How to Make a Sock Drawer Organizer

Organize those socks to keep them happily paired.

Have you been laughed at during a staff meeting for wearing one blue and one black sock? Or maybe, like millions of people, you have spent endless hours, days even, searching and wondering what happened to your expensive Argyles? Do you find yourself upset, frustrated or confused by an unrelenting missing sock situation? Are your children embarrassed by mismatched knobby knockers? Make rummaging through sock drawers and laundry baskets a thing of the past. Combat footwear frenzy by taking control of your sock drawer before it takes control of you.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard shoe boxes or plastic bins
• Plastic bags or mesh laundry sacks
• Sock clips or safety pins

Instructions

Assess the Inventory

1. Dump all socks from the drawer, laundry baskets and bags onto a bed or table.

2. Seek out all rebel socks--those no longer worn, beyond repair or that you have never seen before. Put the retired and or mystery socks to work as rags for cleaning your car, dusting furniture, or polishing brass and silver, or as filler for a garden scarecrow.

3. Take shoe boxes or plastic containers and place them side-by-side, lengthwise in the drawer.

4. Lay clean socks flat on the bed or table, then coordinate by length or pattern. Fold matching socks in a tri-fold or circular fashion; never fold one sock top over the roll--you will weaken the elastic. Be space-conscious if you have several pairs.

5. Place the socks into the containers, grouping them by color or purpose. Examples: Athletic socks, work socks, hiking socks, golf socks, casual socks, cycling socks, hiking socks, yoga socks (these should be the only socks that have no toes), Pilates socks and dress socks/stockings.

   Store pantyhose and tights in plastic zip-locking bags; that way it is easy to color-coordinate the bags and keep the nylons from being damaged. Or, if you wash nylons in mesh laundry bags, then after they hang to dry, the laundry bags can also be used in place of plastic bags for storing the nylons in the newly arranged sock drawer organizer.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy plastic bread-loaf-size containers at an inexpensive store such as a dollar store.

• Tri-folding may allow you to store more socks.

• After removing socks from your feet, immediately fold or clip them together before you toss them into the dirty clothes; that way they remain attached in the wash and dry.

• Keep mismatched or lone socks in a container on the top of your dryer. Match them up as the laundry goes in or comes out. Fold the socks together with their mates. If no corresponding companion shows up in a month, toss the extra socks into your rag bin.

References

• Organize Anything

Resources

• Sock Clips
• Ready-Made Sock Organizers