7 Quick Tips for Organizing Your Closet on a Budget

Think about how you want your closet to function. Ask yourself questions like – Do I want to put all my handbags on display? Or is my shoe collection the most important part of my wardrobe?

Consider the kinds of clothes in your closet. Do you have lots of long dresses or coats that hang to the bottom of the closet? Or do you have a pair of jeans for every day of the month?

Decide how much time and money you’re willing to put into the project. A full closet system makes sense in some scenarios, but it involves a lot of measuring and can end up being expensive.

If you’re renting or not living in your forever home yet, there are ways you can organize your closet without breaking the bank.

Take advantage of the vertical space in your closet and install a shelf above your clothing bar. Adding a shelf almost doubles your storage and will make even the smallest closet feel and function like a larger one. This is the perfect space to store items you don’t need daily, like your stack of sweatshirts and your hats.

Precut shelves come in a variety of sizes. If you can’t find one to fit your closet, use plywood instead. Just take your measurements into the store and a Lowe’s associate will cut the wood to size for you. Lightly sand the new shelf and add a quick coat of paint before installing it to give your closet a polished look. You’ll also eliminate the possibility of splinters catching on your favorite sweater.

A stack of sweatshirts can quickly turn into a huge pile (or two!) that eats up the entire top shelf, prime real estate in a small closet. If you aren’t going to wear them for the next few months, store those heavy clothes in space-saving vacuum storage bags.

A valve in the bag connects to your vacuum cleaner to remove all the air, compressing the contents to a thin pancake. Stack the bags in the top of your closet and be amazed at how much storage space is left. When you’re ready to use what’s in the bag, just open it up and the clothes will instantly puff back up.

Storing your jeans folded on hangers can easily take over your whole closet. Free up some space by folding your jeans in thirds and stacking them in a hanging closet organizer. The tower of cubbies will take up less space on your clothing bar while still holding a ton of items.

Place the hanging cubbies in the middle of the bar to act as a divider between different types of clothes in your closet. Put weekend clothes on one side, work clothes on the other.

Hangers have come a long way. Now there are collapsible and tiered varieties that can accommodate up to six items while only adding a single hook to the clothing bar. These are great for grouping together similar items like dressy tops or golf polos.

Collapsible and tiered clothes hangers save space and make it easier to find the item you’re looking for. The bottom hanger may reach the bottom half of the closet, so stick with shorter items like shirts here to keep them from touching the floor.

The inside of the closet door is often overlooked but can hold a plethora of items. Add shallow baskets and hooks to hold purses and accessories. For lightweight items use hooks with double-sided tape to avoid screwing into your door. This is also a good option for renters.

Adding an over the door organizer means you’ll be able to open your closet door and see your accessories while picking your outfit for the day. This will encourage you to use all your pretty scarves and clutch bags instead of grabbing the same one since you’ll see them all, every day. You’ll feel like you’re shopping in your own boutique every time you get dressed.

Simple cube storage containers will help you use the bottom portion of your closet. This is where considering the types of clothes in your closet is important. If you have a section of long dresses or coats, shift those to one end of the closet and keep the cubbies to the other side so they’re visible and accessible.

Take a few minutes to measure the available space in your closet so you can be intentional with your purchases. It may seem like a hassle to stop and measure before shopping, but it will prevent you from returning things that don’t fit.