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You are here: Home / Organizing / An Organized Closet in One Afternoon

An Organized Closet in One Afternoon

January 17, 2017 By Karen Cooper 5 Comments

January is a great time to get organized. It’s a new year, the weather has changed from warm to cold, and it’s a good time to have a fresh start! Also, if I get anything new for Christmas, I like cleaning out anything old to make room for the new!

Sometimes it’s hard to get started on an organizing project because it seems so big. So daunting. But I promise you can organize your closet in one afternoon – really! I’m going to show you how…

How to get an organized closet in one afternoon! TheDIYBungalow.com

Ah, I love an organized closet! But it didn’t start off that way. It started off like this:

Go from this to an organized closet in one afternoon! TheDIYBungalow.com

Seriously…where is the police tape?

From this to an organized closet in one afternoon! TheDIYBungalow.com

Because our weather here in the south is warm until November or December, then turns cool one day like someone flipped a switch, I end up with summer clothes and fall clothes all over the place.  Time to get organized!

Here’s how to get an organized closet in one afternoon:

(1) Take everything out of the closet.

First, I pulled everything out of my closet.  See crime scene “before” pictures above. This way, I could easily go through everything.

(2) Pull out the obvious discards.

Next, I weeded out any clothes that were too small, out of date, worn out, or stained or torn in any way.  I did the same thing with my shoes.  As it turns out, when I broke my leg last year (see this post), it changed the shape of my foot and ankle and, of course, made my ankle less stable.  So, I (begrudgingly) had to get rid of shoes that didn’t fit anymore or had too tall of a heel because of this.  Meh. (On the up side, it means I can buy some new shoes that fit!)

For the clothes and shoes in good condition, I donated those to a thrift store.  Old t-shirts and socks with holes in them were recycled as dust rags or rags for staining projects.  Anything that wasn’t salvageable went in the garbage.

(3) Create Order.

Next, I organized.  The main idea here is that everything I was putting back in the closet is something I wanted to keep. Everything in a place, with a logical order to it.

Purses went into boxes from Ikea and into the back of the closet, where they are accessible, but out of everyday reach (I don’t change purses every day, after all).  The back of my closet has an awkward slope to it, so the back corner is a great place to put these boxes.

Summer clothes went into a plastic bin at the bottom and back of my closet.  The sweaters came out and were put on the top shelf (I have a folding step ladder in my closet to reach these, given that I am vertically challenged).  Sweatshirts went on the other top shelf.

For the shirts and short jackets, I organized them by color, starting with the darkest on the left and working to the lightest.

Then, within each color grouping, I organized them in order of (from left to right) jackets, sweaters, long-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts, and sleeveless shirts.  This organization helps me find exactly what I want to wear in terms of color and in terms of being “weather appropriate” (a term usually reserved for telling my daughter that she can’t wear shorts to school when it’s 40 degrees outside).

How to get an organized closet in one afternoon! TheDIYBungalow.com

For pants, I organized them casual to dressy.  I wear the casual pants more often, so they go where I can most easily access them.

On the adjacent wall of the closet is my hanging storage.  I organized it (from left to right) by fleece jackets (I love me some fleece!), suits, dresses (in order from most dressy to casual), skirts (same organization – dressy to casual), and then scarves (on an organizer from Ikea, although you can make one with drapery hardware like THIS ONE).

On the adjacent wall to the hanging storage (right to the right of the door) are hooks for my necklaces, belts, and, as it happens today, a hat:

Jewelry organization in an organized closet in one afternoon - TheDIYBungalow.com

I like having my necklaces hanging up, rather than in a drawer or jewelry box, so I can see them all and so they don’t get tangled.

Lastly, on the floor, I organized my shoes by color and heel height.

And voila!  An organized closet!

Looking into an organized closet each morning not only makes it easier to get dressed, but makes me happy.  Order out of chaos.

How to get an organized closet in one afternoon - theDIYbungalow.com

What do you do to organize your closet?  Do you have a method or time of year when you organize?

Want more organization and storage tips? Click HERE!

Have unwanted items or clutter? Click HERE for what to do with them!

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Filed Under: Organizing, Readers' Favorite Posts 5 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Thrifty Crafty Girl says

    October 17, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    Your closet looks great! I wish I had some sort of witty advice for keeping a neat and tidy closet but mine looks like it threw up all my clothes. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Storywood Designs says

    October 17, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    My closet is my dirty little secret… it’s atrocious. Your post has given me the motivation to tackle it… I have to find a week of time to do it though! The after looks great!

    Reply
  3. Heather Stockton says

    October 18, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    Please come to my home. My closet really needs you. Thanks for inspiring me (and reminding me!) about what a closet really looks like. lol! Great job.

    Btw, it was great meeting you last weekend. Nice blog.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      October 18, 2012 at 7:17 pm

      It was great meeting you this weekend, too! If you lived closer, I would be happy to come help. Thank you so much!!

      Reply
  4. Angie @ Postcards from the Ridge says

    January 7, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    Nice job! I’ve got to tackle my own closet asap. I really need some of those dividers for the top shelf. Thanks for the inspiration! Have a great day! ~ Angie

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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