Here’s a bunch of pocket-style organizers that you can make to store all kinds of things. Some have been featured previously on Tipnut and have been moved here for handy reference…but there’s plenty of new stuff to see too!
Bed Caddy: This bed caddy provides a handy place for all your most used items, customize the pocket sizes for your needs easily! Includes directions for finding the perfect measurements for your bed.
DIY Door Organizer: A simple felt pocket that hangs from a door knob.
Garden Tool Caddy: Made with oilcloth, this pocket caddy folds up into a tote.
Fabric Mail Sorter: Make a sturdy hanging pocket organizer to keep your mail sorted.
Hanging Bed Organizer: This one incorporates a strip of rubberized drawer liner to keep even the heaviest books from pulling out the organizer.
Hanging Quick Pockets: Made a little more sturdy with cereal box cardboard inserts.
Felt Locker Caddy: This cute felt caddy is also at home in your office (on the side of your filing cabinet), kitchen (fridge), or on any metal door.
Vinyl Pocket Organizer: Here’s one way to repurpose excess vinyl packaging.
Pleated Pocket Door Organizer: A place for incoming and outgoing mail, extra change and random stuff that would otherwise end up on the kitchen table.
Whimsical Bedside Organizer: This caddy is made with pieces of felt and great for a child’s bed where they can store their little treasures.
Pocket Wall Organizer: Use this to keep your mail sorted, organize craft patterns or whatever else you like.
Pocket Organizer With Vintage Graphics: Use the pocket organizer as a bed caddy or sofa/armchair caddy to keep things handy and organized.
Pocket Hanger: Vintage instructions for making a small pocket hanger (scroll to bottom of page for pattern).
For Gadgets & Remotes: Customize pouch sizes as you need, this one is made for hanging (has fabric loops on the back).
Also see these pocket-roll purse organizers.
Hanging Pocket Tool Holder: {Vintage}
*First published July 16, 2008 and moved to this page for better organization
It’s handy to put mother’s name on a few of the more ordinary type shop tools and keep them in the kitchen. Then, when she needs a screw driver, hammer, or a pair of pliers, she knows they are in a convenient place. Also, if the tool is nearby, she won’t be so likely to put off a chore requiring a tool.
Fumbling for tools kept in a “catch all” kitchen drawer sometimes can be annoying. Better, why not make a simple tool holder and hang it inside a cupboard, broom closet, or basement stairway?
Almost any light-weight canvas or drill is suitable. Sport denim is especially nice because the brighter colors available add to the general color scheme of your kitchen.
Before making mine, I laid out all the tools I wanted in the holder. Then, after deciding where I could keep it (and consequently how large the outer dimensions would be) I cut a piece of brown wrapping paper the same size. On this, I arranged the tools until I had them placed as I wanted them.
To make my holder, I bought one-half yard of 42-inch width blue sport denim. Splitting this lengthwise, I had two pieces 18 x 21 inches. As 18 inches was the width, I cut from the other half of the material two strips 18 x 5 1/2 inches. These were to serve as the pockets on the tool holder.
Because my kitchen is blue and yellow, I used yellow bias tape for trimming. I bound both top and bottom edges of the upper pocket and the top edge only of the lower pocket.
Next, the bottom and sides of the lower pocket were sewn to the bottom and side edges of the tool holder. At a distance 1 3/4 inches above this, I pinned the lower and side edges of the upper pocket.
Then I sewed vertical lines to make individual columns the proper width to hold particular tools. To decide where the vertical lines would go, I went back to the brown paper pattern covered with tools.
I had two hammers which extended below the bottom of the top pocket. To accommodate these, I left the bottom of the upper pocket open in that particular column, allowing the hammer handle to extend into the corresponding column in the lower pocket. A horizontal stitching in this column in the lower pocket approximately three inches from the top served as a base to support the weight of the hammer.
Similarly, for tiny jewelers’ screw drivers, I made horizontal stitchings two or three inches below the top of the upper pocket. With your own imagination, you can accommodate any specialties you may want to keep in your tool holder.
After all the pocket stitching was finished, I bound the entire outer edge with yellow bias tape, attached three bias loops along the top of the holder, and hung the completed piece on cup hooks in the broom closet.
You’ll be glad you made a tool holder for yourself, and it’s a novelty gift to make for any homemaker friend.
Source: The WorkBasket; March, 1959
Brilliant ideas for getting organized,don’t know which to try first.Maybe one of the bedside pockets or would that just encourage me to take more “junk” to bed.Anyway,thanks for sharing these great ideas!
There are so many. I think I’ll try the double pocket with the pocket that also will fit books.