY with spare wood scraps shouldn't be too tricky. All you need to do is use a nail gun or a hammer to put together your boards in a table-like formation, add a shelf below the main surface, and paint or stain the project as desired.

If you have a tall, square block of wood, you could use it as the middle section of a DIY mug tree. All you need to do is use a wood screw to attach it to a wider square plank that will serve as a base and add some sturdy hooks. To make it a bit more eye-catching, you could add a drawer knob to the top or stain it. With a dedicated place to keep your decorative mugs, your cabinet won't feel so cluttered, and it will be easier than ever to grab your morning coffee.

Are your acrylic paint containers, jars of spices, or collections of figurines clogging up the insides of your cabinets or drawers? You might be able to get them back in order with a freestanding tiered shelf. The multi-leveled design of this DIY makes it easy to find what you're looking for in seconds and guarantees that you never have to spend time sorting through your belongings on the hunt for something small. This project could also be great for displaying small items on your kitchen countertop or mantlepiece.

If you don't have large enough wood scraps to build a shelf, you could put together a picture ledge for your living space instead. These narrow wall fixtures are a great way to keep all of your small decor items organized and, of course, make displaying artwork a breeze. They can also be particularly helpful for making your staircase or hallway look neater. Need a place to hang coats near your front door instead? Just flip your picture ledge upside down and install a handful of hooks on the inside, wall-aligned panel.

If you frequently leave pens and pencils around your home office workspace, you might want to try building a small holder for them. This DIY project is fairly straightforward, and requires only some scrap planks, and either wood glue or short screws. You could add a splash of color or a pattern to it with craft paint, or stain it so that it showcases the wood's natural appeal. This fixture could also be an efficient way to store paint brushes, or perhaps some stir spoons at your kitchen's coffee or tea station.

Tired of putting away all of the things lying around your space, only to discover that your shelves or storage cubbies have become an unsightly mess? Organizer cubes are the perfect solution. You can make these simple creations with scrap wood and keep just about anything accessible yet out of sight. Plus, they're easy to customize in terms of both size and color. These cubes are great for making your closet shelves look neat and can also be particularly helpful for tidying up spaces like your laundry room or mudroom.

If the books on your shelf are turning into a cluttered-looking collection, you might want to try sorting and dividing them into sections with a few bookends. These simple decor pieces will also make it easy to make space for decorative trinkets or other small items that fit in alongside your favorite novels. There are plenty of opportunities for getting creative with your bookend designs; you could put them together in the traditional L-shape or make them a bit more triangular to give them a sleek, modern look instead.

Are your favorite necklaces or bracelets constantly getting into a tangled knot? If the answer's "yes," you could definitely try making an artsy jewelry organizer for your wall. All you need to do is screw a few metal hooks into a sturdy piece of plywood. Instead of using hooks, you could pre-drill a few holes into your plank at varying heights and then fill the holes with cut wooden dowels. Once your jewelry organizer is ready, just attach a few metal picture hangers on the back to hang it up on your wall.