7 Tips for Organizing Your Closet

I recently gave my master closet a refresh because, well…it was out of control! Check out the before pictures. Yes, that is my bra dangling from a belt rack…When we bought this home a year ago, we downsized in square footage. This downsizing also impacted our closet space. Rather than make smart editing choices as we were unpacking boxes, I chose to literally shove all our clothing, shoes, and miscellaneous items into our (much smaller) master closet. Throughout this closet organization process, I put together some tips that helped me along the way and hopefully will be helpful to you too!

Tip #1 – When organizing your closet, start with a clean slate!

Pull everything out of your closet…EVERYTHING! By doing this, you will more likely consider whether the item(s) should return to the closet. It also allows you to clean all surfaces and get a better feel for how much space you really have to work with. Once everything is out…and piled high (ugh), it is time to make some decisions. What will you purge and what will you keep? Personally, if I haven’t worn the item in a year, it is probably time to get rid of it. I also like to have some boxes or trash bags readily available during this process so I can quickly separate what I am keeping from what I am donating.

Tip #2 – When organizing your closet, consider sorting items by season!

If you are working with a small closet, consider grouping your items (clothing, shoes, etc.) by season. For my closet refresh, I separated everything into two groups – winter and summer. My goal was to only return the summer items to the closet. My winter clothing and shoes found a home in an unused bedroom closet. If extra closet space is not available to you, there are other options such as under-the-bed storage containers for seasonal clothing items.

Tip #3 – When organizing your closet, divide items into two groups (hanging and folding).

Begin by hanging the clothing items (all in the same direction) you intend to return to the closet. Use hangers that are in good shape. For aesthetic reasons, I like my hangers to match; white for me, black for my hubby. One day soon, I plan to transition to the nonslip slim hangers (say that three times fast). This will free up more space and keep my garments in their original condition and shape. For right now, I am making do with plastic ones. For efficiency reasons, try sorting your clothes by color and/or sleeve length. This will make finding certain items faster and easier each morning.

Tip #4 – When organizing your closet, consider placement.

Will your folded items be returning to the closet? If so, where will you store them? Again, think about maximizing your space! Do you have room for a dresser, extra shelves, a hanging organizer? Place items you use most often at an arm’s reach while least used items can be stored up high.

Tip #5 – When organizing your closet, gather boxes, containers and baskets (oh my)!

To make the most of your space, consider storing like items in boxes, containers, and baskets. Keeping loose items hidden away is visually appealing and minimizes clutter. Rather than purchase storage containers, try to repurpose what you already have. For my closet refresh, I used fabric storage cubes that had previously been used to store toys. These fabric cubes were in excellent condition, but I did not like the red color. So…I spray painted them. I wasn’t so sure the fabric cubes would take the paint, but they turned out great! I decided to use them on the top shelf to store rarely used items.

I also rounded up three red wire baskets, which also got a new paint job. These baskets found a place front and center of the built-in shelves and will be used for more frequently used items.

I also had several plastic shoe boxes and, (as you can see), they were also put to good use! I chose to remove the center hanging rod and replace it with the shelf I scored for $20.00 at a garage sale. I gave it a fresh coat of white paint, added six additional storage cubes, and… voilà! I now have plenty of storage for folded clothes. The black wicker basket fits nicely on the shelving unit and houses bath products. Finally, I purchased three cute jars with lids to store more bath products (cotton, Q-tips, and bath salts).

Tip # 6 – When organizing your closet, label, label, label!

Once you store (hide) items away, it is essential to label your containers. This was my mistake from previous attempts at organizing my closet. It looked nice for a short period of time…until I tore everything apart trying to find a certain item. Never again! I decided if I was going to this much effort, I needed to finish strong. That meant labeling everything. I used hanging tags, stickers, and photographs to ensure I knew what was tucked away in each storage container. My favorite part of this completed project is the shoe box labels. It literally took 15 minutes to take pictures of my shoes. I printed them off at Walmart choosing 4×4 squares for the size, then attached them with masking tape. Simple, stylish, and oh so functional!

Tip # 7 – When organizing your closet, consider it its own special room.

No matter the size, your closet will likely stay organized if you enjoy the aesthetics of the space. This may mean spray painting fabric cubes, buying a simple but stylish rug, or maybe…just maybe, hanging a cute chandelier (fingers crossed this happens in my near future)!

Now that my closet refresh is complete, I am hopeful it will stay neat and tidy. The fact that it is not only functional and practical, but also PRETTY, is the motivation I need to ensure this space stays organized.

Until next time…
Tina