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.

Twenty-inch cloth napkins (or same-size squares of fabric) become protective covers for coats and vests that don't need to be stored in garment bags. Each is pierced in the center and reinforced with a grommet to slide over a hanger.

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.

Chances are there's plenty of unused room beneath the coats hanging in your hall closet. Make the most of it by setting up an office-supply storage system. We created a wheeled cart and a dolly by affixing casters to ready-made shelving pieces (available at home and hardware stores). These pieces will support heavy items, such as reams of paper, and easily roll in and out of the closet when needed. Storage boxes and tins keep essentials, such as stationery, pens and highlighters, and tape, organized.

Digital pictures, tucked into card stock tags with windows, identify the contents inside each garment bag. Breathable and inexpensive, the canvas bags can be dressed up with colorful bias tape, applied with an iron and fusible webbing.

Wool scarves and mittens are ready to wear from one season to the next when wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and slipped into labeled craft boxes (available at organizing stores). The boxes are then stowed inside shallow drawers.

Windowed boxes (on the left) covered in tweed make it possible to find a specific sweater in an instant. Magnetic catch-and-pull tabs ensure that the lids close tightly.

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.

Insert pegboard into a frame and secure with metal frame clips. Thread thin elastic through holes, pull tightly, and knot in back to contain loose papers. To mount a box, drill holes in bottom, aligning with those in the board; attach to board with screws and nuts. For more stability, instead of picture wire, use two security hangers (available at frame shops).

Hooks and clips keep mops and brooms tidy and tools at hand. If you've ever reached for the feather duster and had everything in the closet come tumbling out, try this: Screw hooks and spring-loaded clips inside and use them to hold brooms, a dustpan, mop, and duster. Do the same with tools on the door and you won't have to get out the toolbox for quick repairs. Store cleaning supplies in a bucket to transport them easily from room to room.

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.

Eliminate the tangle of unused extension cords by storing each one in a piece of pipe insulation -- foam tubing with a slit along one side. Using a utility knife, cut insulation to desired length (about 13 inches for each 6 feet of cord). Fold the cord to size, insert it, and label the foam to indicate the length of cord enclosed.

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.

A storage bench with a hinged lid is handy to have in the mudroom, entryway, or kitchen, and it can be just the right spot for pet supplies. We used this one for canned food, kibble in a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, a serving scoop, and a toy bin, and placed it in the back hall, near the door. It's convenient for grabbing toys to take outside, and it provides a place to sit while you put on and take off your shoes.

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.

These store-bought bins, tall enough to hold a pair of boots upright, were outfitted with casters, then placed beneath a simple wall-mounted half bench in an entryway. Available at hardware stores and home centers, casters are practical additions to all types of storage bins and boxes, particularly those with open tops - extra gear can be placed inside, then quickly slid out of sight, so the space looks neat in an instant.

Update storage containers without a messy succession of sticky labels. Tags made by attaching unlined index cards to clothespins let you mark anything easily -- from plain shoeboxes to fancier bins, like these natural raffia boxes. Hot-glue clothespins to containers, and write information on cards or use a label maker. When it's time to relabel, just unclip the old card and fasten on a new one.

It takes too long to find remote controls in their usual hiding spot, between cushions on the sofa. If you're looking for a more convenient place to keep them, put a wide-mouth vase or other good-looking container on your side table and put all of your remotes inside.

Putting warranty expiration dates on appliance boxes lets you know when it's safe to throw those cartons away. To store the receipt and warranty slips, place them in a cellophane bag. Write or type the expiration date on a self-adhesive label, and affix it to the bag. Attach the bag to the box with double-sided tape.

Create a "wall" by pairing painted pegboard with everyday items, right, and transform part of a room into a smooth-running work spot. Using pegboards creates vertical storage that can be customized. Common office essentials, such as clipboards, shelves, and wire baskets, can be hung on the board to clear off your desktop yet keep needed tools and important papers in sight.

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.

Take storage to new levels with shelves below a row of jackets. Install shelves near the base of your closet, and you'll no longer have to rifle through items strewn on the floor. Here, each family member has his or her own bin for hats and scarves. The lower shelf is lined with shoes, and boxes tucked underneath hold dog toys, tennis balls, and the like. Leave a foot of space between shelves and the door frame, and you'll have room for boots and a metal bucket for umbrellas. Long hooks keep handbags neat.

Get the look with Closet Organizational Systems and Storage Solutions at the Home Depot. 

Design Your Custom Closet 

Order Colorful Totes and Shelving Systems

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."