Best Items for Organizing a Closet

Here we are kicking off week 2 of 6 Bags for 6 Weeks.  Somehow I am accomplished enough that I am DONE purging, but this week I’m on a mission to organize.  I have been thinking how to organize a closet, and the best items to use!

This post was originally written in 2020 and updated in January 2024.

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How to Organize a Closet

We have small, older closets in our home (aside from the master – that is good sized, so I have to get creative.  I know there is no way I am alone in this, right?  Not everyone has the dream closet, so hopefully some of these tips, and items will help you out.  I will talk more about each item to explain how I use them.

Home Declutter Challenge

If you are new here – this is my week two post on a 6 week declutter challenge that my friend Jen and I are putting on.  If you are just finding the post, we both have lots of content and would be happy to talk with you on Instagram (@arinsolange).

It is a great program to do WHENEVER, and at your own time.  Just download the free printables and get to organizing. 

The overall goal is to purge 6 bags of items from your home each week for 6 weeks.  I can’t wait to see how much better I feel with nearly 40 bags less stuff in my house, and to see all your houses after!  

Closet Organizing Ideas

The simplest, most impactful way to make a closet appear more organized is keeping all surfaces free of clutter. In my Ikea closet hack, you can see that I have plenty of items on my countertop, but every item has a place.

If you are working with a small space, make sure that you make proper use of all the vertical space. The inside of any cabinet is a great place to store makeup brushes, accessories, etc. I love these adhesive bins for this purpose.

In addition to keeping items off of surfaces, keeping the floor clear of unnecessary clutter is impactful. Consider using shoe organizers to give shoes a proper place instead of in a pile on the floor. The back of a closet is great for a hanging hamper or an over the door organizer.

Best Items for Organizing a Closet

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1. Collapsible Basket – If you’re just using laundry baskets to transport laundry from a hamper to the laundry room, these are great! Since you can flatten them, they store easily!
2. Fluted Catchall – great to have on hand for anything that could clutter the countertop
3. Hanging Bar – I use this to hold my hair ties so I don’t lose them!
4. Over the Door Organizer – this one can hold so many different types of items and use that neglected back of door space
5. Glasses Organizer
6. Double Wide Glasses Organizer – these are also great for jewelry, accessories, etc.
7. Honeycomb Organizer – great for small items and intimates
8. Drawer Dividers – these are made for closet/dresser drawers vs kitchen or bathroom.
9. Storage Mirror
10. Shelf Dividers – SO helpful if storing shirts, sweater, jeans, etc. on open shelves
11. Jewelry organizer – jewelry is one of the hardest things to keep organized – these small pouches keep everything separate and visible hanging in the closet
12. Hanger Hooks – these let you hang an extra hanger on each hanger, doubling your space!
13. Shoe Drawers – easiest way to keep shoes out of a pile on the floor. Plus, great for under cabinets if you ever change up your closet!
14. Double Hang Bar – if your closet only has single hang, you can add this bar for another level of hanging storage
15. Off Season Organizer – if you’ve got sweaters or bathing suits to store in the off season, these organizers are great to load and put on the top shelf until they’re needed again
16. Hanging Baskets – perfect for small items; they can hang on the back of the door or on a small wall
17. Spice Organizer – this is great for surplus makeup storage or nail polish organization!

How to Organize a Closet

Utilizing the items above isn’t expensive at all, but will keep your closet organized, while utilizing the space you have.  I am a firm believer in investing in a few items that will make your spaces STAY organized or it is a CONSTANT battle that you will hate.

Remember that if budget is an issue there are a couple of GREAT options –

1.  Sell some of the items you are purging.  For me I always sell some of the higher end items.  Kids stuff is especially easier to sell.  I would say on kids clothes I go half donate, half sell.  Just purging and selling those items can more than fund the new organization items.

Jen has this great post on where you can sell those items to make some extra money!

    2. Buy items to organize on a budget.  Just because these are a good overall idea of the best items for organizing a closet, doesn’t mean they are the only ones! The dollar store is a great place to look for bins and organizational items.  Don’t feel like you have to spend a lot to get what you need!

Other Posts You’ll Love

 Check out the posts below for more organizational help, or you can simple head to ALL organization posts here.

Best Bedroom Organization Ideas | Shared Sibling Closet Organization  | Decorative Storage from Amazon | Organizing your Living Spaces

If you have any questions on how to organize a closet be sure to comment or shoot me a DM on Instagram and be sure to follow me on Tik tok for more!

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