Do you have a small closet stuffed with things you can never find? Today I’m tackling closet organization and creating storage for seasonal items I don’t need to access every day.
This was originally posted in 2012 but has been updated in 2022 to give more information.
Few things make me crazier than not being able to find what I am looking for. I have this small closet under my stairs that was filled with things I never use. I decided it was time for some closet organization and for my seasonal items to have a place of their own.
What is the Easiest Way to Organize a Closet?
I think the easiest way to organize a closet is to start with a clean slate and label everything. You can see in my before photo that I emptied everything out of my closet so I could make sure and only put back in it things that were labeled and organized.
Let’s look at the supplies I used for my closet organization project.
Supplies Used
- Primer
- Paint + brush or roller
- Totes (use ones you have or find ones that fit your space well)
- Storage Drawer System (I used the ANTONIUS system from Ikea, it appears to have been discontinued)
- Cutting Machine – I use a Cricut
- Vinyl – you can use permanent or removable depending on how often you plan to change things.
- Transfer Tape
Painting Small Closets
Once I had my space cleared out and cleaned I gave everything a coat of primer. Since my space is small and dark, it is a closet under the stairs after all, I painted the walls a bright white.
Painting the walls white really helped brighten up the closet and made it feel bigger than it actually is.
Once the walls were done I painted the floor a dark grey. This closet wasn’t carpeted and I was not looking to spend money updating it so I painted the sub-floors grey and they look great.
I am always in awe of how much better fresh paint can make things look! If you’re looking for a way to bring new life to an area – paint it!
How to Keep Things Organized
Now that we have our space clean and refreshed it’s time to add things back into it. So, how do we do that in a way that can stay organized?
Label All the Things!
Have you ever heard the phrase “A place for everything and everything in its place”? The best way to keep things organized is for everyone to know where things go.
Labels are the best way to do this. Let’s look at how I used labels for my closet organization.
Labels on Walls
I decided it made the most sense to put my Christmas items at the back of my closet. They aren’t needed often throughout the year and the bins fit well back there.
To make sure that everyone in the house knows that that is where the Christmas bins live I used my Cricut machine to cut the word Christmas out of vinyl and using Transfer Tape added it right to the wall.
Learn all about using Vinyl and Transfer Tape here.
Now no one can say they don’t know where the Christmas stuff goes.
Labels on Totes
Take the labels one step further by labeling individual totes. I used totes I already had for my closet organization because they fit well in my space. If your totes don’t work for the space you have I suggest changing them for ones that will.
Again I used my Cricut to cut out the words I needed to label my totes. I have one tote for decorations and another for ornaments. This is helpful for when I’m getting them out and also for when it comes time to put them back away.
I used the area above my totes to store Christmas wrapping paper and a few other Christmas items that don’t fit well into the totes and now I know where all of my Christmas stuff is and exactly where it goes when it’s time to put it back away.
The vinyl stuck to my totes really well and I love how it stands out making it easy to read.
List Labels
For the last section of my seasonal storage, I needed something that could hold and organize multiple things. I don’t have as many decor items for other times of the year as I do for Christmas so it didn’t make sense to have full totes for each different season.
I found the ANTONIUS system at Ikea and it was the perfect fit for the space I had and what I needed it to do.
Unfortunately, it appears that they have discontinued this system but they have other systems that may work for your space.
I really liked that I could access each of the bins in this system without having to unstack them all. Once I decided what items would go in each bin I used my Cricut to cut out the words and labeled each bin with what is inside.
I am really happy with how this system fits right in the space I had for it. I can’t stress enough taking the time to find storage that will work in your space allowing you to make use of the area and decrease dead space.
Final Closet Organization Steps
There are just a few steps left for finishing out my seasonal storage closet organization.
First I’m returning the only two items that lived in this closet before that were used. With the new closet organization, there is plenty of room left for my vacuum and the extra leaf for my dining table.
Because everything else is so organized in this closet there is plenty of space for these two items without having to cram them in or move things around to make them fit.
Closet Organization Motivation Sign
I’m excited about how this closet came together. It really looks so much better and I feel like my family can keep it organized.
To help us all stay motivated to put things where they belong when we get into this closet I added a little vinyl sign to the wall inside the closet.
I can’t imagine getting into this closet, seeing that sign, and just dropping something where it doesn’t belong. Hopefully, my family members will all feel the same way.
Final thoughts on Closet Organization
It’s so nice having a spot for all of my seasonal items. Taking the time to find storage solutions that worked for the space I had helped me maximize the space in a way that I couldn’t before.
I loved all the extra space so much that I decided to create one more closet organization project. Check out my Over-The-Door Gift Wrap Organizer here.
I hope you found my closet organization tips helpful. If you have any questions leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them for you.
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Well done, Angie! I must say, though, that I’m amazed that you can fit all these decor items into one closet! You’re making me think that I need to do some serious purging!
I don’t have that many Christmas decorations, but you gave me an idea of what I can do with the kids’ stuff and winter coats etc. It’s a great idea to do this. This way you know exactly where to go when you need something.