Closet Organization Ideas: How To Organize Your Closet (So You Can Find What You’re Looking For)

If you want to get your closet organized, you’re in the right place! I used these closet organization ideas and storage tips to get my closet clutter under control. And I’m so happy with the results!

My bedroom closet was in dire need of some organization.

No matter how nicely I folded and stacked its contents, it never stayed neat and things were often in such a jumble that it was difficult to find what I was looking for.

So I decided I needed some new closet storage strategies, many of which I learned from my sister (who is an organizational whiz!)

These are the closet organization ideas that I used to get my closet clutter under control.

1 | Install A Closet Organizer

To provide storage within the space, I installed this simple closet organizer* as well as an inexpensive shelving unit that I already owned.

As a result, I now have cubby hole spaces in the organizer, some shelves and three bars for clothing on hangers, as well as a long top shelf above.

2 | Add Some Light

If your closet doesn’t have a light, you’ll want to add one.

It’s amazing how much easier it is to find stuff when you can see it!

Since I didn’t want to hire an electrician, I found these inexpensive LED spot lights*.

Then put them up on the ceiling in my closet with tacks and screws.

3 | Remove Everything From Your Closet

The next step to getting your closet organized is to take everything out of it.

Try on all of the clothing articles with a critical eye for fit, style, likability, etc. and discard everything that is no longer suitable.

I was ruthless. There was a huge pile of discards which I immediately took to the Goodwill. (No chance to change my mind!)

4 | Use Thin, Non-Slip Hangers

Now get some uniform hangers. These thin, non-slip kind* are the best.

Using the same style of hanger throughout takes less rod space and looks much neater.

And because the surface is non-slip, all of your tops will stay on the hanger without falling onto the floor every time you pull something out.

In the past, I’ve always used whatever hangers I had lying around. And I’m amazed at what a big different this makes.

5 | Hang Like With Like

Group tops together on the upper rod.

Put pants and jackets below the tops on the lower rod.

Hang long coats and dresses on the other side of the shelving unit on the highest rod.

6 | Group Hanging Clothes By Style And Color

Group the tops according to sleeve length. e.g. tanks, short, and long sleeves.

Then arrange your tops, pants and jackets so that like colors are together.

7 | Fold And File Instead Of Stacking

Learn how to fold the clothes that do not hang so that they form envelopes.

These can be stored upright side-by-side rather than on top of one another.

That way you can see and choose what you want at a glance. And don’t have to un-stack everything to get out a shirt at the bottom of the pile.

Use this folding method for t-shirts, scarves, pajamas, and bras:

1. Fold the article lengthwise in thirds.
2. Bring both ends to the middle.
3. Fold it over again to make a little package.

Fold underwear in thirds and roll them up tightly.

Store these envelopes and rolls like files in a filing cabinets, side by side. And group them by color.

As a bonus, this also makes packing for travel a breeze.

8 | Store Everything In Baskets

Use baskets (like these*) or boxes in your cubby holes and on shelves to keep like things grouped together.

This makes it easy to find what you’re looking for when you need it.

And gives you incentive to put things back where they belong.

To keep the dust off things you don’t use that often, try one of these zippered cloth storage containers.

Wire baskets are another option that make it easy to see what’s where.

If your closet organizer has drawers, the same principles apply.

9 | Use Individual Containers

Store socks, scarves, underwear and sleepware in small cloth containers inside of the larger baskets.

Again, separate like things into their own containers so that they are easy to locate. And group by color.

Then the smaller containers can be stacked inside of a basket to make better use of the space.

10 | Add Dividers

Another option for breaking up large spaces like drawers is to add dividers that are meant for this purpose.

These honeycomb drawer organizers* help to keep everything in its place.

You could also make your own DIY drawer dividers. We used this one in our kitchen, but it would work in closet drawers, too.

11 | Get Transparent Boxes

Use transparent boxes for storage, particularly on the high shelves.

You will be able to see what is in the box without having to take it down.

Lidded boxes are a good idea to keep dust out.

12 | Label The Containers

Use a label maker or marker to tell you what each container contains.

This saves the search and hunt that often creates chaos in a closet.

13 | Use Shelving Efficiently

Store infrequently used items on the highest shelves. This is where I keep extra bed blankets and luggage.

The items you use the most should be on the middle shelves that are the easiest to access.

Everything else goes on the bottom shelves.

14 | Organize Your Shoes

If you have a lot of shoes, a shoe organizer (like this*) is a must.

Keep the shoe organizer at the lowest level of your shelves so that dirt from the shoes doesn’t fall onto your clothes.

And group the shoes by color for ease in location.

15 | Hang Your Boots

Hang the tops of your boots from the clips on wooden pant hangers (like these*).

Then hang them as a chain linked in the center of the hanger to each other.

This way they hardly take up any space but are easy to see and find.

16 | Store Purses

To keep purses clean and prevent them from losing their shape, I filed them standing upright on a shelf in these large cloth storage bags.

If you like to switch out your purse frequently, make sure this shelf is in an easy-to-reach location.

17 | Install A Hook

Hooks are a great clutter-preventer.

There is always something that needs to be temporarily stashed out of sight.

And having an open hook installed on the side of your closet organizer or shelf gives you a spot to hang it rather than dropping it on the floor.

That’s it for my closet organization ideas. I hope you have learned some useful ideas to get your own closet in order.

Other Organization Ideas You Might Like

• Bathroom organization ideas
• Wire shelf storage hacks
• DIY drawer dividers

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