Organizing a Large Purse

A few weeks ago, I began carrying a large purse after using a smaller one all summer. I love the size and style of the purse I switched to. However, it became difficult to keep things organized. I quickly found myself spending way too much time searching for items in my purse. (Yes, that’s a Disney Dooney & Bourke purse. It’s their 40th birthday pattern from a couple of years ago. It was a gift to myself for my 40th birthday that year. :))

As you can see, my purse was out of control!

So, after my friend Davi suggested I do a blog post about purse organization, I decided to see what I could do to make my purse more organized. Here is what I’ve come up with.

Taking a basic principle of organization, I decided it would be easier to find things if they were grouped in like categories. Then I found small bags I already owned to house each category. I ended up using cosmetic bags that I received as a free gift with purchase when I bought make-up. And I used a couple of bags I’ve had for awhile that I wasn’t using at the moment.

Here are my categories:

Medicine/First Aid-I’ve included a small bottle of over the counter pain reliever and band aids. I may add some other items as I need them. These are the only things I use on a regular basis, so I’m not going to put things in there just for the sake of filling up a bag.

Cosmetics-This category speaks for itself. However, in addition to lipstick, lip gloss, and powder, I’ve also included a small mirror.

Receipts-I am using a small zipper style pouch to keep all of my receipts and coupons I get when I’m shopping. As you can tell by my “before” picture, this is the category that was really out of control.

Mini-office-I wasn’t sure what to call this category. I keep my checkbook, a small notebook and pens in one bag together. This particular purse does not have a really good place to keep pens, so I was always digging in the bottom of it to find one.

I also have my business card case and wallet with credit cards, cash, and different gift cards and rewards cards.

 

So what do you think? Much better, yes?

The key to keeping your purse organized and neat is the same for any space. Put things back where they belong and constantly purge what you don’t need anymore. Otherwise, it will just get messy and unorganized again! 🙂

How do you organize your purse? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!