How to Organize Your Purse: 30 Simple Ideas

Is your purse constantly a hot mess like mine??

I think you’ll agree with me when I say a cluttered purse can quickly become a dumping ground for everything! Things like your lip gloss, gift cards, hair ties, receipts, and more.

Fortunately, there are simple and fun solutions.

If you want to learn how to organize your purse and keep it that way, you don’t want to miss these 30 simple ideas! These hacks will help you declutter and organize your bag, so everything has its place.

“Keep Calm and Carry a Fabulous Bag”

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What are the Benefits of an Organized Purse?

If you’re like most women, your purse is your lifeline. It’s also where you keep your essentials: your wallet, keys, and your phone. But a purse can also be a source of frustration and anxiety.

The problem is a messy, cluttered purse can leave you feeling frazzled and disorganized.

So what is the trick to keeping your messy purse clean? Let’s talk about the benefits of keeping your purse tidy first:

1) You’ll always be able to find what you’re looking for, and you won’t have to dig all over your purse to locate your keys or wallet. Also, it’ll be easier to grab what you need and go when everything has its place.

2) You’ll save time. A clean purse means you won’t waste a lot of time rummaging through a mess. You can grab what you need and be on your way.

3) You’ll feel more put together because a cluttered purse can make you feel like a hot mess. Also, you’ll feel more confident and in control when your bag is neat and organized.

Keep reading for lot’s of juicy tips to get that purse organized!

“Purses are like friends….you can never have too many!”

How to Organize Your Purse: 30 Simple Ideas

So if you’re ready to find the best way to declutter your favorite handbag and enjoy the benefits of a tidy bag, follow these simple tips:

Declutter Your Purse

A decluttered purse can be a game-changer. It’ll not only be easier to find, but you’ll also feel lighter and more organized.

Let me walk you through decluttering your purse.

• First, empty your purse contents.
• Then, sort through everything and eliminate anything that doesn’t serve a purpose. Or that you don’t use regularly.
• Finally, throw away any trash and expired items.

Simple! Actually I made it sound simple but you likely had to sort through a lot of stuff!?

You will be thankful not to carry a heavy purse with all that clutter!

“I don’t want flowers….I want a handbag!”

Determine What Needs to Be In Your Purse

Once your purse is free of clutter, it’s time to decide what needs to go back in it. The essentials include your wallet, keys, phone, and lip balm. Let’s break down what you may want to keep in your purse in addition to these:

• wallet
• phone
• keys
• a notebook and pen
• hand sanitizer
• tissues
• sunglasses
• makeup
• feminine products
• small package of wet wipes
• breath mints or chewing gum
• hair brush comb
• hair bands
• healthy snack
• water bottle
• medication
• pepper spray
• earbuds

Of course, you can also add any other items you use regularly. By taking the time to declutter and organize your purse, you’ll set yourself up for success every time you reach for it.

“The purse is the mirror of the soul.“

Anna Quindlen

Group Items Into Separate Categories

When cleaning out your purse, it can be helpful to group the items into separate categories. It’ll be easier to see what you have and identify what you need to keep or eliminate.

For example, you might have a type for makeup, one for hair products, one for personal care products, etc.

Pare Down Your Purse Contents

Once you have grouped the items, you can go through each category and decide what to keep and eliminate.

If you haven’t used something in a while or it is expired, it is probably time to get rid of it. Pare down any items you have multiples of and anything that doesn’t belong in your purse.

This process will help you get everything ready to put in pouches and in the front and inner pockets of your bag.

Stick with me as we get into the nitty gritty of putting everything back in your purse in the most organized of ways.?

“Let’s talk about a decision that women have to make every morning-big purse or little purse?”

Lisa Scottoline

Front and Inner Pockets of Your Purse

When carrying a purse, you must ensure you have everything you need within easy reach. That’s why you must carefully consider what goes in your purse’s front and inner pockets.

You always want to keep your wallet, cell phone, and keys in the front pocket for quick access. Meanwhile, the internal pockets are ideal for holding things like tissues, lip balm, or a small notebook.

When you take the time to determine where everything belongs, your purse will always be organized and easy to use.

Don’t stop reading now! We’re going to contain those loose items into some cute little pouches!

Utilize Zipper Pouches

Using a few simple organizing tools, you can transform your purse into a neat and orderly space. Using zipper pouches or makeup bags is an excellent option for organizing a bag.

These handy little bags are the best thing for holding everything from lipsticks to pens. These pouches come in different colors and styles, so you can find one that suits you.

I found THE perfect set of 6 Makeup waterproof bags in cute designs! These bags would likely be all you need to organize the contents of your purse.

Clear pouches are perfect if it helps you to see what you have. You can’t beat these prices, and the set comes in different sizes! Also, the zipper tops are color-coded, which will help your organization.

“Life is too short to carry a boring handbag”

Purse Dividers to Organize Purse

Another great way to keep your purse organized is to use dividers. Dividers are a great handbag organizer for your keys, phone, and wallet, so you can always find what you need in a pinch.

Okay, so I have never heard of these dividers! What a fabulous idea! This purse insert organizer bag divider is a beautiful one. Also, check the measurements to be sure it fits in your purse.

Purse inserts work well for more oversized bags. With simple organizing tools, your bag can go from being a black hole of lost items to a well-organized oasis of calm.

How to Organize Your Wallet

Over time, wallets can become crammed with receipts, business cards, credit cards, and other items that make it challenging to find what you need.

A cluttered wallet makes it hard to find what you’re looking for and can also be a source of stress. If your wallet needs a makeover, follow these simple tips to get it organized.

• First, start by removing any items you no longer need or use, including old receipts, expired coupons, expired gift cards, damaged credit cards, extra business cards, and anything else that takes up space.
  
• Next, consider investing in a beautiful wallet with multiple compartments. A wallet will help you to keep items sorted and easy to find. Here is a beautiful wallet. It can fit in your purse easily but is big enough to carry all your essentials.
  
• You can also use a separate coin purse to keep your loose change instead of the zipper compartment of a wallet. Those are usually too small to hold much anyway.
  
• Finally, make a habit of decluttering your wallet regularly. You can keep your wallet organized and tidy by taking a few minutes each week to weed out unwanted items.
  
• Finding and pulling out your debit card when needed will be much easier. With a little effort, you can say goodbye to the cluttered mess. And enjoy the peace of mind that comes with an organized wallet.

“Her purse is like Mary Poppin’s bag-it hold’s way more than should be possible“

Tera Lynn Childs

Travel-Size Items

You can assemble these in one of your little pouches from the section above. Consider these travel size items:

• Kleenex
• Hand sanitizer
• Hand lotion
• Lint rollers
• Deodorant

Medication and Vitamins

Pill boxes are an easy way to store your medication. Be sure to label each compartment!

Clever Idea For DIY Purse Storage

Check out this Pinterest idea for an eyeglass holder to carry headphones or phone charger. I found this helpful tip from the Kids Activities Blog. Use an empty eyeglass case to store your headphones or phone chargers!

“My biggest fear is that when I die, my husband will sell all my bags for what I told him they cost.”

Badge Clip For Your Sunglasses

I found an excellent way to clip your sunglasses to your purse from mommatoldmeblog.com. You use a badge keeper and attach it to your purse. However, I would clip it inside so your sunglasses won’t get stolen.

Mini Emergency Kit 

DIY Party Mom has a fun idea for a mini emergency kit. Purchase a seven-day pill box from a drugstore or Walmart with the largest compartments. This is the size you want.

Check out DIY Party Mom’s article for ideas on what to put in your emergency kit. You can include everything from tums, mints, and Benadryl to bandaids.

This container makes such a handy organizer and is perfect to fit in your purse!

Bobby Pin and Hair Band Holder

Okay, this one is super clever! Fill an empty Tic Tac container with bobby pins and wrap hair bands around the outside! How awesome is that! Thank you, Lovely Indeed!

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a purse…which is kinda the same thing.”

DIY Purse Organizer

If you are a crafty person, check out this DIY purse organizer from themammasgirl.com. It is made from a placemat! I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s a terrific idea!

Another DIY Purse Organizer

Here is another clever idea for crafty people. I say this because I usually run the other way if it calls for a sewing machine or needle and thread.

I don’t consider myself crafty, but I may have to try this one. This tip is a purse organizer made from a pot holder! Check out the instructions from practicallyfunctional.com.

Straighten Up Your Purse Daily

Before you put your purse away at the end of each day, please take a few minutes and put everything back where it belongs.

Doing this daily will help you to find things more quickly the next time you need them. In addition, it will also help to prevent your purse from becoming a jumbled mess. 

“Mondays…..nothing a new handbag can’t fix.”

How to Easily Swap Your Purses

Keep a pretty bowl or basket on your dresser for when you swap your purses.

If switching from a larger bag to a smaller one, put the overflow contents into the pretty container, so you know where everything is.

Use a Rewards Card App

You can scan all your rewards cards into an app such as Stocard. Using an app like this can help unclutter your wallet and purse by scanning the code from your loyalty cards such as Walgreens, CVS, and Kroger!

I don’t know how often I’ve been in a store and forgotten my card. You’ll always have them on your phone if you use an app like this!

Keep Your Keys Accessible

Keep your keys easy to find by attaching them to a carabiner and hooking it to a clip inside your purse.

Organize Coupons and Receipts

Try this accordion-style file folder to keep your coupons and receipts. It’s small enough to tuck into your purse.

“That’s a lot of money to spend on a bag,” she said. Instantly I knew we couldn’t be friends.

Zippered Pouch For Your Electronic Gadgets

This pouch is perfect for your wall charger, portable power plug, lightning cable, and headphones. This is a perfect little pouch to keep your headphones so they don’t get tangled.

Extra Ziploc Bag For Miscellaneous Items

Keep an extra Ziploc bag in your purse for items that need to be filed (like receipts) or that need to go elsewhere in your home.

Have a Separate Overflow Purse Items Area

Remember the cute container/basket idea from one of the other tips above? Keep items in the basket from your purse that you don’t use daily.

For instance, you could have a little pouch that you would bring to the gym that you could quickly grab on the way out. Maybe you could keep extra hand wipes and supplies you use frequently.

“Behind every successful woman is a fabulous handbag.”

Bounce Fabric Sheet

Keep a bounce fabric sheet in your purse to keep it smelling clean and fresh.

Dog or Cat Treats

If you have a pet, keep some treats in a baggie for them. It would be helpful if you were out and about to have a snack for them!

Diaper and Wipes

If you have a little one, keep just one diaper or pullup and a few wipes in a gallon bag for emergencies when you don’t want to bring a diaper bag.

Emesis Bag

Keep an emesis bag or two; you will be thankful if your child starts to heave in the back seat.?

Grocery Store Bags

Keep a few grocery store bags stashed somewhere in your purse. These are great for dirty diapers or other smelly trash items.

Multi-Tool

It is also helpful to have a Multi-tool in your purse. This pink multi-tool is cute as can be and very comparable to a small Leatherman.

Tips to Organize Your Diaper Bag

Organizing a diaper bag is not that different than organizing a purse. However, with the various items you might need, it can be tough to know how to organize everything.

These are several tips to help you get started.

• First, consider what you need for each outing and pack only those items. It’s wise to have a few extra diapers than to lug around an entire jumbo pack that you won’t use.
  
• Second, use small bags or pouches to group like items together. These small pouches make it easy to find what you need without digging through the entire bag.
  
• Finally, invest in a diaper bag with plenty of pockets and compartments for things like rash cream, hand sanitizer, pacifier, bottles, supplies, etc.

A diaper bag like this will help you keep everything organized and in its place. With some planning, you can ensure that your diaper bag is always organized and ready for anything.

Conclusion

Okay, so this list is a little overwhelming, and you may have to get a suitcase to fit it all in!? Choose the tips that interest you and what you actually want and need in your purse.

Do you have any ideas you love for organizing your purse? Please share in the comments below!

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