11 essential items every cottage junk drawer needs

For quick illumination when the power goes out.

That pizza cutter-like thing, used to stuff screen back into its slot. "By far the most useful item," writes Loren Vasil-Pirocchi. "There's always a dog, a child, or an intoxicated guest going through the screen door."

For fastening the dock.

For sealing pipe threads and undoing a Sharkbite plumbing connection.

For loosening rusty bolts, keeping blades sharp, silencing squeaky hinges, unsticking locks, extending the life of power tools, and keeping ball bearings running smoothly.

Spare ones for kerosene lanterns.

Keep sterilized tweezers, alcohol wipes, and bandages in a resealable bag.

Stock your drawer with a bottle opener, corkscrew, and wine stopper. "Having a refreshing beverage as soon as you exit your car after the drive north is a lifesaving, calm-your-nerves essential," writes Bern Hansen.

Cut from the top of a pop bottle.

The kind that crazy glue tubes come in—to corral all the tiny stuff. "I use them for photo hooks, screws, bits of twine, sewing supplies, fishing hooks, interesting dead bugs, AA batteries," writes Kristen Kellie. "They're like spice jars for useful junk."

"The most important item is the drawer itself," writes Sandra Mairs. "Behind every item, there's a special story. From the journal left by the previous owners dating back to the '50s to the fluorescent yellow golf ball known to reappear on the annual Kids' Day scavenger hunt list. The cottage junk drawer is not full of junk. It's full of memories."