Organization Hacks for Small Closets
It’s easy to throw up your hands in frustration with the challenges that come along with a small closet. Try out these organization hacks for small closets for a tidy and efficient space.
Not many of us have the luxury of a walk-in closet. What’s available to us is a reach in closet with maybe one bar and a shelf or two if we are lucky. It’s frustrating to cram all your clothes into this little rectangle.
While you can’t make more space out of a small space, you certainly can maximize the given space and use it efficiently.
Here are my best tips for a well-organized small closet.
Create a tidy look with clothing at the same length
Long dusters and long coats hung in your closet next to crop tops and skirts can easily give a hodgepodge look in your closet that looks a bit untidy. One of the easiest small closet organization hacks is to create the illusion of all your clothes being the same length.
We create this illusion by hanging our clothes in a unique and strategic manner.
To illustrate how, take a look at this video on folding a long sweater.
There are two benefits to this hanging method.
First, you achieve a uniform look in your closet by shortening the length of the sweater.
Second, you also prevent the sweater from getting stretched out in the shoulders which can give the sweater a bumpy look.
For long dresses I like to hang clothes using the following instructions. You can also see a demo in this video.
- Hang the dress on the hanger by the straps
- Fold the length of the dress to mimic a long rectangle by folding the sides inwards
- Grab the bottom of the dress and fold over the lower bar of the hanger.
The same hanging approach can be used for a body suit as well. Check out an illustration video here.
Hang similar items together in the closet
When you are working with one hanging rod in the closet, use some strategy in hanging your clothes for form and function. Clothes that share a similar material can be grouped and hung together.
Alternatively hang clothes that share the similar color scheme of that better suits how you like your clothing hung.
Whichever option you choose, stick with one that you will likely maintain and keep up with.
That is generally the best choice for you so that you can consistently maintain and achieve a tidy closet.
Create a “third” row for additional shoe storage
If you’re in the camp where you like to keep your shoes in your closet, try adding a shoe rack at the bottom of the closet.
Most shoe racks are designed with two shelves. Create a “third” row by use the bottom of the closet underneath the lowest shelf.
If you want to protect the floors add some paper underneath the third layer of shoes according to your preference.
For a bonus tip, keep the shoes all facing in the same direction. This small adjustment can make a big difference in the shoes looking organized in your small closet.
Utilize bins for additional storage on shelving
To utilize storage space on built in shelves, I recommend using bins to store additional clothing items that are better suited folded rather than hung up on the rack.
Folding clothes is a great way to save space because the act of folding presses out the air in the clothes which creates the volume.
Gather matching bins so that you can increase the joy in the closet as well as create a uniform and polished look in the space.
As a bonus, you can also choose to add labels to the bins so that it is easy to identify the contents within the bin especially if the bin is opaque or difficult to see through.
Interested in seeing an example of all these small closet organization hacks in action?
I get it. I’m a visual learner too.
Take a look at this video that highlights all the tips shared in this blog.
Need additional help?
Are you facing other organizational challenges in your small closet? Let me know in the comments and I may be able to offer some suggestions. Also head to the link below for a free printable decluttering checklist to help you on your journey to tidying up.
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Southern California based Professional Organizer, Sandy Park, owner and founder of Tidy with SPARK shares her joy of organization with her clients.
She serves clients in Orange County as well as the hundreds of thousands of followers on her combined social media platforms.
Connect with Sandy through her website or by connecting through her social channels.