From an old ladder taking up space in the garage to the used votive candle holders cluttering up your cabinets, we’ve got five clever ways to turn household trash into organizational treasures that won’t cost you a thing.

1.Make a bathroom rack.

An old wooden ladder makes a shabby-chic rack for the bathroom. Just prop it up against the wall and drape towels over the ladder rungs. If the rungs are wide enough, you can also use them as shelves for small toiletries. Spruce it up with a fresh coat of paint to match your décor or keep the ladder as is for a little rustic cottage charm.

2.Divide and conquer your drawers.

Rather than tossing old check boxes, repurpose both the lids and bottoms as drawer dividers to keep everything in its place.

3.Store small stuff.

Empty votive-candle holders are the perfect size for organizing small items such as paper clips, ribbons, bobby pins, rubber bands, rolls of stamps and more. To empty wax out of candleholders, just put them in the freezer for a few hours to shrink the wax so it pops right out. If you don’t have extra votives handy, you can also use extra Ziploc® Brand Containers with the Smart Snap® Seal that you might be ready to retire from their food duty.

4.Contain plastic bags.

Keep plastic grocery bags tucked away in an old tissue box to easily pull out one at a time when needed.

5.Create custom storage boxes.

Shoe and boot boxes are great for storing everything from mittens to makeup to sewing supplies. Get creative and disguise the boxes by wrapping them in fabric remnants or leftover wrapping paper.