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Organization

Closet Organization (tips and tricks)

closet-organization-tips-and-tricks
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It’s that time!  Kids are heading back to school.  This is the last week of summer for my three kids so we are savoring our low key days a bit longer!  Just like every year, we’ve been doing a few things all month to get ready for the new school year.  After buying my kids new school clothes (you can see what my girls are wearing here and what my little buddy is wearing here) it was time for some major closet organization.  Out with the old and in with the new!  I just love a good closet clean out. :)


messy-clothes
We started with Ad’s closet because it was the messiest.  She is my fashionista who never got out of the habit of changing 4-5 times a day so no surprise there. :)  I just started by pulling all of her clothes out of her closet and we went though each item together.
goodwill-clothes
Anything she didn’t love or that was too small went in a pile for Goodwill or friends.  This was the start of two large garbage sacks full.
organized-clothes
We finished sorting and started putting things back.  So nice to have space for everything!  I hung all of her dresses together.  (I always start with sleeveless dresses, then short sleeved, then long sleeved.)
organized-long-sleeved-shirts
On one rack next to her laundry bin we hung all of her long sleeved tops.
organized-dance-costumes
Ad still can’t reach the top hanging row so I used it for her dance costume and her robes.  Things she doesn’t need to reach often.
organized-school-outfits
I bought each of my girls this pink hanging organizer when we first moved into our house.  You can find it here from Land of Nod.. they come in lots of fun colors! Such a great addition for closet organization.  We have loved this and used it for two years to organize my girls’ daily outfits.  I had the slots labeled for each day of the week and it was a major time savor to have my girls pick out their clothes for the week every Sunday afternoon.  Now that they are getting older and choosing outfits isn’t quite the time sucker it used to be, they pick out their outfit the night before and just lay it on their bedroom floor.  I was about to take the organizer out of their closets but then came up with a better idea.
organized-clothes-rack
Next year my girls are both taking a lot of dance (classes every day) so we decided this would be a great way to organize their dance clothes!  I switched out the labels from days of the week to things like leotards, tanks, tights, sports bras, accessories, etc.  (Half of Ad’s dance clothes were in the wash so this organizer will hold a lot more!)
clothes-hanger
This is going to make getting ready for after school dance lessons so much easier for my girls!  Organized systems only work when you customize them for your needs.  Don’t ever be afraid to switch things up and use old items in a new way that works better!  Tip of the day right there. ;)
organized-closet-shelves
After the left side of her closet was organized we moved on to the middle section!
organized-closet-drawers
organized-pajamas
These drawers were bursting at the seams!  So nice to have them half empty now.  The bottom drawer holds her summer pj’s.
organized-pants
One drawer up is all of her pants.
dream-drawer-organizers
The next drawer is divided into swimsuits/coverups, underwear {took them out for the picture to spare my girl some slight embarrassment ;)}, and then socks on the right.  I have always LOVED dream drawer dividers to organize drawers.  I have them all over my house!  I use them in my closets, my kitchen, my office.  They are a great way to divide like items and take up less space than a bin or basket would.  They have always been a staple for me.  You can buy them here on Amazon or here at the Container Store.  These are smaller for kitchen drawers.  That’s another thing I love about them.  They come in all different sizes!

I didn’t take a picture of Ad’s top drawer but it was divided into skirts and leggings.  Clean, organized drawers for the win!
organized-books
I wiped off her shelves and organized them with some of her favorite items.  Remember the Sister book I made the girls years ago?  Still a favorite.  :)  The pink box holds her jewelry.
organized-childrens-closet
We left the top rack empty aside from a couple of jackets and extra hangers on the right side.
organized-tops
Tanks and short sleeved tops are all organized below.  Can you tell her mom is a fan of stripes?  :)
epson-label-maker
Then I got to work on the right section of her closet.  This space called for some baskets with labels!  My favorite. :)  I used my trusty label maker – it’s this Epson that I’ve had for years and is on sale right now.  Love it like a 4th child!  I’m not kidding when I say that. :)  I punched some pink paper into circles with my circle punch and grabbed some tiny clothes pins.  My office is full of random things like this which is why it’s my favorite place to hang.
organized-closet-labels
Soon I had cute pink labels made for all of the random things we wanted to store in her closet.
closet-organizers
Here they all are in action!  Some of you might recognize these blue bins!  I used them to organize my master closet in my previous house.  They were the perfect color and size for Ad’s closet.  It was a happy day when I discovered that. :)
organized-bins-in-closet
I used the bottom shelf to hold more books.
sewing-machine-bin
The large bin holds her two small sewing machines.  This girls loves to sew!  She doesn’t get that from me.
organized-closet-baskets
The rest of the bins hold other miscellaneous items.
organized-notebooks
Slippers and notebooks.
organized-belts
Sewing supplies and belts.
organized-winter-clothes
Winter accessories and purses.  Basically just anything random she had floating around in her room that we didn’t have a place for!
organize-closet-baskets
organized-toy-closet
Now everything has a happy home.
organized-labeld-bins
And these labels make it easy for her to see where things are stored.  Closet organization is seriously one of my all time favorite things. :)
organized-closet-bins
I can’t tell you how happy this clean closet has made both of us!  We took so many clothes, books and toys she wasn’t using anymore to Goodwill and it feels like a breath of fresh air to only have what she really wears and uses and loves in this closet.

A few tips and tricks for closet organization:

1 – Start by pulling everything out of the closet and hold each item to decide if it’s something you truly love/use.  This is a tip from one of my favorite books The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and it really works!  Trust your first instinct and if you know you don’t love it, toss it in the Goodwill pile and don’t look back!  Trust me, you won’t miss it.

2 – When putting clothes back, hang them in sections with like items.  Aside from organizing things together like dresses, pants, skirts, etc. I also organize by sleeve length.  My older daughter El takes it one step further and also organizes by color.  She takes after her mom. ;)  Don’t set up a system that will be too hard and unrealistic to maintain, but do find a way to group things so that they’ll be easy for you to find and keep organized.

3 – Think about how your closet is going to be used and customize everything to make it easier for you.  We all change and grow.  Organized systems only work when you customize them for your current needs.  Don’t ever be afraid to switch things up and use old items in a new way that works better!

4 – Invest in smart closet storage.  Consider buying or building built-in drawers or shelves.  Hanging organizers, baskets, dream drawer dividers, tie and belt racks, etc also make closet organization easy.  These things cost a bit up front, but they can help you stay organized for years.  Invest in your sanity!  That’s what I tell my husband I’m doing every time I head to the Container Store.  Not sure how much it’s helping his sanity.. but that’s beside the point. ;)

5 –  When organizing kids’ closets, do it often (we try to do it at least twice a year – after Christmas and before school starts) and make your kids help.  It’s really good for them to learn at an early age what they truly need and when it’s time to let go of older items they aren’t using anymore.  It’s also a great time to teach them the value of giving those clothes and items they don’t need anymore to others who do need them.  This is such a great life skill that will help them become clutter free, organized adults.

Just like all of us right? ;)  Happy closet organizing everyone!

xoxo, Erin
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31 thoughts on “Closet Organization (tips and tricks)

      1. Thanks! Also, what size hangers do you use in this closet? My daughters clothes is too big for kid hangers but too small for adult ones. I’ve been searching but can’t seem to find ones that are just right.

        1. Hi Ursula! I don’t know the exact size, but I bought them at Baby’s R Us and I bet they still have them on-line. They come in a few different colors! xo

  1. Love this post! I love organized closets too – the whole house feels better when the closets are organized. :) What brand are your closet hanging rods/shelves/drawers? Or did you have your carpenter build them when you built your house? Looking for something similar for our closets so thought I’d check since I like yours so much! Thanks!

    1. Thank you so much Megan! We had my carpenter build them when we built the house. I totally agree! The whole house feels better with organized closets. :) xo

  2. A perfectly organized space. Love it! Organization makes me soooo happy! This inspires me to get going on all the closets in my house. I added a small collapsible step stool in our bedroom closets for reaching those high spots. It’s easy to tuck out of the way when it’s not needed. Great job once again, Erin!!

    1. Pamela that is such a great idea! I was thinking of getting a stool for Ad to reach the things in her top baskets. Thanks for the reminder! And for your sweet comment! Enjoy your day cutie! xo

  3. Looks fantastic! Thanks for the lovely eye candy and great organizing tips! I’m inspired to tackled my kids’ closets now!

  4. You’re a rockstar, Erin! This looks awesome! I love to organize closets but I just wish they would stay as clean every day LOL! I love Tip number five though! I think when kids do the hard work with you and they realize how much it takes to make it look like that, they are more inclined to try harder. That’s what I have noticed. Have a great week! Xoxo💋💕

    1. I totally agree Summer! My girls help keep things organized so much more when they have to do the work themselves! Thanks so much cutie! Always love hearing from you. :) xo

  5. Love this! My girls share a teeny tiny closet that is jam packed with their stuff! I installed an Elfa shelving system a few years ago that has really helped maximize the space they do have. You are so right about weeding through the kids clothes at least twice a year. They grow so fast (in size and tastes) so there are always things that can be donated. Love all your organization posts Erin! Keep them coming! :)

    1. Thank you so much Kristin! My girls last closets were so tiny! I had to get really creative to maximize their space. They really do grow so fast! I get sad how quickly they grow out of their clothes, but nothing like a cleaned out closet. :) Thanks for your sweet comment cutie! xo

  6. Oh this makes me so happy…nothing better than an organized space. . After been away fir a few days my house looks nothing like b this today 😂.
    I love the colors in her closet so cute !
    I recently did my daughters Ella closet..we also got rid of 2 bags full. She could care less what she wears ( my other daughter is the complete opposite)..but she had stuff in there that she hadn’t worn forever!

    1. Sounds like your girls area a lot like mine Heidi! I have one who isn’t into clothes and one who absolutely loves them. Funny they are so different! Feels so good to get closets cleaned out, doesn’t it!? One of my favorite things. :) xo

  7. I am so impressed Ad is sewing!! Sewing is one of those things I wish I had learned growing up, and since I totally don’t I want Madi to learn. Has she taken a class?
    Her closet looks so dreamy! Evey time I clean out Madi’s it seems like the next week it’s a disaster again! She is a “shover”! Makes me crazy! Anyway, Ad’s looks so nice and I love her paint color, makes even the closet look cheery!

    1. Thanks cutie! Oh my word.. she always wanted to learn how to sew (such a clothes lover!) so a few years ago I put her in a sewing summer camp and she loved it and was so good at it! So I’ve put her in camps and had other people teach her because I am NO help in that department. I’m so happy she’s learning! She also loves to cook (go figure.. everything I hate!) so I have to figure out what I’m going to do about that one. I need to send her to your house for a week! Love that you called Madi a “shover”… ha! Made me laugh. :) xo

  8. Awesome post, Erin! What a fantastic closet. I can see where it could easily get out of hand, there is a lot of space to add to, but going through it as you have and purging down then finding a home for what you kept is so smart. Addison’s life just got a whole lot easier. I also love that she loves to sew! Great job Mom! Organization for the win! :)

    1. I love that she loves to sew too! I’ve put her in camps and had other people teach her because she loves it so much and I am NO help in that department. Ha! :) Thanks Jeanne! xo

  9. I just love how you can hang most everything in her closet, including t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweaters. I mostly have these items in drawers or the shelves of the closet, mainly because there’s no room to hang them. Also, sweaters tend to not hang well or stretch out if hung. I definitely need to get rid of more clothes. This part is harder when you’re an adult because most of it still fits and not as worn out. The only major reason I don’t wear some more is there are newer clothes in the closet thatI like better. LOL!

    1. Thank you Debbie! I know.. it’s nice to have the storage space to hang things. My girls’ last closet was so tight and I had to store a lot of seasonal clothes. It is hard to get rid of things, but once you do it you will be amazed at how much better it feels! Just keep what you are wearing and loving! It will make your closet a much happier place. ;) xo

  10. Love the organization! My two oldest girls share a bedroom and needless to say their shared closet is always bursting at the seems! 😬 These tips are great and it’s on my to do list to get it all organized. Going to grab the dividers for their drawers, too, for socks, tights, and underwear. Those will be so helpful and not just a tangled mess! Bonus is we just got a Container Store closer to our home, so now I have no excuse!

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