Even without much time for DIYs, you can probably use this quick cereal box hack to organize placemats and store table linens. You just need some cereal boxes, the bigger, the better.
Why? Because my cluttered cabinet for placemats and tablecloths looked like this, and I was tired of refolding all the time.
You might remember that I have a soft spot for magazine files. They are great for storing all sorts of things like gift wrap bows and greeting cards, water bottles, foil wrap boxes, and of course, office supplies especially in home offices without drawers. But they are also pricey. Trendy magazine file boxes like these can cost about $20 each. Enter…the humble cereal box.
How to Make Cereal Box Placemat Organizers
I saved cereal boxes for a couple of weeks. Once you have them, mark one skinny side about halfway down.
From that side marking, make an angled mark up to the opposite corner on each side. Cut out the triangle shape on both sides.
Line up your next box next to the first, mark at the same height, and trim in the same manner.
Place the cereal boxes inside your cabinet, with the longest side down, roll your placemats and smaller tablecloths, and stack them in each cereal box organizer. It’s lovely to see all of your goodies at a glance. Nothing is hiding in a stack like they would in a drawer. Bonus: there are no funny creases from folding. It’s also the best way I’ve found to store slippery mini-garden flags, which are on the far left. I don’t even recommend covering the boxes with anything; you’ll never see the sides anyway.
I’ve had this setup for a couple of years now, and it’s worked wonderfully. Cereal boxes are thinner cardboard, so this works best if you can smoosh them together to stabilize them on both sides. As long as they are cozy, they’ll be great placemat organizers for a long time, and you’ll always have replacements as long as you have cereal.
Could you use these cereal box placemat organizers for other things at your place?
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See all of my January 2021 organizing articles in one place.
this is actually a great idea for dog sweaters, collars, etc. Might also work for all my tissue paper! Thanks!
It would work great to store tissue papers, especially rolled and separated by color. Be sure to check out the link in the article showing how we used magazine holders in a gift wrap closet. Send me a picture of what you end up doing with the idea. I’d love to see.