One Household Essential Turns IKEA's ALEX Drawers Into The Perfect Craft Storage

DIYers and crafters know the struggle of trying to keep supplies organized: tangled ribbons, rolls of tape lost in the chaos, and drawers that turn into endless pits of supplies. Instead of crafting, you're spending your time sifting through the mess, looking for that one item that you desperately need for your project. One clever household essential is all it takes to turn the IKEA ALEX drawers into the ultimate craft supplies storage solution: rolls of paper towels.

The idea for this hack is to use a few empty paper towel rolls to create separations in the ALEX drawers. These drawer separators can turn a regular drawer into a great DIY ribbon roll organizer that's perfect for craft rooms. These can also work for thread, tape, and other types of rolls that you'd like to display upright next to each other in drawers. That way, you'll see your collection at a glance and easily reach for the roll you need.

This works well with the ALEX drawers from IKEA because they're the perfect size for paper towel rolls. It's also a great way to declutter and organize every cabinet drawer in your home, as long as the drawers are about 11 inches wide. Who wouldn't want to turn some trash into storage at no added cost?

If you already have the ALEX drawers from IKEA, this hack is going to be beyond simple. The inside of a drawer is about 11 inches long, the same as the length of a paper towel roll. Therefore, you just need to squeeze your empty rolls into the drawer, like in the video, to create neat sections.

Use as many rolls as you'd like based on what you need to store. The key is to organize your rolls of ribbon and tape by size so that you can create specific sections for each. Ideally, you'll want to store the rolls upright so that you can easily see them from above. Of course, you can also use the paper towel rolls to create larger sections if you want to. For example, break up a drawer into two sections to keep scissors and tools in one end, and paints or glues in another. The great thing about this hack is that nothing is glued or nailed; therefore, you can adjust your storage setup based on your current needs. 

And if you'd like to make this setup more aesthetically pleasing, use your DIY skills to give it an upgrade. For example, there are creative ways to use decoupage to cover the cardboard with decorative napkins and Mod Podge. You can even use wrapping paper or paint to make the rolls look better.