Clutter and mess make it more difficult to focus and get things done. You can feel overwhelmed by the amount of things you have, deterred by the prospect of beginning to tackle the mess, and distracted because there’s so much mess that it’s the only thing you can focus on.
One of the areas of your life that can impact you the most when it gets messy is your closet. Clothes are a very personal thing, and so organizing your closet does wonders for you.
Why organizing your closet is such a great idea
- The clothes you wear affect and reflect how you feel, so it can greatly boost your mood to get rid of things you don’t or can’t wear anymore
- It makes a significant part of your life tidier and happier
- It frees up space for you to take stock of what you need to replace or what gaps exist in your closet
- You can do something good by donating your clothes to people in need or charities
- You’ll enjoy improved focus because you’ve cleaned up a mess that was interfering with your thought process
Some people put off organizing their closet because they think that it will take a lot of money to buy organizational tools like boxes, hanging cubbies, and other similar items. However, we’re happy to tell you that isn’t the case at all! Here’s exactly how to organize your closet on a budget.
Steps to organize your closet on a budget
1. Sort through everything and categorize them
The first step in any closet refreshment is the big sorting process. The key piece of advice that you need to follow in this step is to be ruthless. Just like Marie Kondo said, if it doesn’t spark joy, then don’t keep it.
You also shouldn’t keep anything that:
- you haven’t worn in the past year
- is too small for you, isn’t your style
- isn’t right for the weather conditions you live in and won’t be usable ever again for you
- was gifted to you that you don’t like
- isn’t in good condition anymore and can’t be saved
- doesn’t flatter you
- doesn’t make you feel confident
Set aside clothes that are still in good condition and can be donated, either to charities for the less fortunate or for people in your life. Whatever isn’t in good condition can be either used as rags, chew toys for dogs, or recycled – some organizations such as H&M offer recycling programs for all kinds of materials and textiles.
Take this opportunity to make a list of all of the “gaps” in your wardrobe. If you’ve thrown out your favorite jeans, you’re going to need a new pair. Maybe you’ve always wanted a beige coat – now you’ve got the space for it. That’s the beauty of clearing out things!
2. Reconsider how you want to group what’s in your wardrobe
Once you’re left with all of the clothes you want to keep, think about how you want to group things and where you want to put what. If you like your shirts crease-free, you might like to have them all hung up. Maybe you’re the type that likes them folded.
Whatever the case, think about how you want to store each type of clothing and look at where that can be done in your closet. Some examples of what could be easily and sensibly stored together include:
- Foldable clothes (shorts, t-shirts)
- Underwear and socks
- Accessories (belts, gloves, scarves)
- Athletic wear
- Hanging items (coats, jackets, shirts, trousers)
Then you can think about how you will accommodate that storage. Look at your closet and think about what you can add to it to make the best use of space possible.
3. Choose your organizational tools and leave no space unused
Some people like going to great (and expensive) lengths to revolutionize their closets, but that isn’t necessary. A trip to Ikea isn’t the be-all and end-all of closet organization!
Instead, head to the dollar store and get a few storage bins. These can be plastic or metal bins or maybe woven baskets. Pick something that will make you feel good to see when you open your closet. These hide away your clothes while keeping them in their relevant groups. You can even label them.
To make even better use of space in these bins, you can consider rolling your clothes instead of folding them.
You can also get some organizational inserts for your drawers and bins if you’re into knowing exactly where everything is inside them.
You should also make use of the vertical spaces in your closet. With some command strips and little wall hooks, you can hang jewelry, belts, or other accessories on the walls of your closet.
Hanging organizers, shelf dividers, and other nifty organizational accessories can also completely transform your closet – even soda tabs can be used to stack hangers on each other.
It all depends on your unique collection of clothing and your taste to decide what’s most useful for you.
4. Get creative with it
Remember that organizing your closet doesn’t have to be a chore. You aren’t just limited to bins. You could use a rolling cart, hidden baskets or hampers, use clothing dividers, anything that suits your personality and aesthetic.
You can make this fun and turn this opportunity into a creative project. For example, you can use a picture frame and some wire to make an aesthetic display of your sunglasses. You could also sort clothes by color and get different colored bins for them and turn your closet into a rainbow.
Get into good habits
Cleaning out your closet doesn’t take a lot of money, and neither does keeping it tidy. All you have to do to stay organized and neat is to make good habits and stick to them. Always put things where they belong and think carefully before buying new additions.
This way, you can enjoy a nice clean closet where you know where everything is and everything is stored safely, ready to wear whenever you need them.
