ORGANIZED CLOSET BLISS
When you organize your closet, you want to make sure that you are able to keep it that way. The key to successful organization is to focus on space, storage, and ease of use. You could spend a fortune on organizing your closet, but you may be able to create the closet of your dreams for a lot less than you may have imagined. It doesn't necessarily take a lot of money, just a diligent person who is determined to create an organized and blissful closet.
1) If the thought of organizing your disaster of a closet seems overwhelming, it is probably because you own more than you use. You may have lost things in the clutter and then replaced them with new items. This is costly and a waste of your time and space. Sometimes things just go out of style and they stay in your closet for years because they're "still good" and you think that you may wear them again someday. Other things just may not fit right since you had your baby, lost weight, or simply got older. If you're like most people, you save a lot more than you use.
2) Go through and pick out the things that you actually wear. Separate things into different categories as you go. Make a stack of jeans, t-shirts, dress shoes, work clothes, suits, dresses, or whatever you have. These piles will be your starting point when you get ready to come up with the best plan for your closet design. Now, everything that you really love and use should be out of the closet. Everything else can go. Give it away, have a yard sale, sell it online, or donate it to charity. Getting the excess out of your closet may help you to see that you have what you need, or it can reveal that you own a few things that don't match anything else that you own.
3) Now it is time to measure your stacks of clothing. Some things may take up less room if they are folded and stacked, while others use less space if they are hung on clothes hangers. Draw out some designs or jot down ideas about the type of storage that you think you'll need before you go shopping for shelves, hanging rods and bins. You may only need a couple of shelves for t-shirts, shorts, and buckets of socks and underwear. You can come up with the best plan for organizing shoes and creating storage areas for your out of season clothes.
4) Choose clothing hangers that compliment your clothing. Wooden hangers, like suit hangers, are generally curved to help your coats, suits, and dresses maintain their intended shape. Some clothes hangers will let you pair up tops and bottoms in what is called a combination hanger, saving you time and room in the closet. Getting everything hung on the right kind of hanger will not only keep your clothes protected, but it will give your closet that polished and organized look that you're going for.
About the Author: Jo Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for hangers. For more information, please visit OnlyHangers.com