Closet spaces are scary. Organizing them can be scarier. Closet organization can be a daunting task. If you have a smaller closet, it can be more difficult to figure out how to organize the space. When you rent your home, closet organization becomes even more of a challenge because you only have so many options without making permanent changes. And you don’t want to spend too much money on organization supplies in the first place. Due to this, finding the right tools can be a task as well.
Every challenge that I have listed above is EXACTLY what I went through when organizing my closet. We rent our home, causing myself to have to become creative when organizing on a budget. I had so many pieces to organize: pieces that were seasonal, pieces for casual and loungewear, business casual outfits, accessories, bags, purses, and shoes. ALL of it had to go back into my closet. Personally, I wanted everything to be in one place. In other words, I didn’t want only pieces for the current season out, and I didn’t necessarily want shoes elsewhere either. We only have so much storage in our house, so I wanted to keep things neat and tidy, while organized in a way where I didn’t have to go to multiple places just to put together an outfit.
Making a List
Before I got started, I had to make a list of everything that I wanted to accomplish within the closet. What exactly had to be organized? What all needed a place to go when returning to the closet? How do I want my closet to look when opened? Clothes on display? Everything in containers? These were the ideas that I brainstormed before I began.
The Decisions
I had realized that I wanted my clothes to be displayed as much as possible. Due to the size of the closet, it was a challenge. However, I was determined. I wanted to organize my closet in a simple way where I could see the clothing options in front of me whenever I choose an outfit for whatever occasion. Besides, there is something about seeing your beautiful and personalized accessories on display in your closet!
Decluttering
It was time to CLEAN. If you watch my closet organization reel on my Instagram, you will see just how enthused I was when I began the decluttering phase. However, it became fun when pulling everything out, knowing that not all of it was going to go back in.
I started by simply pulling everything out and looking at everything quickly. Pieces were put into donation piles if I didn’t love them or they no longer fit. Everything I was keeping, I tried to separate everything by category: sweaters, skirts, jeans, short-sleeved tops, etc. However, I’ll admit that I mostly just pulled everything out and laid it in a huge pile on my bed. The categorizing of everything came later.
After I had pulled everything out, I cleaned the closet. Our house is older and collects a good amount of dust, unfortunately. I dusted and swept inside the closet in order to create a clean canvas for organizing everything in it.
Categorizing
Speaking of categorizing, now it was time to really dig through everything a second time. I cleaned everything out a second time to make sure I disposed of everything that I did not want anymore. In addition, I also separated everything into different categories that I hadn’t before. Categorization looks different for everyone. However you want to organize your items is completely up to you. Not only did I separate everything by piece, but I organized by season. Spring and summer skirts, autumn skirts, winter turtlenecks and tops, etc. I categorized everything in the best way for me. Once everything was arranged to my liking, it was time to actually assemble my closet.
Closet Organization Materials
My budget for closet organization materials was $50. This meant that I had to get incredibly creative. Dollar stores and DIY projects were my motto for figuring out this project. (Walmart and At Home were also included.) There is more information in the list below.) I have made a list of exactly what materials I used for the closet and links leading to those products. Listed next to each item are the prices.
List of Closet Organization Materials
- Hanging Closet Organizer from Walmart – $6.25
- Adhesive Hooks from Dollar Tree– $2.65 (I bought two single large hooks, but these work as well.)
- Shoe Organizer from At Home – $17.99
- Basket – had on hand
- DIY shelf cover made from Dollar Tree materials and fabric that I had on hand – $4.25 (Click here to see how I made this!)
- Hat organizer from Amazon – $7.99
- Space Saver Clothes Hangers from Dollar General – $5
Total Cost: $44.13 (Including taxes for me: $46.62)
How I Used the Organization Materials
Here are some pictures to show how I placed everything:
The organizational key for me was to “build up.” This means that I tried to get objects off the floor and either hang them or use shelves as much as I could. The only object that I had on the floor was a pretty basket that I used to hold my purses. This was to display them in an organized fashion.
This hanging closet organizer from Walmart was perfect for all my jeans, dress pants, casual pants, and leggings.
This shoe organizer from At Home was the most expensive item used, pricing at $20. I had tried to create a DIY shoe rack with two tension rods inserted in-between the walls of the closet. However, not all of my shoes would fit on the tension rods, and it was not as stable as I had hoped. The cost of the two tension rods equaled the cost of this shoe rack. Therefore, I chose to invest in the shoe rack since it was more stable and held all my shoes!
This hat organizer from Amazon that attaches to a clothes hanger was perfect for organizing all of my baseball hats. This organized them nicely was simultaneously getting them out of a box and off the floor. Here is a reel that I made to show how easy it is to assemble.
These space saver clothes hangers from Dollar General helped with organizing cardigans and shells for underneath shirts. It saved an enormous amount of space and truly worked beautifully!
I used two adhesive strips from Dollar Tree in order to hang and display my bags. Click here to see a video of how I did this!
Conclusion
I am so happy with how the closet turned out! The organization systems have worked, and I have been able to keep up with keeping the closet consistently clean and decluttered! All the materials work beautifully, AND I was able to keep everything under $50! All of the materials are easily attainable, easy to use, and are budget friendly!
If you have used any of these closet organization tips for your closet or another part of home, I would love to hear in the comments below! Was there something here you did not see that you would love to see in future articles??
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