Silverware Organizer Drawer: How one small drawer makes everything efficient

Organizing your silverware is pretty easy, right?  Just plop down one of those organizers you get at a big box store, and throw your silverware in the right slots, right?  Having a silverware organizer drawer is one of the MOST important parts of kitchen organization and meal prep.

Ok, silverware.

I bet a lot of you have one of those organizers where you put spoons and forks into the slots that look like them, and you’re good –right?

BUT, silverware organization has a lot of tips it can teach us about organization.  AND, by finding JUST the right organizer for YOUR kitchen, you’re going to have more storage and really utilize that drawer to it’s fullest.

This post is similar to the type of tips you will find in my Organized Home Course.  In there we’ll talk about systems and ideas you can use to organize your household goods to make them easy to find and easy to put away.

As it says — it’s the realistic way to manage a home, reduce clutter & clean less.  You can save 10% with code PC10.

5 Tips to your Silverware Organizer Drawer

Little things make the big things in your silverware drawer

Ok peeps — it’s just a drawer.  AND, it will probably be one of the most used drawers in your kitchen.  Which means it needs to have a solid foundation of the rails the drawer slides in and out on.

For us, we had to replace them, because the ones we had just weren’t cutting it.  So, my husband went to home depot and bought a new set and things are MUCH easier now.

It’s a reminder that little things can make a big difference in how the flow of your home goes.  I think the rails were around $10, but made setting the table, and creating meals SO much easier!

ALSO, be thoughtful of how much that drawer can REALLY hold.  Silverware is heavy, so if the drawer just has too much for it’s construction, you  might need to minimize what you keep in there (see #4).

Have the right products

I am pretty sure you can get a silveware drawer at the dollar store.

They’re all over the place, but I want you to take some time to find the one that works for your drawer.

This looks like this:

1. Figure out what you need to keep in there
2. Measure the space (don’t forget to measure depth, as some drawers aren’t very deep)
3. Find a drawer organizer that maximizes the space.

For us — we keep:

• Forks
• Dessert forks
• Knives
• Teaspoons
• Tablespoons (all of those are pretty standard)
• Larger stainless steel serving utensils (that came with our utensil set, I also keep other serving spoons by the stove)
• Knives
• Peelers
• Paint brushes (don’t ask, I just know this space is a good one for them)
• Take-out chopsticks (my husband likes to have a stash of those)
• Fondue Forks
• Medicine droppers/spoons (although we are ALMOST out of that stage, I still keep one or two around)

Now, not all of those go in the regular “slots” — so stay tuned for how we make this all work!

(And yes — the image at the top of my post is my ACTUAL silverware drawer, taken on a regular Monday morning).

BUT, here are 3 organizers that look awesome, and have added perks.

Cheap Silverware Organizer

You can grab something like this.  I like how it has nonslip grips.  It’s inexpensive, and you can always use the area around your drawer for other items (we’ll talk more about that below).  I also think the quality of the plastic is good, so you’re not having sharp knives or forks slice into it and have to replace it soon.

Durable Silverware Organizer

Using a material like Bamboo makes your organizer drawer very durable and easy to clean up.  I also like how this one has expandable sides.  I think it looks very clean and polished in your drawer.  A bit of a “higher end” look.

Maximize Storage In your Silverware Drawer

Oh man, now I think this one is the holy grail of drawer organization!

It literally gets me excited when I see the forks and spoons alternated so you can get more in.

AND, it is expandable.

AND it comes in 2 lengths, depending on how long your drawer is.

It’s also customizeable for your own silverware.  yes, my heart is currently fluttering.  Is yours?  I love maximizing storage, and this one seems to do just that!

I am seriously thinking (even though the one we have right now does JUST fine) about getting this one.  hahah.  I need help. 🙂

Customizable Drawer Organization

Now, if you feel like you really want to create your own — this set will help you do just that.  With lots of different options, you can make it work for you, and with larger slots, you could probably alternate back and forth your utensils like the one above this.

Also, this type of system is AWESOME for junk drawers, and the pricing is pretty great that you’re not spending a ton to organize a drawr!

Use useless space in your silverware drawer

Ok, even with my expandable drawer organizer, I have some space at the back of the drawer and some to the sides that I use for other things.

SO, the main slots get what they are crated for.  I expand the drawer a bit more on the right, and I put my knives in there.

I have it just barely expanded on the left which is where we keep chopsticks and a couple of tiny paintbrushes (my daughter loves to water color, and this place just made sense — and we rinse them out well between uses).

At the back of the drawer we keep some steak knives, some old children’s silverware and our fondue forks as those aren’t reached for as often.

So, just because your organizer doesn’t fit your drawer perfectly, you can still make “spots” of your own to make it work for you!

Minimize, but also maximize in your silverware organization

For us, we try to keep our full set in the drawer, but that’s just 12 place sittings.  We also have an extra box of our previous silvrware set (that I think my kids threw away about 1/2 of the spoons) on the top of our cabinets that we can fish down if we are feeding a lot of people.

Some of you might want closer to 20 in your drawer.

I would just encourage you to:

• Make sure the drawer can comfortably hold the entire amount you want to stick in there
• The drawer is sturdy enough to handle all of it
• You’re not keeping in enough silverware to use only when you have a HUGE dinner party.  Otherwise, it might be smart to put some aside in a box and just pull it out when you’re hosting a lot of guests.

Keep the silverware organization system going

That means showing your dishwasher unloaders (aka, husband and kids) where each item goes, so they can confidently put things back where they go.

Don’t just expect them to know where each item is supposed to go, or you might end up with a jumbled, frustrated mess.

Taking the time to go over a system with the family, while it may seem a little crazy and uncomfortable, is going to save you in the long run.

If you’re ready to make a change (not JUST in your silverware drawer) but in your whole home — join the organization course that made my life 100% easier.

Do you wish your house was more like this?

• Cleaning in minutes, not hours
• Knowing where all my important papers and items are (and easily accessing them)
• No longer feeling a knot in my stomach when I hear we’re having guests

If that sounds like something you’d like —check it out today!

If you’re not quite ready for that, check out my 5-word organization challenge — and check out my other organization posts below that!

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