Is your linen closet a precarious tower of leaning linen, peppered with mismatched towels? Organizing it will take half an hour, and will lead to all sorts of good things: More frequent sheet changes, matching towels, a full rag-bag, and that sense of deep domestic pride that warms when you know that even the hidden spaces are neat and tidy. Here’s what I did during nap-time Saturday.

1. Separate out the old linen. Pull out the stained sheets, the bottom sheets with dead elastic, the raggedy towels, and the orphaned pillowcases. (You really only need two sets of sheets per bed. Maybe three if you keep a special set for guests in reserve.) Consider your orphans before you toss. Some could coordinate together to make a set. Sewing the same ribbon trim on mismatched towels can help them coordinate. But if its time for the orphans to leave Daddy Warbucks’s, take a deep breath, say goodbye, and set them aside to use for other things. Cut off any trim or sturdy fabric for sewing projects and cut the rest into squares to fill your rag-bag. (You have a rag-bag, right? It’s essential for stylishly sashaying through Depression II. Just talking about your rag-bag gives you eco-cred.)


2. Fold. Fold the sheets and stack them as sets. Store pillowcases with their matching sheets, or, if you’re not a pillowcase ironer, fold the sheets and store them in the pillowcase. Stack the sets of the same size together (queens together, doubles, twins). Having trouble folding the fitted sheet? When you fold it in half, tuck one set of corners into the other, then finishing folding it. And don’t forget the old retail trick of folding linen: If you fold in thirds, no raw edges ever show.


3. Refresh. You could buy beautiful sachets of lavender to tuck into your linen closet, or you could buy some lavender in bulk and scoop it into some of those perfectly useless shoe bags you got with those fancy loafers. I save all those not-so-attractive fabric bags for closet sachets. Scoop a cup or two of lavender in, but not too much - you want them to lie flat, like long flat balloons. You can also buy muslin bags for pennies. Lay one or two on each shelf, before you put your folded linen in. No one will ever see them, but every time you open the door, the faint scent will lift your spirits, and keep moths away. Try folding your sweaters around one of these sachets, too. Lavender is inexpensive in bulk, and every closet benefits from it.


4. Arrange. Move infrequently used or off-season items to the higher shelves, with extra blankets and pillows stored at the very top. Make small stacks instead of tall towers. You may want to install an extra shelf or two to break up the space.


5. Stick with it. Put freshly laundered linens at the bottom of the stack so your linens are used equally. And when you buy new linens, move some of the worn ones out. Think of the children’s tents, the possible costumes, and the hungry rag-bag.

Stores selling storage and organization accessories appeal to our fantasy selves. With the right box, rack, sorter, labeler, or over-the-door-gift-wrap-organizer our lives will finally become peaceful, or beautiful, or sane.

Rather than give your hard-earned money away to the empty-promise plastic gods, look in your recycling bin for scads of “organization” tools.


Most folks are all about the box, but I’ll take a nice set of cans any day. They come in every size, from sardine and tuna fish to whole peeled tomato. With the labels peeled off, they work for the stainless steel aesthetic or the country-chic aesthetic. Nail a few in the laundry room for household essentials like scissors, tape, dust rags, etc. Decant dog biscuits into one by the back door. Use a clean tuna can for your keys. Not everything needs a box!

But boxes are wonderful, which is why we all keep buying them. Plastic boxes can be very helpful, especially in the attic, basement, and garage, but don’t overlook the utility of the everyday boxes you might automatically throw away. Even the prosaic shoe box can provide decades of storage, and after decades, its print will start to look charmingly retro. Don't you wish you'd saved your Air Jordans box now?

Glass jars are the free, non-toxic alternative to plastic food storage. Write directly on the jar with a dry erase marker to remind yourself what’s in it. In some parts of the country you can still buy your berries in wooden baskets and your oranges in crates. A dozen cans in a crate makes a wonderful catch-all for wrapping or craft supplies. Plastic containers, like the oblong arugula or mixed green boxes, or the tub from miso paste are great for holding small toys, like Legos or Playmobile. Tubs that once held baby wipes can now hold puzzles, bathroom supplies, or hardware.

Cans and boxes take on even more possibilities with some paper and glue. I use Mod Podge, a glue made especially for decoupage (a fancy words for pasting paper to things). Modpodge is the perfect consistency. But Elmer's glue, diluted with a little water, works well too. With either product, take your chosen paper (try old wrapping paper, beat-up children’s books, sheet music, or a foreign language newspaper), brush glue on the back. Paste it down. Brush glue on the front. Let dry. If you want, you can seal it again with shellac, spray lacquer, or varnish, but it isn't necessary. Fabric works well too, especially on cans.

This is a great project for children. They’ll see their handiwork become a vital part of running the household.

Do you have any other ideas for recycling the recycling? Please share them below!