Closet Organization Made Easy: Discover 10 Effective Strategies to Streamline Your Storage Space

The importance of closet organization!

Keeping on track with organizational topics for the month, lets look at our closets. The old adage of skeletons in the closet really doesn’t seem so unrealistic at times when we open those closet doors. Oftentimes we tend to stick things we don’t really use, but are not ready to part with in the closet. I tend to purge twice a year, in the spring and the fall. This has always made sense to me, as this is when I switch out the boys clothes for the year. Out with the old, and hopefully not too much in with the new!

I truly believe having an organized closet is essential for maintaining a clutter-free and stress-free living space. A well-organized closet not only saves you time and frustration when searching for items but also helps extend the lifespan of your clothing and accessories. With a few effective strategies, you can transform your chaotic closet into a functional and visually appealing storage space. Let’s dive in friends!

Also, be sure to check out my Organization 101 Day 11: Room by Room Organization~ The Bedroom, Closet & Bath! You won’t want to miss my theory on Organization & PMS~ Prioritize, Minimize, & Simplify either!

Benefits of an organized closet

An organized closet provides numerous benefits that go beyond just tidiness. Firstly, it saves you precious time. When everything is in its designated place, you won’t waste valuable minutes searching for that favorite shirt or pair of shoes. Additionally, an organized closet helps you take better care of your belongings. Properly stored clothing is less prone to wrinkles, damage, and fading, which means your favorite pieces will last longer. Lastly, an organized closet creates a sense of calm and serenity in your living space. When your surroundings are clutter-free, it promotes a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

Assessing your storage needs

Before diving into the organizing process, it’s important to assess your storage needs. Take a careful inventory of the items you have and consider their size, shape, and quantity. This will help you determine the type of storage solutions you require. For example, if you have a large collection of shoes, you might need a shoe rack or shoe cubbies. If you have many hanging clothes, investing in additional hangers or a hanging organizer might be beneficial. By understanding your storage needs, you can tailor your organization strategy to suit your specific requirements.

Sorting and decluttering your belongings

The first step to achieving an organized closet is sorting through your belongings and decluttering. Start by taking everything out of your closet and sorting items into categories such as clothing, shoes, accessories, and miscellaneous items. As you sort, ask yourself if each item is still useful or brings you joy. If not, consider donating, selling, or discarding it. Be ruthless in your decluttering process, and only keep items that you truly love and use frequently. This will help you create a more streamlined and efficient closet.

Choosing the right storage solutions

Once you’ve decluttered, it’s time to choose the right storage solutions for your closet. There are a variety of options available, such as hanging shelves, storage bins, baskets, and hooks. Consider the size and layout of your closet when selecting storage solutions. For example, if you have limited floor space, utilizing vertical storage options like hanging shelves or over-the-door organizers can be a game-changer. Invest in high-quality storage solutions that are durable and functional to ensure long-term organization.

Utilizing vertical space for maximum storage

One of the most effective strategies for maximizing storage space in your closet is utilizing vertical space. Vertical storage makes use of the often-overlooked areas above and below your hanging clothes. Install shelves or hanging organizers above your clothing rods to store items like folded sweaters, bags, or hats. Utilize the floor space below your hanging clothes by placing shoe racks or storage bins. By making use of vertical space, you can significantly increase the storage capacity of your closet.

Categorizing and grouping similar items

Another crucial aspect of closet organization is categorizing and grouping similar items together. This makes it easier to find what you need and prevents items from getting lost or forgotten. For example, group all your t-shirts together, pants together, and dresses together. Within each category, further organize items by color or style. This will not only make your closet look visually appealing but also save time when getting ready in the morning. Consider using dividers or bins to separate different categories and keep them neatly organized.

Labeling and organizing containers and shelves

To maintain an organized closet, it’s important to label and organize containers and shelves. Labels help you quickly identify the contents of each container or shelf, making it easier to find what you need. Invest in a label maker or use adhesive labels to clearly mark containers. When organizing shelves, place frequently used items at eye level for easy access. Keep less frequently used items on higher or lower shelves. This will create a logical and efficient system that ensures everything has a designated place.

Maintaining an organized closet long-term

After putting in the effort to organize your closet, it’s crucial to maintain your newfound organization long-term. Make it a habit to return items to their designated spots after use. Avoid the temptation to throw clothes or accessories onto the nearest available surface. Regularly assess your closet and declutter as needed. If you notice items accumulating or your organization system becoming overloaded, take the time to reassess and make necessary adjustments. By incorporating these habits into your routine, you can enjoy a consistently organized closet.

Creative storage solutions for small closets

If you have a small closet, don’t despair. There are plenty of creative storage solutions that can help you maximize your space. Consider installing a closet organizer system with adjustable shelves and hanging rods. This allows you to customize the layout of your closet to suit your needs. Utilize the space behind your closet door by attaching hooks or hanging organizers. This can be a great place to store accessories or frequently used items. Lastly, consider using space-saving hangers like slimline hangers or cascading hangers to maximize hanging space.

An organized closet is the key to a stress-free and efficient daily routine. By following these 10 effective strategies, you can streamline your storage space and create a closet that is both functional and visually appealing. Remember to assess your storage needs, declutter, choose the right storage solutions, utilize vertical space, categorize and group similar items, label containers and shelves, and maintain your organization long-term. With a little effort and dedication, you’ll transform your closet into a well-organized haven that brings joy and ease to your life.

CTA: Start implementing these strategies today and enjoy the benefits of a streamlined and organized closet. Your mornings will become more efficient, and your living space will feel more peaceful. Take the first step towards closet organization and experience the positive impact it can have on your daily life.

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If you enjoyed this blog, please LIKE, Follow, Share & leave me a comment! I love your feedback!

If you aren’t following me on Facebook & Instagram go on over & give a LIKE & Follow me for daily tips & tricks for your home & garden! 

Added bonus: You can go to my blog at http://www.fordragonfliesandme.com to purchase my original cookbook, Lovingly Seasoned Eats and Treats in either a spiral bound soft cover OR NEW, a Downloadable PDF version. The cookbook has almost 1000 recipes on almost 500 pages! Check out the Cookbook Testimonials while you’re there!

Until next time remember to,
Eat fresh, shop local & have a happy day,

Jean

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All text and images on this site are copyright of For Dragonflies And Me. Unless otherwise noted, you may not use this content.

Organization 101 Day 11: Room by Room Organization~ The Bedroom, Closet & Bath

“One of the core organizing principles of my life is that success comes through a delicate balance between making things happen and letting things happen.”— Robin Sharma

Here we are at day 11 of my Organization 101 Series! What a fun time it’s been filled with new ideas & old ones revamped.  I am going to touch on how to organize your bedroom & bathrooms today. 

If you missed last week’s post on Room by Room Organization: The Living or Family Room, you can read that HERE.

Many of the topics I discuss in this series I learned from an incredible lady named Marla Cilley, A.K.A. The Flylady. Her book, “Sink Relections” taught me how to incorporate all these lessons, and to develop many of my own!0

To listen to today’s Podcast, click this LINK.

Below are photo’s of my bedroom & closet.


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Happy Day,
Jean

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Organizational Tips and Recipes for Herb Salts And Dry Mixes!

I love reading anything on organization! I am a firm believer of everything has a place and everything in it’s place.  In my home I up against seven other individuals. Now when I say ‘up against’ I don’t mean that in necessarily a bad way for the most part… I just mean not all members of my household have the same instinct as I do… so I work hard at trying to instill this quality, especially in my children… unfortunately it’s too late for my other half(can’t teach an old dog new tricks, LOL)!  He was not taught this art in anyway shape or form… he does try to some degree, but it’s not his nature. Anyway, some of my children have grabbed hold onto it and some, shall I say are a work in progress! A few things that drive me crazy are when the kitchen cupboard doors are left open… I just cannot understand why they don’t close as easily as they opened… sigh! … or why the dirty clothes land beside the hamper, but not in… sigh!  Well, as my one dear friend always tells me… ‘Line upon line… precept upon precept!’ So I trudge on!  Really I don’t mind it all too much because I do love to get things organized and re-do stuff. Anytime I am in the check out line and there appears a new organizing or storage magazine, they just seem to find there way into my cart! Praise the Lord for constant inspiration!  Last week I spent the morning ‘gutting’ out and cleaning the boys room… unbelievable is all I can say!  I do this about four times a year and it never ceases to amaze me what accumulates in that room!  Anyway, Ryan helped me and we got the job done… again!  He say’s to me, “I just love when you clean our room and it looks so nice!”  I just looked at him and said, “Why don’t you keep it this way?”… of course it was the other brothers fault… sigh!  I am going to touch on room by room organization tips over the next few blogs.  A lot of the info will be taken and adapted from my favorite book, “Sink Reflections”, by Marla Cilley- The FlyLady.  So here are some great tips that I believe can work in any home that has these little blessings (A.K.A. children)or not, along with references on some books that I have repeatedly referenced over the years… and of course some recipes!  Have a great day friends!

Room by Room Organization Tips…. Today we will focus on the Bed & Bath rooms… read on next time for Kitchen and Pantry!  Most of the info will be adapted from Sink Reflections.  The ‘FlyLady” as she likes to be referred to (she is a fly fishing instructor as well as an organizational wizard), has several “buzz” words that she refers to often in the book. I will briefly discuss a few here so when I use them you won’t be wondering what in the world I am talking about. The ones I took hold of primarily were~ Walk Through’s, Hot Spots, as well as her ‘Control Journal’.  I will first discuss the Control Journal… I am sure you are surprised by that!
I have followed this book to a tee and it really works… even with less than willing housemates! 

*The Control Journal… in basic terms allows you to write down just what you want done in each room of the house, list’s your schedules, can be a day planner, can hold inspirational pieces or anything else you want to keep in it.  It can be as basic or complex as you the designer want it to be.  I of course like it right down to the nitty gritty of things.  Marla explains how to take your notebook/journal and walk through or sit in each room and write down everything you ‘see’ that needs to be done as well as the frequency you want the tasks done. You can keep the tasks in a calender format~ for example, some chores get done seasonally- Spring & Fall cleaning- wash walls & ceilings; monthly- washing the curtains; weekly- strip & wash the bedding;  several times in a week- laundry; daily- vacuuming the carpets, taking out the trash; several times in a day- washing dishes or sweeping the floors and so on.  You can make it as detailed or not as you desire.  I found it very helpful for the children to be very detailed… this helped them to completely understand their jobs and what was expected of them.
I loved this aspect of her program because I love to journal and see what is happening!  The journal can give specific details as to what happens in each room.  For instance when cleaning the living room~ dust from the top down~ around ceiling line, pictures on walls, book shelf, lamp shades, finally the furniture, wash windows and dust ledges, pick up under furniture, and finally vacuum. Presto room done! 

*The Walk Through... I use this term every single day!  When I ask one of the children to do a walk through they fully understand that I mean they need to go through the room and pick up everything that is out of place, put it in it’s proper place and then vacuum.  This term has become second nature to all of them and it works well even with little ones.

*Hot Spot
is another buzz word that Marla discusses… we all have them whether we want to admit it or not.  In layman’s terms these are those spots in our homes that when someone walks in what ever they have in their hands instantly gets dropped on/in that spot.  For us it’s the bar top counter and on the counter right beside the fridge.  For my darling daughter it is MY DESK!  Anything and everything that is paper gets dumped onto my desk! I understand her motivation… she doesn’t know what I want to keep and what I want to pitch… so it goes on mom’s desk and mom can keep or pitch… so I guess that is OK. Anyway, every home has them… and Marla gives great tips on how to get rid of them… although I have to say ours don’t get as bad as they use to, but we still have them!
… so moving on, here are tips from my home to yours!
*Bedroom…  There are a few tricks that I use in all the bedrooms of my home…
~Plastic totes– in one of our boys room they have a built in wall closet, so I don’t really need a dresser for them.  Although to keep things neat & tidy each boy has two totes: one for socks & underwear and one for their church socks, shoes & belt.  On the bottom of the closet they have a little shelf that holds their pants and jammies.  All their shirts and suits are hung on hangers.  When they work with the program, it is very neat & orderly.  Because they don’t have a dresser in their room I keep all their bedding in another dresser. 
~Books, toys and stuff are kept on shelves and in a desk.  The boys have a desk in their room where they can keep pen’s, crayons, scissors and the likes.  I like to use small pencil boxes for these items so they don’t get all over the place.  The boys books and magazines are kept on a shelf for easy access.  They have two drawers on the bottom of their closet where toys are kept along with ball cloves and cleats.
~Off Season  and Grow-Into Clothing are kept in plastic totes under the bed as well as on the shelf above their closet.  This way dust and bugs don’t have access and things can be kept in order of size and season.  I like to use clear totes that I can easily see into; I keep a note inside the tote as to the sizes so I don’t have to unfold and guess as I am looking for the next size of clothing.  This also makes it easier so I don’t have to drag out all of them and go through each one.  If you don’t like clear totes then list the items on a label and then using clear packing tape cover the whole label so it doesn’t get torn off or fade; put one on the top and two sides of the tote.  IF you have other children that will grow into those clothes be sure to mark accordingly who will use next.
~Knick-knacks and Collectables are kept on a small wall shelf and on top of their desk where they can be easily viewed and kept out of reach of the little boys! 
~For bedding I learned a really clever idea from a friend of mine for keeping sheets & matching pillowcases all together.  Simply fold your flat sheet in half lengthwise and then again and again until it is long and narrow… about 18″ wide; next fold the fitted sheet to be a square that will lay on the top sheet without hanging over- place at the one end of folded flat sheet; fold your pillow cases and lay on top of fitted sheet; next roll the fitted sheet and pillow cases up into the flat sheet until you have a nice, neat square… no more searching for matching bedding!  I keep all the bedding in my armoire in our bedroom.


*Bathroom… 
The bathroom can be a challenge or a delight… in my opinion what makes the difference is if it a small room with no storage or one that you can do cart wheels in (my personal dream bath…) anyway, I have a smallish bath with no storage other than under the small vanity and one small wall medicine cabinet.  On one of my shopping sprees I found a large floor plant stand at an antique shop and knew exactly what I would do with it… It is now mounted on the one available wall in the bathroom beside the tub and that is where I keep our towels.  I don’t like things to look cluttered, despite what Taylor says, and it has to be cute & neat… so I roll the towels and then put them on the two shelves. On the outside shelves I keep small baskets where extra bottles of shampoo, soap and such can be stored; I fold the smaller hand and wash towels and put those there as well. 
~Smaller toiletries, lotions, contact stuff, extra toothpaste,  and such are kept in the small medicine cabinet on the wall.  I try to keep Neil’s stuff on one, mine on another and other stuff on the third. 
~In the cabinet under the vanity I keep the cleaners in a plastic bucket, roll of paper towel and extra larger toiletries.  There is a space between the vanity and the wall where I keep a basket that holds the extra toilet paper.
~No bathroom would be complete without reading material so that gets put in another basket that sits beside the toilet.

… these are just a few tips that I use in my home, but be sure to go to the FlyLady’s web site at www.flylady.net to see more great tips!

References:
“Sink Reflections”, by Marla Cilley- The FlyLady, Published by Bantam Books, 2002  www.flylady.net
“Sidetracked Home Executives”, by Pam Young and Peggy Jones, Published by Time Warner Books, 1977
“The 15 Minute Organizer”, by Emilie Barnes, Published by Harvest House Publishers

Try these great mixes for grilling!

Summer in her beautiful bounty is giving us lots of wonderful things.  In previous blog’s I have explained how to dry and use herbs that you have grown or bought… Here are some yummy mixes, salts and salt-less recipes!  Enjoy…

Garden Herb Dry Mix

*This dry mix is great sprinkled on burger patties before grilling and really adds something special to ground beef when fried!

1/2 cup parsley, dried & crumbled
1 cup Chervil, dried & crumbled
1/2 cup chives, dried & crumbled
1/2 cup tarragon, dried & crumbled
2 Tbsp. sea salt
Combine all in bowl and store in an airtight container; shake before using, contents will probably settle.

Herb Salt’s
If you are trying to watch your salt intake, here a some great salt substitutes that the whole family will enjoy and not miss the salt!

5 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Combine all and store in an airtight container.  Great on fish & chicken!

1 Tbsp. garlic powder
5 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
Combine all and store in an airtight container.  Great in ground beef when making goulash!

… if your not watching your salt intake…
Basic Herb Salt
1 cup sea salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. rosemary
2 Tbsp. thyme
1/4 cup parsley
2 Tbsp. tarragon
2 Tbsp. dill week
2 Tbsp. paprika
1/4 cup basil
Blend together in a food processor; store in an airtight container.  Great for grilling or putting on pork or beef roasts!

Happy Day,
Jean