Keep your kitchen counters, drawers, and cupboards clutter-free with these ingenious organizing solutions.

Storing saucers is no problem: They nest neatly. The teacups, on the other hand, always threaten to topple over. Here's how Martha handles them: placed cup over saucer, in tidy stacks of no more than three or four.

Yes, iPads are sleek, but the holders for these tablets are often surprisingly clunky, not to mention pricey. Try an almost-invisible, inexpensive acrylic plate stand to prop up the tablet on your kitchen counter, keeping it easily accessible with minimal fuss.

Keep your kitchen counters, drawers, and cupboards clutter-free with these ingenious organizing solutions.

Covered with chalkboard paint, a pantry door serves as the perfect place to keep a running shopping list. In this case, only the inside panels were coated, but we custom-colored the paint so that it blends seamlessly with the rest of the door. Always tape off those areas that you don't want to paint, such as knobs and hardware.

Clear up the clutter and make the most of your countertops by using a cake stand to hold olive oil, salt, pepper, and other frequently used seasonings. The stand makes it easy to find and use these ingredients while you cook, and gives you space to arrange other herbs and spices around the base of the pedestal.

Keep pantry staples organized with a set of glass storage jars customized with etched lettering.

You don't need a prairie-size kitchen to manage the chaos of pot storage. A handrail and several S-hooks will turn a few square feet of wall into a convenient rack for kitchenware. Handrails are better than towel bars for the job, because they support more weight. Look for them, in sizes from 12 to 32 inches long, at surgical-supply stores. As for the pots and pans, you already know which cabinet door hides an avalanche of those.

This organized approach to cooking comes from the kitchens of France and can be adapted to any recipe. The term "mise en place" refers to the advance preparation of a dish's ingredients; all should be measured, chopped, diced, or sliced according to recipe instructions before you begin.

To eliminate the search for the right lid amid an unwieldy stack each time you use your pots and pans, store them neatly: Place a wooden peg rack in a cupboard, and line up the lids vertically between the pegs. You could also attach a graduated rack to the door. Whatever you do, arrange lids from smallest to largest, with their partner pans close by.

Storing knives properly helps them to maintain their edges. Use a magnetic strip to keep knives safe and at a arm's length when you are ready to chop, slice, or dice.

Metal baskets once used for milk bottles and other groceries make perfect storage units for the kitchen. For maximum impact, choose similar containers, but vary their sizes and shapes (the metal ones here feature punched holes and wire grids). Line baskets with canvas, and group them together to organize an entire roomful of odds and ends.

Here's a new job for photo protectors: Use them to keep recipe cards organized and free of spills and spatters in the kitchen. Protectors are available at office-supply stores and come in a variety of sizes; choose ones to accommodate your recipe cards taken from magazines as well as handwritten ones received from friends. Store the pages in a three-ring binder.

Retrieving a jar of honey from the back of a crowded cabinet can be awkward. For a simple fix, gather the small items you store on the shelf onto a spare baking tray, then treat it like a drawer, carefully sliding it in and out for easy access. The pan will also catch drips, speeding cleanup.

Don't let kitchen rags and dishwashing gloves clutter the sink area. Instead, hang them from hooks screwed to the inside of a cabinet door, where the items can stay out of sight as they dry. A grommet-setting kit (below: available at hardware stores) lets you make tear-proof holes in cloth, rubber, and other soft materials. Place a tray just inside the cabinet to corral cleaning supplies and catch water that drips from wet gloves.

Increase cupboard space by using a serving tray as a shelf divider. You'll need a tray almost as wide as the cupboard's depth. Cut a piece of nonskid shelf liner to fit the tray so glasses stay put and rims are protected. Place large glasses upside down on the shelf, set tray on top, and arrange smaller glasses upside down on top of tray.

Bamboo steamers have holes that let air in and out to cook food uniformly. For just that reason, these containers are also well suited to storing onions, garlic, and shallots, which require ventilation and should not be refrigerated. Place all three in a single unit, or if you use lots of all of them, keep each kind in its own section of a stackable steamer. Place the steamer on a tray or plate to catch flaking skins, and set it on the counter for quick access.

Bring visual harmony to assorted spices by transferring them to plain jars (we used glass ones, available at housewares stores) and tagging the containers with our self-adhesive labels. Your upgraded collection will be attractive and easier to scan -- no more mistaking the cumin for cinnamon.

A few small embellishments to your favorite cookbook can save time and keep things in order while preparing dishes. For a pencil holder, glue a wide grosgrain ribbon across middle of inside back cover. Place pencil on top, then glue the ribbon back onto itself, creating a loop. For a bookmark, glue narrow ribbon along spine edge, leaving excess to dangle from bottom. Attach an envelope slightly smaller than the back endpaper over both ribbons, for keeping recipes and notes