Closet Organization Tips – Part 1

• item {i.e. all jeans together, all sweaters together, all handbags, etc.}
• season
• color
• function {i.e. work clothes, gym clothes, etc.}
• or any other method {or combination of the above!} that works for you.

Keeping the design of your space in mind, decide which items you want to hang, what items can be folded on shelves, and what items would work best in a bins or baskets.  Use coordinated hangers for those items that you are hanging.  Place items that are used most often in the front and middle sections.  If you have a small closet space, consider storing out of season or rarely used items elsewhere.

 {source}

Especially if you have a smaller closet, make sure that you are getting the best use out of your space.  Build up as high as you can in your closet and store out of season or less used items on the higher shelves and towards the sides.  Utilize every space in the closet – every wall, the floors, the backs of doors.  Here are a few space savers that may work for you:

• The place between the floor and where your clothes hang is the perfect place to store some extra shoes or clear plastic bins on wheels for your accessories.
• If you have a solid door, add some hooks or an over the door pocket organizer to the back.
• If you do not have double rod hangers, move a dresser into the closet below your shorter hanging clothes for extra drawer space.
• Remove the closet doors and hang curtains.
• Add hooks to the walls or sides of storage units {the Command hooks work well and can easily be changed around as your needs change}

There is definitely not a shortage of closet organizational products out there.  You can find some great options almost anywhere – from Ikea, to The Container Store, to your local dollar store.  Figure out what items you need to store, and then look for products {or create your own} that would work for you in your space.  Here are some great ideas from Real Simple…

1. Short on shelf space?  Purchase one of these hanging shelving units to store your sweaters or jeans.
2. Hang your purses from shower curtain hooks.  {I love this idea!}
3. Hang a pegboard on the back of the door or a wall to hold your accessories or jewelry.
4. Use these shelf dividers to prevent your clothing stacks from tumbling over {they also work well for separating larger accessories such as handbags}

 Don’t be afraid to think “outside the box” and be creative with how you use them!  The easier the item is to see and to access, the more likely you are to wear or use it.  Love this organization system from Lookie What I Did.

Since it is just a closet, you probably do not really want to be spending much money {or any money?}on decor, but pick some of your favorite items and put them on display.  Grab some of your favorite shoes or purses, or some colorful scarves and show them off!  Hang a favorite picture or two on the wall.  Line the back of the closet or your shelves with wall paper or paint it a fun color.  I always find that the prettier the space, the more motivated I am to keep it clean.

Remember…

The ultimate goal when organizing your closet is to come up with a system that can be easily maintained on a daily basis.  A quick update every couple of months and a small decluttering every 6 months to get rid of items that you did not use through the season, should be all that is needed to keep things tidy and organized.