Drawer Control

Unlike many other parts of my house, my closets and drawers are an area I try to keep neat. But the drawer where I stash my T-shirts is another ballgame altogether.

First of all, it's overloaded. I'm incapable of throwing away any shirt, no matter how ridiculous or embarrassing the saying on it. Case in point: I kept the free black and pink shirt that says STRIP-TEASE AEROBICS in large day-glo letters on the back. (At least when I wear it people are laughing behind my back and not in my face, right?)

Anyway, as you can see from the photo, the drawer was a mess. At one point, all the shirts were neatly folded, but each time I removed one, I messed up the others around it. I needed a new system.

The other day, I was planning a vacation and reading about the best way to pack a suitcase. Those in the know say that rolling clothes saves space and leaves items less wrinkly. I had a brainstorm: Why not apply the same principle to my T-shirt drawer?

I removed every shirt, rolled them up and arranged them by color. Success! Not only does the drawer look fantastic, but it holds about 1/4 more shirts. I was even able to add some pieces that I had shoved in another drawer because I didn't have enough room. Another plus: It's easy to locate a shirt without disturbing its neighbors. Each little roll can be picked up and replaced neatly, without any of them coming undone. It only took five minutes to do the whole drawer—a task that can be performed during the commercials of Top Chef.—Janet Sobesky

What's your favorite organizing trick?

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