Summer Organizing Tips

Garage Organizing Stations

The first step toward creating a clutter-free garage is getting as many items as possible off the floor. Wall-mounted track systems are a big asset. Choose a horizontal channel that screws to the wall and is fitted with accessories, including plastic hooks and metal shelves.

More Organizing Ideas

Summer Organizing Tips

Summer Tote Organizer

This handy three-pocket pouch can easily be fashioned from a carpenter's canvas nail apron (available at hardware stores).

Tote How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Pocket Knives and More

Keep silverware and napkins in one place for picnics and other meals on the go. Oilcloth is the ideal material for this pocket project; it won't fray, plus it can be wiped clean easily.

Pocket How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Car Trunk Organizer

Lighten your carload by arranging supplies in a handled bin. Items kept in the car have a tendency to roll around and get lost beneath seats, so it helps to organize them in a heavy vinyl catchall.

Organizer How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Pocket Pal

Keep track of beach essentials -- sunscreen, novels, flip-flops -- by sinking them in a corner pocket.

Pocket How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Gardener's Apron

A thoughtful gift for someone with a green thumb: This linen apron keeps gardening tools close at hand.

Apron How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Cook's Helper

When you're making that quick bread, can you swap a muffin tin for a loaf pan? How many tablespoons are in a cup? Our handy kitchen charts have all the answers. We designed three: baking pan substitutions, measuring equivalents, and candy-making temperatures.

Chart How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Shoe Bag Organizer

A canvas shoe bag is just right for keeping toys tidy and easy to reach in the car. This 16-pocket organizer was cut in half and hemmed at the bottom.

Organizer How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Waterproof Blanket

Don't let yesterday's rainstorm dampen your plans for a picnic. You can waterproof a cotton or wool blanket by adding a protective backing of water-resistant fabric such as ripstop nylon or oilcloth, and safely lounge on damp grass.

Blanket How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Pie Chart

This handy gadget makes choosing a pie filling as easy as -- what else? Turn the top disk to reveal recipes for five fruit fillings.

Chart Template

Summer Organizing Tips

Job Chart

Are you tired of nagging your kids about chores -- and hearing the same excuses? A magnetic job chart keeps track of who has done what.

Chart How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Guest Baskets

Make visitors feel welcome -- and help shield them from bites, burns, and other irritations -- by offering them a supply of summer sprays and ointments.

Basket How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Portable Screen

Don't let a stiff breeze chase you off the beach. Bring along a windscreen to protect yourself from gusts and blowing sand, as well as to enjoy a little surf-side privacy and shade.

Screen How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Freezer Labels

Unlabeled plastic bags and their mysterious contents are bound to get the cold shoulder in the freezer. With our convenient, easy-to-read labels, you'll never wonder which batch of stock to use first or if those frozen peaches are still in their prime.

Label Templates

Summer Organizing Tips

First-Aid Kit for Gardeners

The garden is just a slightly tamed wilderness with hazards all its own: It harbors insects that bite, thorns that scratch, and other potential nuisances that may require simple first aid.

Kit How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

Car Organizer

Store everything you need for the road in a small accordion-file folder, registration and insurance information, emergency contact numbers, maps, and directions (file them instead of having to rewrite them every time).

Summer Organizing Tips

Custom Covers

The front of a cloth-covered scrapbook can introduce the mementos concealed within -- just add a custom-made label.

Cover How-To

Summer Organizing Tips

To-Do-List Tag

Keep priorities in sight when planning your next trip by tying a to-do list onto luggage before you store it. We printed our list on card stock and used a metal eyelet to reinforce the hole through which a ribbon is passed. To be able to reuse the card for future jaunts, simply laminate it and check the things you've done with a dry-erase marker. Wipe off check marks and remove the tag when you head out on vacation.

Summer Organizing Tips

As-You-Go Vacation Keepsake

If you hate the idea of grappling with vacation memorabilia after a trip, create a keepsake as you go. Pack a hole punch and a loose-leaf ring to string together maps, postcards, and other souvenirs you collect on the road. When you get home, make a cover by affixing a sticker to the front and rubber-stamping a title on top.