Hang your utensils on the wall. Ditch the drawer entirely.

The best way to declutter a small kitchen utensil drawer is to stop using it for utensils at all. Wall-mounted hooks and rails free up that drawer for stuff you actually need in a drawer – like measuring spoons, a garlic press, or that one weird zester you use twice a year.

The trick is to pick a spot near your prep area, not crammed in a corner behind the toaster. A simple metal rail with sliding S-hooks lets you rearrange as your tool collection changes. Heavy stuff like tongs or a cast-iron spatula needs a screwed-in rail, not a stick-on one – the adhesive will give up on a hot summer day.

For smaller items (peeler, microplane, scissors), use a pegboard strip or individual command hooks. Keep the most-used ones at arm’s reach, and relegate the bread knife or potato masher to the back of the rail. You’ll probably end up with fewer tools overall because you’ll see everything and stop buying duplicates.

One caveat: wall hooks won’t work if your kitchen is all open shelving and you hate the look of utensils on display. But if you’re okay with a little visual activity, this is the fastest way to reclaim drawer real estate.

Your drawer will thank you by becoming useful for something else.