Most people would love to have an organized closet. The problem is this: Stuff has a way of piling up, and there never seems to be enough space to contain it. The following simple tricks make organization an easy proposition, even for the novice DIYer.
Small Space Clothes Storage
Make a spinning clothes rack by starting with a single-tier, round lazy Susan shelf. Remove the top tray, leaving the foundation intact. Screw or bolt the foundation to the underside of a closet shelf so it will hang upside-down. Glue a round wire basket to the lazy Susan tray and screw or nail it into place. Reattach the tray to the foundation to create a spinning clothes rack. Place hangers into the holes in the wire basket to store clothes in one space.
Hanging Shoe Storage
If you want an organized closet, you’ve got to consider shoes. Tension rods or curtain rods mounted against the wall make great shoe racks. High heels will hang right off the rods. When placed close together, many pairs of shoes will fit. Mount the rods securely by drilling them into the wall at the studs.
To make the shoe racks look more finished, swap out the rods for crown molding. This type of molding is available at hardware stores, and you can have it cut to a specific length. Paint the molding and mount it to the wall with anchors and screws.
Make your own boot hangers to store larger styles on a closet rod. Attach two clothes pins to a hanger or a hook that will fit on the closet rod. Hang a pair of boots on the hook with the pins, hang it on the closet rod, and you’re done.
Accessible Jewelry Storage
Keep jewelry accessible inside your newly organized closet. Create a peg board using an old frame. Paint and decorate the frame as desired after removing and discarding the glass. Take the back off the frame, and discard. Cut a standard peg board to size (about a 1/2 inch bigger than the frame on all sides) and glue the frame onto it. Add pegs to hang watches, necklaces, bracelets and other small items. Make the peg board look a little more polished by first covering it with fabric.
In lieu of a standard peg board you can opt for a creative cork board. Using the same frame, keep the backing and glue wine corks onto it. Cut corks in half to cover more area using less material.
Don’t like peg boards? Build a magnetic board for your organized closet. Magnetic boards are great for belts, metallic jewelry and metal accessories that you want to keep handy. Cut a sheet of 1/2-inch plywood to size. Prime one side of the wood and allow it to dry thoroughly. Paint over the primer with magnetic paint. Cover with a thin fabric of your choice. Pull the fabric tight across the painted side and use a staple gun to secure the material to the back. Place the frame on top of the covered wood (glue and drill it into place if needed) and hang it inside the closet. Metal will stick to the board even through the fabric (if the material is thin enough).
Simple Accessory Storage
Accessories are often the downfall of an otherwise organized closet. Use affordable plumbing pipes to build simple accessory storage. Obtain 6-inch SDR pipe from a home improvement store. SDR is a type of PVC pipe that has thinner walls than standard PVC. These thinner walls mean SDR takes up less space.
Use 1/2-inch toggle bolts to join 12-inch lengths of SDR piping. Pre-drill all holes to make the project come together more quickly. Place two holes in each length of pipe, 3 inches from either end. Use the bolts to attach the pipes and build a custom storage unit of any height and width. Shoes, belts, ties, socks, scarves, gloves and other small items can be placed inside the tubes for neat and compact storage.
Get creative and crafty as you embark on an organized closet. Simple shelves, a piping project and boxes and baskets can all be fantastic storage solutions for any overcrowded area. Even little additions like hooks and labels can make a big difference toward keeping any closet neater.
