Organizing and Beautifying a Closet of Any Size and Keeping it Tidy
You must first empty out your closet. Every shirt, shoe, belt and bag. Pile it on the bed, on the floor and anywhere in between – just not anywhere near the closet. As you empty out the closet, notice how much space is actually there. What was that? All you see is a rod going across from wall to wall? Oh no, dear. Your space is so much more than that! If you are fortunate enough to have a shelve above the clothes rod, count your blessings! If not, measure the width and length that you need and go to your home improvement store to purchase a board and accessories to hang it properly. Don’t go just yet, though, keep reading….
In the classic movie Mommy Dearest , Joan Crawford (played by Faye Dunaway) had a fit because she found a dress hung on a wire hanger when she had just replaced all wire hangers. She looked into the closet and lets out a scream when she lays sight of the dreadful wire hangers! You should do the same, perhaps not so dramatic, though! You can purchase plastic hangers for next to nothing at any dollar store, they usually come 10 in a package. Your clothes will thank you for it.
Next, take a good, long look at your floor to ceiling space. On the shelf that you will soon have, if you do not have it already, you can either place storage baskets next to one another or buy stackable storage containers. On the floor, if you have an excessive amount of shoes, plastic shoe boxes will work the best. If you do not own a lot of shoes, invest in a wire shoe rack or two to set on the floor.
OK, so your shopping list consists of: a board for a shelf, storage containers or baskets, plastic shoe boxes or wire shoe racks. Add to this list an expandable closet rod. You can find one at an affordable price at stores like Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. An expandable rod is in the $10 price range. By purchasing an expandable rod, you will instantly double your closet space! Instantly! Use the extra rod for hanging pants and skirts.
Now comes the hard part. Clear your bed and visualize 3 piles of clothes. 1) KEEP PILE 2) SELL PILE 3) DONATE PILE. One by one, try on each article of clothing. If you know it no longer fits or is no longer in style, don’t even waste your time trying it on. After your KEEP PILE is significantly decreased, set aside for now and sort through your SELL and DONATE PILES. If you are needing the extra cash, take your clothing to a re-sale store. You can get some serious cash if you have name brand clothing. All stores have different rules and regulations, give it a try! If you do not wish to sell your clothing, donate your excess to a thrift store. Your loss is someone else’s gain. Be sure to get a tax receipt when you drop off your donation.
Do the same for shoes, belts and handbags. If you have not used a bag in a year or more, get rid of it.
Wow! Are you completely amazed at the amount of unused articles that you have been storing all this time? Now it’s time to go shopping. Yes, leave the KEEP pile just where it is. Load up the donation boxes and drop them off on the way to the home improvement store. While you are at the store…if you need extra lighting, you can find those stick up battery lights. They work wonders in a dark closet.
After you bring in your goodies and have your shelf in place, get out your iron and ironing board and get to work. Iron each article of clothing prior to hanging. You will be amazed at the way your clothes will hang when they are ironed. Fold your t-shirts and jeans and stack them neatly in storage containers. Place containers on shelf and hang your ironed clothes on your new plastic hangers. When you are hanging your clothes, group like items together. This will make outfit choices easier. Did you know your closet could ever look so good? Finally, store belts in a storage container as well as your handbags.
If you choose plastic shoe boxes, take a picture of each pair of shoes and adhere photo to the front of shoe box. Stack them neatly on the closet floor. If you purchased shoe racks, be sure that your shoes fit nicely on the rack. If your heavier shoes or boots do not fit, line them up neatly next to rack.
You have just worked so hard at organizing your closet and everything looks so nice and put together. Keep up the good work and maintain your organization.
