Head To The Dollar Store To Fix Your Cluttered Kitchen Counters

Many people wish for more kitchen counter space, but there's a lot to be done to maximize the existing area, and Dollar Tree is your first stop. Most dollar stores have a crafts section that sells little wooden boxes as well as dowels. With just some strong glue, you can create two or three-level vertical storage boxes, perfect for all the small things that tend to clutter up your counters.

You'll need four long dowels for each corner of the boxes. Simply use a strong adhesive of your choice to glue one dowel to the side of the box — the closer to the edge, the better. The easiest way to do this is to lay the box flat on its "back" and use this as the top box. Glue the back two dowels into place. Once the adhesive is set, insert the second box to line up with the bottom of the dowels and glue. Depending on how long your dowels are and what you plan to store, you can stop here. Otherwise, there should be enough space in the middle to fit in a third box. Once you have glued the boxes into place, glue the front two dowels on.

After a few minutes of all the boxes glued in place, you'll have a chic, fun, and super easy storage station. You can leave it in its original color or paint it to your liking. This process is cost-efficient and, not to mention, a lot of fun. It's straightforward enough that you can get your kids involved, and everyone can create their own personal kitchen corners. Much like the beloved pegboard, this hack is simple yet effective.

To best utilize this dollar store hack, think about what takes up the most counter space in your home. For some, it's spices and seasonings that technically do have a designated drawer, but are used so often that they end up scattered around the counter, in completely incorrect storage conditions, according to Alton Brown. Others dream of a quaint coffee and tea station instead of boxes and cartons taking up valuable space. And then there are the non-food-related personal items like keys or spare change that wind up on the counter for no reason. Enter, vertical storage. Sometimes taking care of the small items saves way more space than anticipated, and just knowing that everything has a home goes a long way towards overall kitchen organization.

A designated breakfast station would also help smooth out busy mornings. Oats, sugars, cereals, and even spreads that don't require refrigeration can all remain on hand, and each household member can grab what they need for themselves. No more crowding the pantry and elbowing each other while causing a mess. Also, don't discount the value of a snack station. It saves you from constantly opening the fridge and pantry, so all of your must-have summer snacks can be accessible and accounted for in your DIY storage shelf.