We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There are a few common items you must get rid of to declutter your home. After all, they serve no real purpose and only take up precious real estate. However, if you want to keep a few items due to a sentimental attachment, to reduce waste, or for any other reason, repurpose them as organizers. For example, the picture frame you received as your housewarming present can serve as a jewelry organizer. Or, breathe new life into a wooden tray by turning it into a lazy Susan.

Other items you can upcycle as organizers include expensive pillowcases, old coffee table books, designer shopping bags, empty glass containers, and baking pans. Fortunately, transforming them into practical pieces requires little to no DIY skill. So, here are some creative ways to repurpose clutter as organizers in your home.

You might want to keep your fancy candle jars instead of trashing them to reduce your impact on the landfill. But why let them clutter your house when you can use them to organize it? Remove candle wax from the container to reuse the jar by taking off the pesky labels using an adhesive stripper like Goo Gone Original Liquid. Then, use it to house your hygiene products, free samples, and travel-size shampoo bottles and toothpaste tubes. If container came with a lid, spray paint it and add an old knob to keep your stored goodies dust-free. You can even repurpose your old figurines like plastic toys and use them in place of knobs.

Saving cardboard boxes for a potential future need might seem like a solid strategy until they clutter your attic. Similarly, you might be collecting your old pillow covers because they’re too pretty or may prove useful someday. So, why not use TikTok’s genius hack to transform an old pillowcase into a trendy storage basket? Simply wrap some rope or twine around the boxes and line their insides with the covers. Use it to organize your toiletries, hand towels, kids’ toys, and bedding. Just keep it away from water, or your basket won’t last long.

In your quest to create the perfect gallery wall, you might have old photo frames that you can no longer use. However, instead of letting them gather dust, repurpose them as jewelry organizers. Stick a fabric sheet, such as Mesheshe Adhesive Felt, to the backing. Then, create compartments for rings using foam hair rollers, add small wooden feet, and your organizer is ready. If this seems like a lot of work, take out the frame’s contents and replace it with a material like Crafter’s Square Adhesive Cork Sheet. Then, simply add decorative push pins, like this 30-Pack of Flower Thumb Tacks, to neatly organize your necklaces and earrings.

It can be hard to resist buying wooden trays and platters when you get a good deal on them. But if you’ve accumulated more than you need for making charcuterie boards, turn them into lazy Susans. Just affix a rotating plate, such as HSTECH’s 6-inch Steel Ball Bearing Model, to each tray and use it to organize your cabinets, countertops, and craft and laundry supplies. Just attach felt, like Scotch Self-Stick Pads, to the metal to keep it from scratching delicate surfaces. You can even paint the tray so it complements your décor.

You’re not alone if you neatly stash away your designer shopping bags to preserve fond shopping memories. However, instead of letting them clutter your wardrobe, transform them into a tray for your small knick-knacks. Cut out your favorite part and insert it in a photo frame and lay it flat to serve as a shallow dish. You can even paint the frame so it matches the bag’s graphic and looks every bit the expensive holder you want it to. 

If you don’t want to throw away your designer fragrance bottles because they’re too pretty, turn them into multipurpose containers. Take out the sprayer and cut open the narrow mouth with a specialized cutter like Camdios’ Glass Cutting Tool. Now, pour one part warm water and one part distilled white vinegar into the bottle. Let it soak for about 60 minutes, then add some rice granules and a dash of liquid dish soap to thoroughly clean it. Swirl the mixture prior to dumping it out and drying the container. Then, fill it with small items like pens or jewelry for a unique display.

Have you lost interest in your old coffee table books but can’t bring yourself to throw them away? Give them a facelift and use them to keep all your remotes discreetly organized in one place. Mark an area on the pages big enough to fit your TV controllers and hollow out the inside of the book using a sharp box cutter, such as Workpro’s Retractable Utility Knife. After you’re done, glue the pages and sides together for a sturdy finish. This allows you to both hide clutter and add character to your coffee table in a personalized way.

Cleansing and storing all of your glass containers is a good way of keeping them out of overflowing landfills. So try to find similar-looking ones for a neater look and rinse any dust out of them. Then, fill them with your detergents, fabric softeners, and laundry pods to organize and beautify your laundry supply stash. Don’t forget to mark them with stickers like the ones in this 18-Piece Set of Laundry Labels. Once you’re done, place them on a lazy Susan as a genius storage trick to bring order to your chaotic laundry room.

What do you do with your old Tupperware when it’s time to throw away your plastic storage containers and declutter your cabinets? Or maybe you’ve decided to opt for a new set of glass ones and no longer need them for leftovers. Tossing the old ones in the garbage will just add to the plastic sitting in landfills since they aren’t biodegradable. A better alternative is to upcycle them into storage solutions around your house. Use them to organize craft supplies, office basics, hardware like screws, and first aid items. Clear ones are helpful for quickly identifying what’s inside, but a device like Nelko’s Label Maker Machine allows you to clearly mark the contents of opaque ones.

Although baking pans are a cheap investment, they pointlessly clutter up your kitchen if you don’t use them often. So, why not repurpose them into adorable organizers? For this DIY, you’ll need some Mod Podge and paper towels to hide the surface. You may also want to wrap some jute or rope around the outside to boost the aesthetic appeal. For a custom look, use various colors to create unique patterns that match your interior décor. Alternatively, spray paint the pans in your preferred shade, seal the finish, and add wooden legs using large beads.