Deep Drawer Organization

I planned to include how I handled deep drawer organization in the bathroom in my post about makeup organization for tiny bathrooms, but I decided to separate the two and keep things organized. As with all my organization solutions, my goal was to find something simple, lasting, and frugal. This post is about how I managed the drawer directly underneath my makeup drawer. That’s the middle drawer on the far left in the picture below.

Here is a picture of my primary bathroom after a remodel in the fall of 2019. Before this, the bathroom was in near-original, 1958 condition. The shower had yellow, starburst tile with a dropped ceiling. The previous owner removed the yellow corner sink and replaced it with a small bath and vanity sometime in the ’90s, similar to this one, likely to gain a little storage. The previous owners also covered the linoleum with fake ceramic snap-in tiles, similar to the peel-and-stick tiles made today. The bathroom lacked drawers, countertops, and permanent storage. I kept everything in a medicine cabinet from IKEA. We did not add square footage to the bathroom, so it remains 4’11” x 8’7″. What we did do was move everything around to allow for storage, which I can do a post on if anyone would find that helpful.

Stack and Double Drawer Space

I doubled drawer space by stacking my items and keeping everything super tidy. To do this, I used clear acrylic boxes from IKEA with flat lids to stack my items. The drawer organizers I recommended for makeup won’t work for deep drawer organization. Yes, they stack, but they stack by nestling into each other. You don’t want that–it takes storage space from the organizer, and eventually, you will need a lid for the top layer. To keep things tidy, I use bags to corral similar items. I’m using bags my mom gave me from her Clinique purchases. You can use anything, even sturdy Ziplocs.

The top layer

The top layer of my drawer is all bags, and every bag has a job. The black and gold bag holds my tweezers. Inside the small floral bag are my bobby pins. There are ointments in the larger floral bag. No one ever told me that after age 45, there are a lot of ointments in your future, so heed my warning now. Inside the black and white floral bag are safety pins, small scissors, and anything else I might need to repair a wardrobe malfunction. Multiple bags are a must. I do not want to rummage through a bag of ointments to find my tweezers. I want to grab what I need, when I need it.

The bottom layer

My IKEA boxes make up the bottom layer of my deep drawer organization. Every box has a job, like my bags, so I am not rummaging. People with small bathrooms don’t have the luxury of being messy, and, frankly, I am too old to waste time looking for a hair tie. I broke my own rule with the box of Jane Austen bandaids. The parent who gave those to me passed away, and the box of barrettes and clips is empty enough to share the space.

I wasn’t sure if the IKEA boxes would work when I bought them in 2019 (I think we bought them the week the remodel concluded), but I am almost three years in, and the system works great. Would I like a larger bathroom with more drawers? Sure. That sounds nice. But this works well, keeps me organized, and deters unnecessary spending and shopping. That sounds just as nice.