Organized Kitchen Utility Crock

suz1230
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An organized kitchen utility crock. Utility crocks are great, but sometimes when you want to pull something out of them, everything goes with it because they get tangled up. I just have a few things I constantly use and I want to be able to grab them quickly without pulling everything out of the crock at once, like my little different colored knives and shears that get used all the time.

So this little tip might work for you too if you have a few particular utensils in your crocks that you want to keep upright for easy in and outs. I personally only need my scissors and little colored knives handy dandy, the rest is helter-skelter, but that's what a crock is for.

Steps:

I used two of these file folders because this paper is very durable. The crock has dividers in it, but they don't really keep things separated. If you can see it okay, you'll see the divider and the red "file folder paper" that's been cut with the sides folded (to fit) and stay snug against the divider.

If yours doesn't have dividers inside, then make the strip longer to fit around the entire inside. Cut the strip no taller than your crock is, so it doesn't show.

Folded cardstock to be used to organize a kitchen utility crock.

Next, I cut two strips of the file folder paper, which is next to the first piece that has the folds on both sides.

Pieces of cardstock cut from a hanging file folder.

Now, it's time to fold (like an accordion). It doesn't have to be perfect by any means, only "close" to keeping each accordion fold the same fold size as the one before it.

After you get your accordion strips folded, glue the 2 pieces together, which makes the "accordion longer".

You may need more than I have used here, or less, depending on the circumference of your crock, so just cut more wide strips from your "folder" or any stiff paper. Construction paper won't work, unless it's extremely stiff and foldable.

I've pictured the two "accordion folds" from overhead for easier viewing.

Now comes the part of gluing every other V down on the first flat piece of paper. You want to keep each glued part pretty close to the next one, as these are what you'll slide your knives or scissors, or anything into. I made lines with the glue, one at a time, which made it easier for gluing each "V" down.

I put a rubber band around it to show how it will bend/curl perfectly to fit in any cylinder-shaped crock, whether it's larger, or smaller than shown. I also laid it out flat, so you can see how the "accordion folds" are glued against the flat piece that was first cut.

After it's all glued (the accordion part to the first cut piece), then slip it into your crock, and it should be snug. Remember, you can go the full circle if there's no dividers. You only need to use the accordion folds where you'd like to place knives or whatever, so the rest can be flat around the inside.

An overhead view of how the knives (or anything) are slipped into the triangles (the accordion part). I made two different ones to show how it works, which it holds knives or scissors, or anything you'd like to keep upright. Then put in the rest of your "tools" around it.