Just carrying a clipboard makes you feel as though you have your act together; hang a bunch on the wall and you really will -- with an instant filing system. Paint clips different colors, and then categorize in a way that works for your household (by family member, priority, due date, and so forth). As bills and other paperwork flow in, just clip them to the corresponding board.

Clipboards, $7 each, poppin.com. Paint, in Marmalade, Blue Calico, and Habanero, $2; and sealer, $6; both by Martha Stewart Crafts; michaels.com.

Unlike traditional sticker labels, washi (Japanese paper) tape peels off without tearing, so folders can be used and reused. And it comes in dozens of hues for a satisfying number of color-coding possibilities.

Japanese washi paper tape, in Spring Set, $34 for 10, happytape.com. File folders with reinforced tabs (similar to shown), in Gray, $32.50 for 100, staples.com.

Your grandmother may have sewn your mom's name into her summer camp clothes; perhaps your mom used iron-on tags. The evolution continues with these adhesive labels: Just write your child's name with a permanent-ink pen, and press it on. The labels will last through at least 20 washes.

 

No-iron clothing labels, by Martha Stewart Home Office With Avery, $6 for 24, staples.com.

Boxes are vital in the battle against household miscellany. Know what’s stashed inside each with these chalkboard stickers -- then erase and relabel them as needed.

 

Lacquered rectangular boxes, $13 each, containerstore.com. Chalkboard labels, by Martha Stewart Home Office With Avery, 2 1/2 by 3 3/4, $6 for 12, staples.com.

Hang labeled key tags from your water shutoff valves so you can quickly identify the right pipe for repairs or emergencies -- and not catch someone off-guard midshower.

 

Assorted key tags, $5 for 10, containerstore.com. Nickel-plated key chains, 6, at hardware stores.

A tangle of cords behind a TV or desk is enough to make you short-circuit, especially when you need to move components around. Know your task lamp from your hard drive by clipping on these tags, which feature icons to identify each cord's origin. If you want to customize the clips, they can also be labeled by hand.

Multicord identifiers, $5 for a set of 10, crateandbarrel.com.

Make a monthly calendar that is as changeable as your schedule. Instead of crossing out plans as dates shift, just move the notes and stack them up on busy days.

Well-organized closets, storage areas, and office spaces can help you save time, open up your living quarters, and restore beauty and order to your home. Follow our easy ideas for storing anything and everything in your home.

Don't let your matching sheets get lost in the linen closet. Use this simple trick: Tuck a sheet set inside one of its pillowcases, and then stack according to size (twin, full, queen, king) or by the room you use the sheets in (master bedroom, guest room.)

Extendable cleaning tools help you tackle hard-to-reach spots and are also easy to store. Kevin Sharkey's fit on his closet's nine-foot doors when not in use and expand to reach his 12-foot ceilings.

Inside the closet: Extension ostrich feather duster, containerstore.com. On door, top row from left: Microfiber string wring mop, casabella.com. Lightweight mop, bissell.com. Swivel-It microfiber floor cleaner, microfiber extendable window washer, and Swivel-It broom, casabella.com.

A heavy-duty U hook designed to hold garden tools keeps a vacuum cleaner's floor-brush attachment in place between uses.

Heavy-duty extended U hooks, by Tornado, racorinc.com.

Pivoting hooks are ideal for hanging tools with a hole or a ring. When the hook isn't in use, fold it back against the door.

Stainless steel friction swing hook (similar to shown), by Sugatsune, from simonshardwareandbath.com.

Long-handled tools should be secured to the door as tightly as possible so they don't swing. This spring-action clamp keeps them straight and steady.

Tension clip (similar to shown), by Crawford, from acehardware.com.

Doors make great desktops: They’re inexpensive, roomy, and readily available in a variety of sizes. For the legs, you could use sawhorses, but low-rise bookcases offer the added benefit of extra storage. Thirty-inch square bookcases are the ideal height for a desk and are the same width as a standard-size door. Prime and paint the bookcases and door in the same color. To give the desk a finished, cohesive look, add a few details: Line the back of the shelves with marbled paper (secured with double-sided tape) and hot-glue a ribbon around the edge of the desktop.

If the stairs leading to your cellar are wide enough, the wall beside them can be transformed into a pantry for items you use regularly, such as canned goods and other kitchen supplies.

Have your local home store or lumberyard cut one-by-fours in decreasing lengths (use the longest shelves at the top of the stairs, the shorter ones near the bottom). Give them a coat of semigloss paint to make them easy to wipe clean. Then hang them (these are spaced about a foot apart) with metal L brackets.

Don't let your desktop disappear under piles of paperwork. Inexpensive, unused cans can easily become organizing cubbyholes with a modern, fun flair.

Magazine holders are good for keeping old issues in order, but their handleless backs make it difficult to access them when you need to. For a permanent fix, attach a sash lift on the back of a holder.

A home office is the ideal spot for a family planner. Six weeks' worth of squares in a variety of shades can accommodate several schedules. The entire wall is also coated with chalkboard paint for memos.

Many people store mops and brooms by standing them in a corner, but this can cause broom straw to bend and mop heads to mildew. Using tool hooks (sold at hardware stores), hang them with their "business ends" up. A dustpan, too, should be kept off the floor; hang it from the hole in its handle.

If you don't have a spare room, just dedicate a corner to creativity. This compact cupboard keeps all your supplies in one spot, so you won't have to search for paper or paint when a crafty mood strikes.

Protect your dearest ornaments from damage as you pack up after the holidays this year. Cut a piece of corrugated cardboard to line the bottom of a plastic storage bin. Then use a hot-glue gun to attach paper cups to the cardboard. Wrap ornaments in tissue paper, and place in cups. Then stack cardboard-and-cup flats inside the container. Store smaller ornaments in egg cartons.

This movable end table hides clutter and can be wheeled off to wherever it's needed or stored away when it's not.

Transfer leftover paint from large cans to small airtight resealable tubs. Make sure to affix a label to the container; note the color and the room where the paint was used.

An umbrella should be easy to get to when you head out the door. These hooks prove to be a bit more nimble than an overcrowded stand, and don't take up coveted hall space. Mount broom hooks inside a closet door; hang high enough so umbrellas don't touch the floor and far enough apart so handles don't knock.

Stylish and functional, these storage boxes are treasured by Living's decorating editorial director, Kevin Sharkey: "It's a practical way to bring color into your home or your office."