Expand your closet space with these small closet organization ideas!
Ever feel like you do not have enough room in your closet?
Not everyone can be blessed with a walk-in closet. Especially if you live in a tiny apartment or home.
They say the smaller the closet is, the more difficult it will be for it to stay organized. But this is just a common misconception!
There are lots of organizers that can make life easier for you! Plus, all you have to do is use a few styling tricks to make a small closet work!
Here are 20 small closet organization ideas that can surely turn things around for you!
1. Declutter
Declutter first before you organize your closet.
Removing the clothes, accessories and other stuff that you don’t need anymore will surely give you more closet space! After all, why keep something when you’re not going to use it anyway?
Examples of these are items that you do not really love, clothes and accessories that do not really fit you anymore, and others that you hardly use.
These items should not occupy permanent space in your closet!
If you want to stay organized long-term, you have to learn to let go of what you do not need.
For example, instead of hanging on to the clothes that you don’t wear anymore, donate them or sell them. Here’s a quick guide on how to declutter your clothes.
Remember, the fewer items you have, the easier it will be to keep your closet organized. And this is especially true when you have a small closet.
So before you do any organizing, declutter your closet first! You’ll be very glad you did, because organizing will be much easier then.
2. Clear out seasonal clothes.
Seasonal clothes include winter clothes, summer clothes, formal wear, costumes, and anything else that you do not use every day. You only use it during its season – like winter clothes – you wear these only during winter. It also include those that you only wear during a particular occasion like conventions and parties.
Instead of keeping these together with your everyday clothes, store them in baskets and plastic bins, then place them at the very top of your closet.
Sometimes it’s better to store them somewhere else – like under the bed or in the garage.
An ottoman is also a cool alternative, especially when you don’t have much space under the bed and you don’t want them in the garage either.
However, store your clothes properly, so that, when it’s time to wear them again, they’re still in good shape. Here are simple tips to help you store your clothes.
Then, bring your seasonal clothes out, and put them to the closet when you will be using them soon.
By clearing out the seasonal clothing, you only get to see the clothes that you wear daily. And that’s more space for your everyday clothes!
3. Go minimal.
Minimalism is a popular lifestyle these days. It is both an art and a discipline that teaches you to practice contentment with having just a few items.
A minimalist closet does not mean you have just a single pair of jeans and two shoes. It means you have what you need. But you stick with the basics – knowing how to mix and match the items that you have.
So before you go crazy with the other small closet organization ideas that will follow, remember to go minimal. Stick to the basics – to what you only need.
4. Store things you barely use on the top shelf.
When you have a tall closet, it usually has a top shelf that’s a bit harder to reach. Use this space to store the things that you barely use.
These can be seasonal clothes, bags & purses, accessories, bed sheets, or extra towels. If you have high shelves, invest in a small stool so you can easily reach your things.
5. Get a pants organizer.
Do you fold your pants?
Pants can get bulky and occupy a lot of space when you fold them.
So that’s when the pants organizer comes to the rescue!
When you use a pants organizer, it minimizes the space that your pants occupy in the closet.
One good choice for a pants organizer is a simple rod that you just screw into the wall of your closet. Simply hang the pants on the bars.
You can use hangers to hang the pants.
Or S-hooks. Pretty cool too!
Storing pants like this gives you more space and it also leaves your pants wrinkle-free.
6. Add a second rail.
Some closets only have one rail and then you have plenty of space below it. You can still use that space by adding a second rail.
This will give you more room to hang your shirts, blouses and pants!
7. Use the tab from soda cans to double your hanger space.
The tabs in soda cans can help you when you have a cramped closet. It doubles the number of garments that you can hang with one hanger.
To do this, slip the tab around the hook of the hanger. By the way, use a hanger with a metal or wire hook.
Then, you can put another hanger on the hole of that tab.
Easy peasy!
So the next time you and your friends buy a drink, or you’re at a party, seize the opportunity to get the tabs from the soda cans! You closet will thank you!
8. Hang a chain to maximize hanging clothes.
Here’s another great small closet organization idea when you have lots of space below the clothes you hang.
Maximize the space underneath by using chains to hang more clothes.
Attach the chain to an S-hook or use shower hooks so the chain is hanging down from the closet rod. Then, hang hangers through each link of the chain.
9. Use matching hangers.
Using matching hangers allows your clothes to be hung at the same height and width – which is better for your clothes. It helps save space by removing bulky and inefficient hangers in your closet.
10. Use shelf dividers.
Shelf dividers help categorize your clothes. These also prevent your stack of clothes from falling off when you take an item from the middle.Your clothes will stay more organized.
On top of that, you can divide your shelves more easily – making the most of your space.
You can even put your bags and purses together with your clothes. Since you have a shelf divider in between, nothing to worry about them being jumbled, or your bags occupying more of your clothes space.
You’ll have a designated area for each item in the closet, making things more organized in there.
11. Use bins for smaller items.
For smaller clothing items like your lingerie, underwear and socks, and accessories like scarves and hankies, use bins to maximize the space on your shelves.
There are different types of bins that you can use and they look very pretty too!
Basket bins and cloth bins are very popular.
You can also use wired baskets. Just hang it by the closet door!
These are not only helpful in the closet. You can also use wire baskets to organize other things in your home.
Using bins help separate the items on your shelves. And don’t forget the labels so you do not have to go through everything looking for a single item!
12. Use drawer organizers.
If you have a drawer in your closet, use a drawer organizer to keep everything in place. Do not make it end up like the kitchen junk drawer!
Drawer organizers can come in different formats or layouts. Think of what you put inside your drawers to come up with a layout that will work.
Here’s a sample drawer organizer that’s perfect for organizing your lingerie and underwear
13. A hanging closet organizer will do wonders!
Do have a hanging closet organizer to give you more compartments in your closet. Simply hang it on the closet rod.
That gives you instant compartments with less effort! You can now put your clothes and accessories in the compartments!
14. Get an over-the-door organizer.
Here’s one of the most clever small closet organization ideas. It turns your closet door into an extra storage! No space is ever wasted.
There are different kinds of over-the-door organizers to choose from. Keep in mind what you will put in there, so your choice will be appropriate for your needs.
For example, use a wall rack like this for baby-changing needs – perfect for a small closet for your infant or toddler.
My favorite is the hanging shoe organizer because it’s very flexible. You can use it not only for shoes but for other stuff too.
Here are 20 ways you can use an over-the-door shoe organizer that is not about organizing shoes!
15. Get a free-standing clothes rack.
When you use a lot of coats and outerwear, a free-standing clothes rack in your bedroom would be a great space saver.
This means you have another place to hang your outerwear. So you don’t have to squeeze it in the closet!
You can also use the free-standing clothes rack as a place for the items that you wear frequently such as uniforms, your favorite jeans and shirts, and other everyday items. This saves you time from having to open your closet every time.
If you want to do it yourself, here’s a DIY clothes rack from A Beautiful Mess.
Some clothes rack can come with compartments below and some are very slim so it does not eat up so much space outside of the closet.
With a variety of free standing clothes rack available, I’m sure you will find one that will suit your needs!
16. Use hooks on the wall.
If you do not have room to add more rails, drawers, or bins, hooks can save you!
Using hooks, you can hang coats, towels, bags, and other accessories on the wall, so you don’t have to squeeze these in your closet.
You can also install the hooks on the door of your closet, so you can use that space.
17. Use wooden branches
This one’s really cool! If you like farmhouse designs, this can be your new favorite in these small closet organization ideas!
Just like hooks, it adds additional hanging storage space on your bedroom wall. And yes it does function like hooks – just really rustic and looks natural and nature-friendly than the usual hooks.
You can DIY your own branch hooks. Pick strong tree branches when you go on some nature tripping, like hiking or camping. Bring these tree branches home. Trim and polish them, then coat with varnish. Hang these branches on your wall!
Then, you can hang your clothes, towels, and accessories! You’ll have a nice rustic charm in your bedroom!
Here’s a sample DIY project – how to make a coat hook from a tree branch.
18. Get a separate shoe rack.
When you find it impossible to store your shoes on the shelves, get a separate shoe rack. Just place it beneath the clothes.
If you have no more space in there, place the shoe rack outside the closet.
A great example is this bench!
It’s really cool to have a bench for shoes storage. You can sit on top! Or put some of your things there. It becomes not just a space for shoes, unlike the usual shoe rack.
So if you are thinking of a shoe rack to be placed outside your closet, you might wanna opt for a bench instead.
Here are 20 more samples of bench that you can use for storing shoes at the same time.
19. Use curtain rods for your heels.
Curtain rods are very budget-friendly. So when you have a number of heels, hang a couple of curtain rods in a vacant wall and use that to arrange your heels and stilettos.
This will keep your beloved shoe collection on display as well. So make sure it’s organized and clean!
If you’re looking for more shoe storage solutions, here are other articles about that!
- Shoe Storage Ideas for Small Spaces
- DIY Shoe Storage Solutions
20. Add more wall shelves.
Maximize your walls by adding shelves!
Extra shelves are not just extension of your closet, but you can use that space for organizing other stuff too, and for some nice decor!
Here are 20 ways to add more space-saving shelves in the bedroom!
Mix and match a few of these ideas as needed.
As you have seen, there are many ways to an organized closet, even if yours is a small one.
Before you go crazy with these small closet organization ideas, don’t forget numbers 1,2 and 3 above.
Declutter, clear out seasonal clothes, and go minimal. The rest of the organization tips hang on these three.
First, get rid of everything you don’t need anymore. Then classify what remains into daily use and seasonal use. Don’t mix the seasonal with the everyday items.
Then, as you go on mixing and matching a few of these small closet organization ideas, again bear in mind to keep things at the minimum level. Don’t go crazy with every organizer that you see!
Remember to buy or add only what you need. Don’t put something you know you won’t use.
At the end of the day, you’ll want a closet space that’s organized and works according to your needs.
So find the match that works best for you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes as you go. After all, we learn from our mistakes.
Looking for more ways to organize your closet? Check out these other articles!
- Practical Closet Organization Ideas
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