Wood Closet Organizer

7 Easy Closet Organization Tips

By Jesse Whitehead

Is your closet is a total mess?  Are you completely fed up with all of the clutter but don't know what to do?  It's Time to Get a Closet Organizer!

Perhaps, you’re not sure where to begin though, and the task of organizing that unsightly closet looks a bit overwhelming.

With some helpful tips however, you can get the job done.  What you need to do is break the entire task down in to small, achievable steps. Or to quote the  old adage, “How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.”   By taking one step or “bite’ at a time, you will see the project as something you can do.

Following is a list of steps that will aid you in your quest to organize your closet: 

1)  First, you must decide that you will eliminate clutter from your closet forever.  You must make up your mind that once you get your closet straightened out, you will keep it that way from now on. 

2)  Next, make a list.  Decide what you want in your custom closet organization. How much room you do you need for all of the clothing and accessories you will store.  Do have a huge collection of shoes?  Then plan to allocate a large portion of storage space for your shoes. Perhaps you have a large number of sweaters that you will need shelves for.  Or maybe you have a collection of magazines and books that you need to store.  Whatever you need to put in your closet, make sure you plan to set aside space for them.

3)  Measure the length and the depth of your closet area.  You will need this information to calculate out how many shelves, shoe racks and hanging rods you will need to install.

4)  Devise a system to organize your clothing. There are many ways you can do this, and none are necessarily right or wrong.  You can organize by color, style, or season. You can separate clothes by where you wear them, such as around the house, at work, formal attire, or casual every day clothing.   One good idea is to hang all the pieces of a particular outfit together.  For men, it might be putting your slacks, shirt and tie together on one hanger; for women it might be putting  blouse and skirt together.  One of the goals for effective closet organization is to maximize the amount of space you have available in your closet.

5) Decide what type of look you want.  Additionally, determine how much money you want to spend on this project.  Ask yourself if you want shelves and racks to be permanent or do you want something that can be easily removed later.  The answers to these questions will help you select the kind of materials you need to complete your closet organizer system.  There’s a wide range of materials to choose from, including wood, wire,  plastic, canvas, and anything else you may wish to use.

6)  Remove everything from your closet.  Analyze each and every item of clothing you have.   Be honest with yourself about what you find in there.   Get rid of anything you haven’t worn in at least one year and donate it to the charity of your choice.  If something needs to be sewn or repaired, get it done before you put it back in your closet.  Or discard it if it’s something you are not likely to wear.  Anything item you have put in your closet for lack of a better place needs  to be discarded, donated or given a proper location other than the closet.

Getting rid of things is easy for some people, but extremely difficult for others, especially those with a pack rat mentality.  Get rid of those items you don’t use or need  now while you have it out in the open, and be rid of it forever. 

7) Install your system.  You should do some research before hand  to find a system that will work for your specific needs.  There are many different kinds for closet organizer systems on the market, differing greatly in materials and price.  Generally the least expensive option is to buy a system made of wire or plastic.   These are not only strong and durable, but also attractive in their design and function.  A more expensive option is wood, although wood systems vary greatly in material quality, price, and design.   Wood organizers tend to be a more permanent solution than wire or plastic organizers.  The choice however is yours.

One final note:  The key to effective closet organization is to eliminate everything you don’t really need or want from your closet. 

When that is done, it’s much easier to organize the remaining items in a way that works best for you. Everyone has different organizing preferences, so make so make your system unique to you. This will help you return items to their proper location in the closet, and avoid cluttering your closet again. Take some time to research the various types of closet organizers and come up with a plan you will love.  You’ll be glad you did.

For more information, see the Closet Organizer Systems page.

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