How to Store Plastic Wrap and Foil in a Small Kitchen

Foil, plastic wrap, parchment, zip bags, trash bags. In a small kitchen these boxes and rolls take over a whole drawer, then slide around and jam it shut. They're light, they're used almost every day, and they don't need to live flat in a drawer at all. Here's how to store plastic wrap and foil in a small kitchen, with options that don't need a drill.

First, cut down what you're storing

• Keep one of each in the kitchen. One foil, one wrap, one parchment. Backup rolls go in a closet or on a high shelf.
• Combine half-empty boxes of zip bags where you can.
• Decide what you actually use weekly. Wax paper you use twice a year doesn't need prime space.

Now the few rolls you use all the time need a home you can reach in one move.

1. Inside a cabinet door

The inside of a cabinet door is the best spot for rolls you grab often: they're at eye level, out of sight when the door is closed, and off the drawer floor. Our wrap & bag roll holders are small stick-on holders, each about 2.75 × 2.55 × 1.57 in. You use a pair per roll, so a set of four holds two rolls, for example foil and plastic wrap, or a roll of trash bags on the under-sink door.

Before you stick them on:

• Measure the width of the roll or box and add a little space on each side.
• Check the gap between the closed door and the shelves, so the roll doesn't hit a shelf when the door closes.
• Clean the spot with rubbing alcohol, let it dry, press firmly and wait before loading. Test the adhesive on a small hidden spot first.

For more ideas for the same door, see Kitchen Cabinet Door Storage Ideas for Renters.

2. On the side of the fridge or a wall

If your fridge is near your prep area, its side is a large, flat, unused panel. Magnetic holders for foil and wrap boxes stick straight to it with no adhesive. On a wall or the side of a cabinet, the same stick-on roll holders work if the surface is smooth and suitable for adhesive. Keep them away from the stove, since heat isn't good for plastic wrap or for adhesive.

3. Standing up in a drawer

If you'd rather keep them in a drawer, stand the boxes on their long edge like files instead of stacking them flat. You'll see every label and pull one out without lifting the others. To keep them upright, make a lane that fits: cut-to-fit drawer dividers can be trimmed to your drawer's length and slotted together to form narrow slots. Measure the drawer's inside height first; the boxes need to fit under the drawer above when it closes.

4. In a file holder on a shelf

A simple magazine file or upright bin on a cabinet shelf holds several boxes side by side. It's the zero-install option: nothing to stick and nothing to cut. It works best in a deep cabinet where the file can sit sideways so the box ends face you.

5. Trash bags where the trash is

Keep the roll of trash bags next to the trash can, not in the wrap drawer. If the trash lives under the sink, a pair of roll holders on the inside of that door means a new bag is always one reach away. Some people also keep a few spare bags folded at the bottom of the can itself.

Quick tips

• Face the cutting edge out so you don't have to flip the box every time.
• Keep the serrated edge away from little hands if you store boxes low.
• Refill from backup only when the kitchen roll runs out, so the backup stays out of the way.

Where to start

Pick the drawer that's currently stuffed with rolls. Move your two most-used rolls to a cabinet door or the side of the fridge, stand the rest up in the drawer, and put the backups somewhere else. That usually frees up an entire drawer for things that actually need one. Before buying anything, our guide to measuring cabinets, drawers and faucets covers what to check, and How to Organize a Small Apartment Kitchen Without Drilling has more ideas for the rest of the kitchen.