Two more quick tips for organizing paper and paper piles today. Ever notice how paper clutter always seems to build up in piles? What’s the paper pile antidote? Two great paper organizing strategies are: visible vertical files and eliminating open horizontal surfaces to stack piles.
As we come into the house, we had not one, but two flat surfaces right next to each other that just acted as magnets for mail, coupons, gift cards, and homework (and everything else!).
In the re-organized space, we purposely have no flat surface to lay anything on. Instead, we have several visible paper organizers to provide space for (left to right):
- A tickler file
- A coupon and gift card organizer
- A jelly jar for pens and pencils
- Project files in a vertical stand
- Mom’s school binder
So we are down to one “home” for all the paper, which frees up that entry table for other things, like a bowl for keys and wallet that always seem to go walking off.
By the way, my apologies for the muddy picture. This is what happens when I snap quick pictures on the way out the door from a very full appointment.
The best part may be that they already had everything they needed to put these systems into place, which is often the case. They already had the standing organizers, the pretty file folders, a binder, and the cute barrel bin for the tickler file. Just a few tweaks made all of these things super functional and work together as a command center.
These are the essentials of this family’s command center. In order to make this work, I asked them to leave the mail in their mailbox until they have time to look at it. That way, they aren’t bringing it in the house when tempers are high and sugar is low, and mail won’t have a chance to pile up on the hall table. Voila! No piles. (OK, I never said it was easy, but it is pretty simple, right?)
Still looking for tips on how to set up your household files? Click for 3 more files every home needs.
These are two simple paper organizing tips that anyone can implement. What do you think?
