DIY Kitchen Counter Filing System

Wren’s Little Nest
by Wren’s Little Nest
3 Materials
$10
30 Minutes
Easy

One thing that drives me absolutely crazy is the never ending amount of paper clutter that seems to accumulate on the kitchen counter. It’s so easy to grab the mail, toss it on the counter and forget about it. Not only does this cause an unsightly mess that just keeps growing, it’s also our main problem for losing important paperwork as it just gets buried under everything else.

With school starting just around the corner I knew that I had to come up with a solution to keep everything organized and running smoothly. We do have a main filing cabinet in our home, but it’s just not realistic for us to use it on a daily basis. I needed something conveniently located in the kitchen with very easy access to store and find what I need. It also needed to be visually appealing and blend in with the kitchen decor.

I had a look around my home to see if there was anything that would fit that criteria. On my search I found an old basket that just happened to be the perfect size for this project!

I am so happy with how this little diy filing system turned out and I’m even happier that the pile of papers is now contained.


For this project you will need a pen, filling folders, and labels. I used binder dividers to label each folder, because it is what I had on hand and I appreciated the colourful tags. Of course you could use a printer or label maker for this project as well.

The first thing I did was sort through the pile of papers that had been collecting on my counter. I roughly organized the papers into categories and decided what labels I needed to make.

I ended up with eight categories for my filing system. Of course there is still room to add more in the future if needed.

Since these binder dividers weren’t specifically made for filling folders I used a little bit of tape to secure them onto the folder.

I took the newly labeled folders, placed them in the basket and got to filling my papers.

I just love how this project turned out. The basket blends in nicely and I feel that it compliments the rest of the decor in the kitchen.

It is so easy now to keep any incoming paper work neatly organized and off of the kitchen counter.

Suggested materials:
  • Filling folder   (Amazon)
  • Folder labels   (Amazon)
  • Basket
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  2 questions
  • Lynda Lynda on Aug 04, 2021

    I’m curious why you didn’t just use file folders? The tabs would already be there.

  • Mcc2343472 Mcc2343472 on Jan 19, 2022

    where did you get the basket?


Comments
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3 of 11 comments
  • Patty Miller Patty Miller on Aug 22, 2021

    I LOVE IT, I LOVE BASKETS, TOO‼️

    I THINK I'D HANG THAT ON THE WALL THOUGH.

    I just got new granite counter tops & am trying desperately to keep it cleared off, lol‼️icon

  • Sherry Sherry on Jan 23, 2022

    Perfect answer to a common problem. This looks wonderful! Thank you.

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