The DIY Storage Solution Making Kitchens Look Instantly More Organized

When it comes to kitchen organization, it's fairly easy to keep your cabinets tidy with stackable wire racks, or declutter your pantry by decanting your favorite snacks and cooking supplies into uniform containers. However, kitchens are frequently some of the most active and occupied spaces in the home. Not only do families gather there to share meals, they're also often a kind of administrative hub that collects various types of paperwork, including monthly utility bills, coupons, and greeting cards.

Though your fridge and a handful of magnets might be able to keep clutter at bay for a bit, most homes could seriously benefit from a more robust kitchen command center to keep things running smoothly. These areas usually feature hooks for coats, bags, and keys, a mat for shoes, and a spacious pinboard to hold grocery lists, permission slips, photographs, and more. Currently, linen pinboards are all the rage because they're less utilitarian than their cork cousins, bringing a little warmth and softness to your space.

Since these pinboards are frequently a little pricey, the most affordable option is to make one yourself. All you need is a thrifted picture frame, a frameless cardboard, and some undyed linen fabric. Simply cut the cork to fit inside your frame, cover it with the linen (glue or staple into place), and glue it into the frame linen-side out. Hang it like you would any other picture frame, and use brass or silver thumbtacks or pin clips to get your paperwork organized.

The cool thing about making a linen board yourself is that you can customize it however you like to match your decor and organizational needs. For instance, linen is fairly easy to paint, so you can add a little color to this project with a stencil and acrylic craft paint. Damask patterns look great in cozy spaces, while a geometric pattern might work well in a modern or mid-century kitchen. The same goes for the frame — spray paint easily transforms a bubblegum pink frame you hate into gorgeous vintage gold perfection (or vice versa if you love bright colors).

If you're not keen on poking holes in things like greeting cards or photos, you can arrange coordinating lengths of ribbon in a diamond pattern over the linen. Tack the ribbons down with thumbtacks where they cross, making sure the ribbons are taut. Then, you can slide whatever you like behind the ribbons to hold it in place without needing to puncture it. This may also be great for a grocery list organized by store layout to help keep it intact and readable as you continue adding to it throughout the week.

It's also pretty easy to turn these linen pinboards into multifunctional tools by installing a few brass hooks along the bottom of the frame. These hooks can hold car keys, ID badge lanyards, your dog's favorite leash or even lightweight slot shelving to organize freshly opened and outgoing mail.