Organizing the family's kitchen papers can be daunting. These could be papers you received from your kids' activities and school, doctor's appointment paperwork, manuals, and your own bills. It's a task that needs to be done every day and maybe even a few times a day. So, having an effective kitchen paper management system is so important.
Jump to:
- Benefits of keeping your kitchen's papers organized:
- How did I make this Kitchen Paper Management System?
- Get the right steel file organizer for your space
- Be sure to have at least 2-3 packs of these folders:
- Install a Pullout Drawer in the cabinet
- And a Label Maker and label cartridges.
- Tips when making this family paper organizing system.
Benefits of keeping your kitchen's papers organized:
It's pretty obvious why we need to have a well-organized kitchen paper management system, but here are some of the reasons.
- Find paper when you need it.
- Help other family members find documents.
- Keep on top of upcoming events.
- Minimize the clutter on the counters.
Now, let me show you how to make this easy paper management system for your kitchen so you and your family can be ready for anything.
How did I make this Kitchen Paper Management System?
Here's how to make this easy DIY kitchen paper management system:
First, I needed these four(4) items to tackle my family papers in the kitchen. The first item is this one.
Get the right steel file organizer for your space
A Rack Vinyl Coated Steel File Organizer (Affiliate Link) is helpful to organize the poly file folder pockets. (You can buy it at Staples or click below and buy it at Amazon (Affiliate Link)).
Any wire rack that can hold at least six to 10 pockets works well. I like to keep two months in each pocket folder since I only need six slots.
File holder Metal Magazine Rack 9 Slots
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Then, I needed a place to hold the different months. I picked pocket folders so if there were anything small, they wouldn't fall out and get lost in the drawer.
Be sure to have at least 2-3 packs of these folders:
I particularly liked this one: Globe-Weis Poly File Folder Pockets, Letter Size, Assorted Colors (Affiliate Link), 5 Pockets per Pack (83999)
The poly file folder holds up well and expands if you have lots of papers in particular months that you need to manage.
Globe-Weis Poly File Folder Pockets, Letter Size, Assorted Colors
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Install a Pullout Drawer in the cabinet
The third item I needed was a pull-out wooden drawer. This one is very common to find. The wooden drawer will be stable enough for the file folder rack above. Rev-A-Shelf (Affiliate Link) - Medium Wood Base Cabinet Pull-Out Drawer at least 15 inches wide. But you can use any type of drawer pullout. Below are some I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link).
Rev-A-Shelf 11" Pull Out Single Draw Organizer
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Pick a pull-out drawer with sides that are about 3-4 inches high to keep the papers and the paper sorter on it when you open and close the drawer. It may fall out if you do not have enough side height.
And a Label Maker and label cartridges.
If you want to use a label maker (Affiliate Link), feel free. I used a black marker and a label maker (Affiliate Link). Either worked great.
I labeled the folders in two-month increments and had a section in the back for each child and a household folder. Below is how I labeled the folders.
This is the folder in the pull-out drawer from Rev-a-shelf (Affiliate Link). What do you think? I like the different color folders. It's fun, and I can distinguish between the various folders.
Tips when making this family paper organizing system.
For the Jan-Dec Paper Management Event Section:
- Depending on how much paper you have to manage, one or two months per folder works excellently.
- Sort and stand up the event/activity papers on the short side so you can see them by date order. This will help remind you to check the folders. I wrote a post about marking the event papers with sticky notes (Affiliate Link). Here's the post: THE BEST WAY FOR ORGANIZING SCHOOL PAPERS AT HOME!
Add extra folders for other papers in the house.
- Add a folder for each child and adult for informational documents that need to be held.
- Have a folder for household papers.
- Add a folder for takeout menus or other dinner options.
That's it! I hope this inspires you to organize your kitchen papers. Let's continue the conversation. How do you manage your household papers? Please leave a comment below.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Recent DIY Kitchen and Paper projects.
Feel free to visit our other kitchen and paper projects for tips and tricks to help you manage these problem areas.
Jason B says
This is a great organizing system. I need to create one for my receipts.
Rose Mary Griffith says
What a great idea for a busy family. I'm sure the kids would be attracted to the bright colors--I am!
William Rusho says
I am such a clutter monster, especially when it comes to paperwork.
Tips like these help me so much in trying to become more organized.
Thanks for sharing these with us, and I will definitely try them.
Sabrina says
Thanks for commenting, William. This is so easy to do. It will really keep the paper clutter at bay.
Erica says
Another great set of tips for staying organized. I like the idea of using different color folders. Trying to read labels can be tedious when you need to find something quickly. I like having folders of different colors to quickly distinguish between files.
Tuhin says
Wow, nice!
The tips you have shared above is very much required in our kitchen. What I have understood from this post is that no matter how many things you may have, all it takes is a little innovative space management to solve the problem.
Susan cooper says
Good system. I use a similar one. Nothing worse than looking for a document or book and can't locate it. OK well maybe one worse thing... mounds and mounds of unsorted mess everywhere. Lol
Marquita Herald says
What a terrific system. I work at minimizing my use of paper and keep records and as much information in digital format as possible, but of course there are always exceptions and right now they are stuffed in a drawer, so your tips will definitely come in handy!
Phoenicia says
The papers just keep on coming!
There has definitely been an increase since my daughter started attending full-time education. I work at dealing with paperwork as and when we receive it otherwise it becomes far too overwhelming.
I like your suggestion of creating folders for each family member.
Sabrina says
Thanks Phoenicia! It works great for anyone who just can't deal will the papers out.
Catarina says
Excellent suggestions on how to manage papers. Hate to admit that I should implement some of them as soon as possible.
Seana Turner says
Using the pull-out drawer is a great idea... many people don't have a file drawer in their kitchen. I want to tell all architects and kitchen designers to put a file drawer in every kitchen! Great little weekend project - you and I were both thinking DIY this weekend:)
Donna Janke says
Great way to organize papers. I don't think I would need event organization by month, but I could use the system with other categories. A folder for take-out menus is a great idea. I used to just stuff them in a junk drawer with a bunch of other stuff. It was always a hunt to find them,
Beth Niebuhr says
Nifty organization project, Sabrina. I like being able to put files into drawers because I have a tendency to be messy. Problem solved! I like the way you simplify the projects you share.
Sabrina says
Thanks, Beth! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
lenie says
One of the things that needs organizing in my kitchen are the user manuals and warranties. I save them all and have some for items I no longer have.
Your system sounds great and will definitely help me organize those things.
Sabrina says
Thanks, Lenie. It works great for us. I actually wrote a post about manufacturer's manuals. Here's the link.