I tried a Nate Berkus hack to organize my messy sock drawer – it’s so satisfying, cheap and easy to do

My sock drawer exists in a perpetual state of disarray. I wear, wash, and chuck them back without even matching them up.

But I hit boiling point recently when despite a drawer full of socks, I couldn’t find a single pair I like to wear. Then I spotted Nate Berkus showing followers on social media how he organized his sock drawer, grouping rows of socks by category and crucially, labeling the drawer itself.

I decided to give it a go and reached two conclusions. One, I love this organizing tip, and two, wow, I have too many socks, making it a perfect way to organize drawers.

The Nate Berkus sock organizing method

Instead of having a drawer crammed with socks, interior designer and TV personality Nate Berkus uses a straightforward categorizing system to neatly compartmentalize the socks he has. This includes using labels on the drawer itself to pin point what should go where.

I already use a similar labeling method in my kitchen as it helps keep cabinets there organized, or when items are in perpetual use such as cups, glasses and crockery, so other people in my household know where to put stuff.

Using labels is a good home organizing tip and will help other people you live with keep to your system without too much effort, so I knew Nate was onto something with his sock hack.

My sock drawer: Before

My sock drawer, pictured above, was a hot mess. A mix of socks, tights, underwear and empty drawer dividers, which are not visible as they're buried under the jumble of items in this drawer. The mess in this drawer has made it an area I've found overwhelming to declutter.

I have also realized recently I have some sensory sensitivity that means a portion of my sock collection are a no go, whether it’s because the elastic around my ankle are too tight or the material itself is too thick. They were all jumbled into this mess.

Having a disorganized sock drawer is not the end of the world but it does make getting ready, especially when colder weather comes in and socks become a must for winter shoes, longer than it needs to be.

I am also the type of person who lays out my outfit for tomorrow when I’m getting ready for bed, a habit many highly organized people do daily, so a tidy sock drawer will help with that, too.

Following Nate Berkus' sock drawer advice

I took my drawer out of the chest, placed it on my bed and started sorting my socks into pairs. Doing so identified my categories quickly: normal socks, ankle socks, fluffy socks for home, and tights. I also spotted a group of socks I didn’t enjoy wearing including black ones, which get mixed up with my husband’s when doing laundry and are often missing one half of a pair, as well as socks that were too thick for my taste.

I threw away the ones I didn’t like or wear, and started loading my drawer back up, starting with tights and long line underwear on the right.

Since I didn’t want to buy anything to test this method out – I’m on an under-consumption drive to save money for my daughter’s birthday and Christmas – I used what I had, but there are plenty of great drawer organizing solutions you can utilize to turbocharge organization including the bestselling Amazon label maker.

All prices correct at time of publishing.

Without purchasing any new items to test of Nate's sock drawer hack, I used the items themselves to act as dividers, pictured below.

Working from the right side, I added the row of my fluffy socks. I have poor circulation and therefore cold feet so these are a must for me in colder weather at night in bed. I had one new pair that wouldn’t fit neatly so I gave them to my daughter.

Next, I used a mesh sock organizer I already had, much like the folding FUNKID Underwear Organizer Folding from Amazon, and placed all my ankle socks, which I wear with sneakers – yes, I know it’s a 'millennial thing' and I don’t care – and grouped them by color (a clever closet organization tip).

Then in the space I had left, I lined up two rows of classic sock styles that goes up past your ankle. I wear high top sneakers a lot and this is the type of sock I need on those days. I wanted to see the design clearly so I turned one of each pair inside out so when I bundled them together and pulled one sock back over both to form a ball, the design was visible.

Lastly, I didn’t have any labels so I used a fine tip permanent marker to note the categories on the top edge of my drawer. This way, whether I’m putting my laundry away or my husband is, we both know where to put what.

As the surface has shiny plastic top layer, I can wipe away the marker with acetone without damaging it, but use a label maker or labels if you don’t want to use a pen.

As I am disabled and have intense chronic pain, I did this activity in three separate blocks over the course of a day as sitting at an angle on my bed or doing repetitive movements causes my joints to dislocate.

Overall it took me around 30 mins, spread out across 24 hours. For the able-bodied person, allocating 15-20 mins should be more than enough time.

My sock drawer: After

Voila! I love it. It’s neat, I can find what I want easily and it’s easy to maintain. And, it didn’t cost me a penny in closet storage solutions. I don’t think I’ll ever use another way to organize my socks after discovering this Nate Berkus method!

My verdict: 10/10.

Next delve into how to organize a small closet with lots of clothes, and how to organize a closet if you don't have seasonal storage.