The “Cookie Sheet” Organization Hack Every College Student Should Know (It’s a Game-Changer!)

I’ve spent the last four years of my life living in cramped college housing, during which time I’ve picked up a thing or two about making the most out of small spaces. I’ve learned to maximize my under-bed storage and make the most of my wall space (versus taking up precious floor space).  

However, I recently came across a vertical storage hack that I hadn’t thought of. This TikTok video by @openmind.777 shows how you can use a baking sheet to create a magnetic organizer wherever you have room for it, from the back of a cupboard door to a swath of unused wall.

In the video, the creator covers a metal cookie sheet in patterned contact paper, then uses Command strips to adhere it to the inside of their bathroom under-sink cabinet door. Then, they glue magnets to the back of their makeup products so that they can stick them to the cookie sheet, easily removing them when they need to use them, and tucking them away, organized and out of sight when they’re not needed. 

What I love about this organizing hack is how versatile it is. Once you have the magnetic surface, there are kinds of ways to use it. The first step is finding a baking sheet that magnets will stick to: Most steel baking sheets are (steel is an alloy made using iron), but aluminum ones typically are not. According to the University of Illinois, metals that are magnetic include iron, nickel and cobalt. If you’re not sure, take a magnet with you to the store to test them out. (Pro tip: See if your parents have an extra they’re not using or check your local thrift to buy one for cheap!)

This steel baking sheet from Walmart is only $6.88 and would work perfectly. From there, you can decorate it with contact paper, stickers, or even wrapping paper to spruce it up. Then, use Command strips to stick it to the surface you’re planning to use, whether that’s your cabinet door or wall. 

Though the TikTok video uses it as a makeup organizer, I don’t see myself keeping up with the system of gluing new magnets each time I replace a makeup product. Instead, I could see myself getting some lightweight plastic containers to hold makeup brushes or Q-tips and using magnets to adhere those to the sheet. You could also use magnets to hang up photos or to-do lists to customize the baking sheet board even more — and organize all my lightweight odds and ends in one place.