Tipnut Mailbag: Pot Lid Taming Options
11 Comments 
Here’s a hot tip sent in from Sarah (website SarahAnnSmith.com) that gives a couple new ideas for organizing pot lids (you know — those things that get jumbled up and hide in the cupboards and drawers).
Pot Lid Taming Options:
- Use the spring-tension curtain rods! Run them front-to-back in the drawer to make dividers.
- If your drawer is deep enough for the lid to be stored standing up on its edge, buy 1/2″ dowling. Cut the length of the inside of your drawer, front to back, plus 1/2 inch. Measure the thickness of the lid(s). Add 1/8″. Drill 1/4″ deep holes (that are a hair over 1/2″ diameter) on the front and back of the drawer. These holes should be the thickness-of-lid-plus-1/8″ from the side. Pop dowel into holes. Presto….a lid-holding-rod on the side.
These two techniques also work great in all skinny cabinets that you use to store cookie sheets and cutting boards…..
Enjoy!
Many thanks to Sarah for sending that in, it’s a great tip! If you have more juicy tips for organizing lids, please share below–I’d love to hear them.
Feel free to send in your favorite tip to be featured in the Tipnut Mailbag section.
I hang a plastic basket (7 x 6 x 5) on a nail driven into the wall. I flop the plastic lids into the basket as I stack the containers on the shelf next to it.
I’m kind of confused on how this works, is there a picture someone could take of them using this method?
I use those tension spring curtain rods as well to organize cookie trays and cutting boards under the sink. I used three in a row stuck between the bottom and top of the cabinet, and they form a nice divider that keeps the flat objects from sliding all over into the cleaning stuff.
i second Sam S. I have no idea how this should look.
Please post a picture. I can neve visualize anything. Thanks in advance.
I have NO IDEA how this tension rod idea should look. I’m thinking — put two or three tension rods horizontally along the back of the cabinet and put the lids in there?????????????? Please attach a pic please, for the imaginary impaired.
Sorry, no pics were sent in with the tip and I don’t have this to upload. If anyone has a pic, feel free to link to one in the comments.
I’ll see if I can explain the process so it’s easier to understand…
For deep drawers:
Insert the rods so they position from front to back. Then stack the lids in between each rod. If you put two rods inside a drawer, you will have three spaces for standing up lids.
For skinny cabinets:
Insert the rods so they run top to bottom inside the cabinets. Then slide cookie sheets between the rods. The rods will help the sheets to stand up and stay somewhat separated from each other. If you stand two rods up and down inside the cupboard, you’ll have three spaces to organize your cookie sheets.
Does that help or make things easier to understand?
I’ve downsized to 3 lids: a small one, a medium one and a fits all biggie. Stored upright on side of pot cabinet and always at hand. Less clutter too.
I would consider using the spring rods from the “floor” of the cupboard to the “ceiling” of the cupboard along one side of the cupboard. You could still store pans in the rest of the space. I have some rather large lids that could act as a wall caught by the rods. I’ve seen dowel rods used in this fashion in quality cabinets holding cutting boards and cookie sheets.
I use a vertical paper file holder to put cookie pans & sheet pans in my shelves as a divider would that help?