Where/how do you keep placemats?

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

I have a bunch of the floppy plastic kind of placemats (not fabric which can be easily folded/rolled and stored with linens or whatever). Also some flexible plastic cutting boards. How do you keep them?! Wherever I put them they're in the way, flopping over, getting bent out of shape... I don't have SPACE to store them flat. I'm thinking maybe an elastic band to hold them up, but where...?!

I intend to spam this board quite a lot with requests for organization suggestions since I've made it my beginning-of-summer project to revamp a bunch of the areas of my home that have fallen into neglect. So apologies in advance...

The Milchig ones are flat on the cabinet floor - under the pots/

The Fleishig ones are standing up sandwiched flat/tightly between the cabinet wall and a stack of pots.
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Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

So you have pretty much the same kind of problem as me - you have to get under your pots to remove or put back the milchig ones, and your fleishig ones flop over whenever you take out your pots. I don't know why this is hitting me now for some reason, I used to have everything pretty well organized but now I feel like my kitchen is klutzy. It's not just the placemats, I tried putting a bunch of things away more efficiently and it just didn't seem to work. Feeling klutzy. Scratching Head

I guess it helps that we hardly use placemats. If I had to pull them out each time I would feel like you. (We have a glass on top of our table)

Can I ask what you keep on top of your refrigerator? If there is nothing there, that would be a good accessible place, and since you won't be able to see it, it won't look cluttered.

Silver Member Joined: Nov 21 2010 Posts: 707

I have a shallow shelf at the back of my pot cabinets, so I store it laying flat under a pile of dishtowels.
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Oh, I forgot all about this!
They sell these wire basket shelves that you just slip under a cabinet shelf without installation, and get an extra shelf that keeps things neat. With the right size piece they would be perfect for holding your placemats.

Here you go. This one is made specifically for placemats.
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/cabinetOrganizers/upperCabinets?productId=10000701

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

We use placemats pretty often, and don't even ask what's on top of the fridge, it seems to have become a repository for all sorts of homeless items Embarassed

That's my next thing to deal with when I finish with the counter and cabinet stuff.
I already have a basket for other things (mugs/glasses) hanging under my reachable shelves but maybe I could find a place for a placemat rack also. That's a good idea!

On TOP of the pots in the drawer...it's flat "enough".
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Platinum Member Joined: Nov 01 2009 Posts: 8219

We have them under the sink in a vertical divider.
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Gold Member Joined: Jan 11 2011 Posts: 1164

On top of the fridge

Silver Member Joined: Jun 21 2010 Posts: 824

Diamond Member Joined: Mar 08 2010 Posts: 2534

In a shallow drawer. no one else has shallow drawers in their kitchen? what am I missing?
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I have cutting boards in that style and I stand them up behind the sink, against the faucet. They are leaning on the wall and don't get in the way at all. It doesn't look gorgeous, but oh well! Smile

Also, I recently took off the wheels of a potato/onion bin with 3 drawers and put in the corner of my kitchen table, which is always pushed against the wall. I use those shelves/bins for all the things that I don't have a proper place for. Such placemats would be an excellent example!
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Diamond Member Joined: Mar 08 2010 Posts: 2534