Project Organize Refrigerator

Today’s Project Organize Refrigerator was inspired by a recent trip to Dollar Tree and recalling a pin I saw on Pinterest. I’ve learned from experience that if I don’t buy something when I see it at Dollar Tree, it’s usually gone by the next visit. One of the employees mentioned that green was trending in their organizing products, which worked out perfectly since that was the color I was looking for anyway.

When I first purchased this refrigerator a few years ago, I stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond to buy organizers so I could start off on the right foot. Before that, we had been using an old college dorm–style fridge, which eventually gave out. After a stretch without having a refrigerator at all, I was finally able to save enough to buy a new one.

Most of the Bed Bath & Beyond organizers didn’t end up fitting how we actually used the refrigerator, so they were repurposed elsewhere in the house. The two items that did stay were a clear lazy Susan and a packet holder that fits into one of the door shelves. Year or two goes by and the refrigerator slowly became cluttered with outdated condiments, sticky spills on the glass shelves, and items way in the back and not easily accessible.

After seeing what was available at Dollar Tree, I came up with my plan for organization. I bought some placemats for the shelves so once they were clean, it would make it much easier to keep clean. In hindsight, I should have measured the glass shelves first because the placemats are too long and not wide enough. I might either return them to the store or keep them for use on the dining table. Clear shelf liner cut to size would probably work better for glass shelves.

I also bought two styles of baskets: some with handles and some without. I ended up with a few extras, which I plan to use in the freezer.

The handled baskets hold a good quantity of protein drinks for my daughter to drink (she has braces with appliances, so it’s pretty much liquids only – more on that in an upcoming post) as well as pop, water, and more. The handles make them easy to grab, especially on busy mornings when we’re running out the door to theater rehearsals.

The baskets without a handle will be used for fruit and vegetables for my salads, juicing, and smoothies. I’m still deciding whether the water bottles will stay in a basket in the crisper or move to the freezer instead. I do wish the baskets were a bit longer, but from what I’ve read about refrigerator organization, leaving some space around items helps with air circulation and efficiency, so it should be fine.

Overall, Project Organize Refrigerator turned out well – aside from the placemats. Each basket and placemat cost $1.00, bringing the total project cost to $12.00.

This project was revisited several years later with a fresh perspective and a more realistic approach to how we actually use the refrigerator. You can see that follow-up here:
Project Organize Refrigerator – 5 Years Later
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Last Updated on January 12, 2026 by Jodi