If your kitchen looks fine until you open a cabinet, hi. Same. Been there, done that, but won’t go back. With a big family, our kitchen has to function like a tiny restaurant (I even have two dishwashers), and if things aren’t organized, everything slows down fast. I’m talking searching for spices, the lid avalanche, and the pan pile that makes you question your life choices mid-dinner. So I’m rounding up the kitchen organization projects that have made the biggest difference in our cabinets and drawers. Each section is a quick overview, and I’ll link the full tutorial for each project.
Table of Contents
- 3 Rules for Kitchen Organization
- How to Organize Tupperware and the Lids
- Start Here if Your Baking Sheets Are a Hot Mess
- Pots and Pans, Finally Organized
- The Kitchen Organization Spice Cabinet Fix
- The Knife Drawer Setup That Clears Your Counters
- The Silverware Drawer That Fits
- Hide the Trash, Hide the Mess
- The Exact Order to Do These if You’re Overwhelmed
- Want The Easy Version? Shop These Kitchen Organizers
- 📌 Save This Kitchen Organization Roundup for Later
- Kitchen Organization FAQ
3 Rules for Kitchen Organization
Right now, we’re in the middle of a DIY kitchen remodel in our latest fixer-upper, which means I’m living in that weird in-between stage where nothing is finished, everything is dusty, and I still have to feed my army of tiny people every day. So I’m prioritizing one thing while we renovate: a kitchen that functions. Here are three of my rules when organizing my kitchen.
- Store things where you use them. If it lives near the stove but you use it by the fridge, you will hate your life.
- Go vertical whenever possible. Pans, boards, lids, trays. Vertical storage is the cheat code.
- Make it fit your cabinet or drawer. Custom-fit wins every time.
How to Organize Tupperware and the Lids
You know that cabinet. Everyone has one. It’s the one where kitchen organization goes to die. The one where every lid has filed for independence. I promise, you can absolutely get the food storage container chaos under control.
I created a pull-out system inside a lower cabinet so containers and lids each have their own “zone,” and you can actually grab what you need without unloading the entire kitchen. Side note: committing to one type of container (instead of mixing five different sets) makes stacking and storing everything so much easier. I’m obsessed with my glass food storage containers, and this setup keeps them neat, visible, and easy to put away.
Why it works
- Pull-outs = you can see and reach everything
- Lids get contained in one spot (I have mine in this bamboo organizer)
- Works especially well with stackable container sets
Full tutorial: How to Organize Tupperware and Food Storage Containers
Just want to buy it? Here is a heavy-duty, pull-out organizer for your Tupperware containers.
Start Here if Your Baking Sheets Are a Hot Mess
Deep cabinets can be the enemy of kitchen organization. They turn into a dangerous and messy pile fast. I built a simple plywood cabinet insert with adjustable dividers so cutting boards, baking sheets, muffin tins, and serving trays stand up neatly instead of becoming a stacked tower of doom.
Why it works
- Uses dead vertical space inside a lower cabinet
- Adjustable slots so it can grow with your collection
- Everything is visible and easy to grab
Full tutorial: DIY Cutting Board and Sheet Pan Organizer for Kitchen Cabinets
DIY not your thing? Here’s an awesome pull-out, divided baking sheet organizer you can purchase.
Pots and Pans, Finally Organized
If you cook a lot, you already know the pain of digging through a dark cabinet while a lid tries to take you out at the ankles. This slide-out organizer gives every one of my gorgeous pots, pans, and lids its own slot, so nothing has to be stacked, keeping your kitchen organization in check.
Why it works
- Full-extension slides bring everything out to you
- Dividers keep pans and lids upright and separated
- No more heavy stacks to lift and restack
Full tutorial: DIY Slide-Out Pots and Pans Storage for Cluttered Lower Cabinets
Want to organize, but not build? You can purchase this heavy-duty pot and pan insert for your kitchen.
The Kitchen Organization Spice Cabinet Fix
If you’ve ever pulled out 14 spices just to find the hidden garlic powder, you need a tiered spice rack. I make this in every house we move into because it’s simple, cheap, and makes cooking faster. Don’t forget the set of matching spice jars. It’s much easier to organize when they’re all the same size and have easily readable labels.
Why it works
- Tiered height = you can see labels instantly
- Perfect for a standard spice cabinet
- Makes it easy to group spices by type (or alphabetize if you are feeling extra)
Full tutorial: Easy and Functional DIY Tiered Spice Rack!
And here’s a ready-to-go spice rack option if you just want to get your spices organized ASAP!
The Knife Drawer Setup That Clears Your Counters
Countertop knife blocks take up precious space, collect dust, and ruin the flow of my kitchen organization. An in-drawer knife block keeps knives organized, protected, and out of sight, and it frees up the countertop workspace.
Why it works
- Knives stay in one tidy place
- Keeps counters clearer
- Custom sizing so it fits your drawer and your knife set
Full tutorial: How To Make A Custom In-Drawer Knife Block
Looking to skip the DIY on this one? Here’s a link for an in-drawer knife block that is very similar to what I made.
The Silverware Drawer That Fits
I’ve tried all of the silverware organizers that you can buy, from metal to plastic, and hated them all. Building your own means every section fits your drawer perfectly, and you can customize it for what your family actually uses. No wasted space, and much cheaper than anything you can buy.
Why it works
- Custom-fit compartments (no wasted space)
- Looks cleaner than most store-bought organizers
- Easy beginner build with basic tools
Full tutorial: How to Build a Silverware Drawer Organizer the EASY Way!
I love my custom silverware divider, but if I opted to buy one instead of making it, I would go with something like this one.
Hide the Trash, Hide the Mess
If you have a cabinet that fits a trash can, you can hide your trash. It makes your kitchen feel instantly cleaner, and it keeps little hands (and pets) out of the garbage.
Why it works
- Trash is hidden behind a cabinet front
- Cleaner-looking kitchen, especially near an island
- Works as a beginner-friendly cabinet upgrade
Full tutorial: Double Trash Can Cabinet DIY: Hide Your Kitchen Garbage
Not at this level of DIY yet? No worries! Here’s a ready-made trash cabinet insert that you can add with a lot less work.
The Exact Order to Do These if You’re Overwhelmed
Wanting to get your kitchen organization under control, but don’t know where to start? Take it one project at a time, starting with the quick wins and moving on to the bigger, more time-consuming DIY projects.
- Spice Rack (fast win, big daily payoff)
- Silverware drawer (quick satisfaction)
- Knife drawer (instant counter space)
- Trash can cabinet (big visual upgrade)
- Tupperware pull-outs (ends the chaos)
- Pots and pans slide-out (daily sanity saver)
- Sheet pans + cutting boards (finishes strong)
Want The Easy Version? Shop These Kitchen Organizers
If you love the result of these kitchen organization projects but don’t feel like building anything right now, this Idea List is for you. I rounded up the best Amazon alternatives for each DIY (spice rack, sheet pan divider, pots and pans pull-out, Tupperware storage, in-drawer knife block, silverware organizer, and a pull-out trash can kit) so you can get the same organized, functional setup with a quick add-to-cart.
Shop them all here – Kitchen Organization Delivered to Your Doorstep
📌 Save This Kitchen Organization Roundup for Later
If you’re planning a kitchen refresh or even just trying to make your cabinets less annoying, save this post so you can knock these out one at a time.
Kitchen Organization FAQ
Start with one problem area you touch every day (spices, silverware, or food storage). Finish that one zone completely before moving to the next.
A slide-out drawer with dividers is one of the easiest ways to make pots, pans, and lids visible and accessible without stacking.
Give lids their own contained spot (a bin or narrow organizer) and use pull-out shelves so you can see everything at once.
Vertical dividers are the simplest solution. Standing them upright prevents shifting stacks and makes grabbing the right one easy.
If your cabinet sizes are even slightly odd (most are), custom organizers fit better, waste less space, and usually cost less than “almost right” store-bought options.
