The Low-Cost Magnet Trick That’ll Make Boxes of Parchment Paper and Foil a Million Times Better

Before I learned there might be a better way, I would mindlessly shove parchment paper and aluminum foil inside my silverware drawer so that I wouldn’t have to dig around a dark pantry every time I wanted to bake cookies or wrap up leftovers. That solved the access problem — except half the time, I couldn’t open the drawer because the long cardboard boxes would get jammed in it. 

Eventually, I tried relocating the boxes to an unused cabinet above my stove. Again, that solved another problem by freeing up space in my silverware drawer, but it only created another. I got pretty tired of grabbing my kids’ bathroom stool every time I needed to get my hands on some plastic wrap. (And without the stool, I learned that it was way too easy to get bonked on the head with a falling box.)

I’m not exactly rich in kitchen storage real estate, so my next move would require a bit of strategy. How could I keep these boxes nearby without hogging the space I needed for all my other stuff? As serendipity would have it, at just the right time, I learned a brilliant hack that would solve this very problem from one of our readers.

Magnets! You’ve probably seen those magnetic spice jars that can be stored on the side of your fridge. Smart, right? This way, they’re easy to see and grab when you’re cooking, but they’re not taking up valuable storage space in a drawer or cabinet. 

This magnet trick has a similar premise, but instead of investing in magnetic spice jars, you’ll be adding some to the inside of a pesky-but-necessary box of foil. Here’s what to do: Buy a few rare earth magnets (read: industrial-strength) with a self-adhesive sticky side. Then, attach two to the inside of your plastic wrap, foil, and parchment paper boxes. (Take the rolls out for better access!) With the magnets firmly in place, you’ll be able to stick them on the side of your fridge and grab them whenever you need them!

You can do the same thing with boxes for zip-top baggies and, basically, anything in cardboard that you don’t want to hog precious kitchen storage real estate. And let’s say you’ve just finished a roll of foil? Simply take the roll from your new box and slide it into the old box. This way, you can keep using those magnets and don’t have to reach for new ones. Smart, right?

This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: The Magnet Trick That’ll Make Boxes of Parchment Paper and Foil a Million Times Better