Use your walls and doors to prevent workspace clutter!

Small Dry Erase Board with Marker

Last month, I did a post on storing items out of site.  Also. Last year, I did a very popular two-part post on an over-door organizer that can greatly reduce clutter.  So I thought you might enjoy more storage/organizing tips.  Below are four ideas using your doors or walls to prevent clutter in your personal, office, or family workspaces.

1. Get a bulletin board

Bulletin boards are good to display reference items, quotes or other inspirational data, photos and other light items that may otherwise clutter surface space.  If there is space between the work surface and a shelf, then use this space for a bulletin board.  If there is no commercially available bulletin board the correct size, make a bulletin board out of corkboard.  If a large bulletin board is more desirable to you, cover a whole wall with large corkboard or cork tiles to create a gigantic board that will also double as a sound muffler.  Check with your local home improvement store for supplies and to learn how to best put it up.  Be sure to buy push pins to use with the bulletin board as they are easier to move than standard tacks.

2. Put up hooks
Hooks on the wall or a door are great for things that need easy access but should not clutter your work surfaces – such as tables, desks, or chairs.  They can also your floors clear of clutter from dropping things when another surface is not available to put them on.  There are many decorative and functional hook options.  Hooks can be mounted with a screw, or placed with special adhesive, or you can purchase hooks that hang over doors or room dividers. 

 3. Write on a board
Dry-erase marker boards or chalkboards are great for others to leave notes, for you to make your own notes, or explain something to someone by drawing examples.  These boards can prevent to look of clutter caused by excessive sticky notes and the wasted time looking for paper to use for notes or drawings.  If you want lots of space to write, you might want to consider chalkboard contact paper to create a temporary board or painting a whole wall with blackboard paint to create your own chalkboard.  However, you need to be sure to keep the correct type of board markers and erasers nearby to prevent ruining the board by using the wrong type of writing tool.

4. Consider pegboards

Pegboards are great for hanging tools, office or craft supplies, and other items.  The pegboard can be cut to size, placed on a wood frame that sticks out half-inch to one inch, and then hung on a wall or the back of a cabinet or shelf.  Then all you need to do is purchase the appropriate sized pegs and hooks to hang on your pegboard for holding specific items of various shapes, sizes, and weight.  To insure items borrowed from the pegboard are returned to the correct place, draw an outline of the item around it this makes it quick and easy for everyone to know where it goes.  No more excuses for losing items!