15 Easy Paper Organization Ideas to Keep Your Documents Safe and Sound
Because a lone binder of tax forms and a tray of mail near the door is not going to cut it.
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Sorting through your email takes long enough — and that's just one type of document we're confronted with nowadays. Add tax forms, medical info, and even your kid's many (many) drawings into the mix and your office desk — and everywhere else — can get buried quickly. Fortunately, there's an easy way to curb the mess: by making a clearcut paperwork organizing system.
To help you get started, we've found the best paper organization ideas that will keep everything sorted (and your mind sane) when it comes to finally paying the cable bill. These ideas — from desktop letter trays and drawers to color-coded binders and personalized memory boxes — will make sure every piece of paper has a happy place to land. And for even more ways to never lose anything again, check out these easy desk organization ideas.
The best-selling file folder rack on Amazon offers five tilted trays for your biggest projects, plus a bottom shelf for other desktop essentials.
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If you want something a little more low-profile (with a chic wood frame to boot), these desktop drawers have two spots for labels — perfect for creating an inbox/outbox system.
Container Store Linen Storage Boxes
Fabric boxes help hide the visual clutter that inevitably invades home offices. The Container Store's linen boxes come in multiple sizes, so you have options depending on whether you want to store recipe cards, photos, printed documents, or other paper mementos.
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Need a box you can fit hanging files in? This steel-handled container comes in multiple sizes for both letter and legal paper. The sides also unsnap and fold flat when you don't need it, and the extra-deep lid leaves room for tabs too.
If you know you won't need to reference the materials on the reg, turn to sleek magazine files for a more stylish bookshelf. These ones with leather label slots come in sets of six.
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Not only is this tried-and-true system pretty to look at, it'll also make hunting through papers way faster. All you have to do is look for the green folders when you want to find your tax info or blue for medical docs.
More than 1,400 Amazon customers have given this vertical file folder a 4.5-star rating. "I purchased this to use as a part of our family's kitchen 'command center,'" one reviewer wrote. "I wanted something that was functional, low-profile, and not an eyesore. This organizer is PERFECT. There are enough pockets for each of our four family members, plus a few more that I've designated for bills and other correspondence."
If you want something a bit sturdier than plastic, this mail file combines distressed wood and galvanized metal pockets big enough to hold whatever comes its way.
Keep your registration, insurance, and car maintenance information all in the same place. Five interior pockets stow important auto papers, and an included pen and pad give you a spot to jot down the last time you took the car to the shop.
And if you're a true road warrior, a clip-on organizer will save work documents from getting crumpled down in the foot well. (The extra cup holder never hurts either.)
Keep pregnancy reports, pediatrician records, immunizations, and your little one's ID certifications (you don't want to lose that social security card!) safe and together in a plastic briefcase. The folders come with stick-on labels, or you can customize your own.
School Memory Box
Don't let sentimental items get mixed up on your desk. Dedicate a bin to each of your children and divide it up by school age — preschool, middle school, and even high school.
Folders for Every Project
Your coworker's baby shower? Your family's holiday gift lists? Just because you won't need to reference these papers forever doesn't mean they aren't important. Create files for upcoming events so you stay on top of what's currently happening in your life.
Labeled Next Steps
Don't just dump papers in your filing system and then forget to look at them for the next month. Smart categories like "read," "file," and "this week" provide clear action steps for your bills and correspondence.
Color-Coded Binders
Organizing your papers in a few small binders makes it easier to tote one or two around with you to appointments. Try storing them upright and organized on the counter with the help of a dish-drying rack.
Lauren is a senior editor at Hearst. She was previously the senior editor at WomansDay.com and the home editor at GoodHousekeeping.com and HouseBeautiful.com. Her book club, ramen, and jean jackets are a few of her favorite things.
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
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