Repurpose Paper Towel Rolls Into A Simple Kitchen Utensil Organizer

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Kitchen organization is a life-long pursuit. The right tips save you precious space and make your daily routine stress-free and pleasant. One of the most cluttered problem areas in the kitchen is often the utensil drawer. Things seem intent on jumbling, so looking for things can be frustrating when you need them. The chaos is aesthetically unappealing, and utensils may even get scratched and dinged. That's why we're always seeking brilliant kitchen utensil organization ideas. Our latest favorite is a fun, easy, totally free tong storage solution using only a paper towel roll.

There are all kinds of different kitchen tongs for varying purposes, from pasta to salad to grilling. You definitely have a pair, maybe even three or four. Unfortunately, tongs can be one of the most aggravating tools in your utensil drawer because the slightest knock can cause them to spring open. This is where the paper towel roll comes in. We love finding ways to upcycle kitchen items. This hack is sustainable because instead of tossing the roll when you use its last paper towel, you're putting it to work.

Simply slip a closed pair of tongs into a paper towel roll and store them that way in your drawer. They stay closed, they don't bang into and damage other tools, and they're also sleeker and more compact, saving space. Once you see how easy and effective this is, you may want to organize more tools with paper towel rolls. Everything fits neatly into a drawer and remains in place.

There are plenty of top-notch kitchen tool organizers out there. But you're already using paper towels, so why spend another penny when you can recycle with some real organizational impact? To make this system more visually pleasing, decorate the rolls to fit your kitchen motif or just patterns you love — it will be a fun little treat every time you open your drawer. It's also smart to label your rolls if you're using more than one, so you immediately know which tool is where without having to slide them out.

Decoration couldn't be easier. You can paint the cardboard tubes or cover them in just about anything: wrapping paper, contact paper in fun prints, these NatNarr Decoupage Floral Napkins, Pagemore floral washi tape, or even fabric. Use Mod Podge for a lasting stick — if you really want to flex some creative muscles, put that Mod Podge to work by collaging onto your rolls.

Additionally, stick on some label stickers so you can write on different rolls, "pasta tongs," "grilling tongs," "salad tongs," "whisk," "pastry brush," and so on. These TownStix Reusable Chalkboard Stickers are a great choice because you don't have to make a mess peeling them off if you decide to store something else in that roll — just erase and rewrite. This is a clever utensil organization hack that allows you total control over what it looks like, so have fun with it.