How to Organize a Master Closet (on a Budget)

Yes, master closet organization…the chore most of us put off until items start crashing down on our heads!

In our home, my husband and I each have our own master closets.  Somehow, he has always been great about keeping his closet neat and organized.  On a regular basis, he gets rid of things he no longer uses and I guess he doesn’t shop quite as much as I do!  I, on the other hand, tend to hold onto things and well… my closet can get a bit messy.

Recently, I organized my closet and here is a peek at how it turned out…

But my closet wasn’t always this neat and orderly!

Our closets aren’t huge and unfortunately, I still have the builder-grade wire shelving.  Of course, I have tried hard to be somewhat organized but after so many years, the mess has gotten worse and worse.

Then a couple months ago,  I went on a cleaning rampage…

Today, I’ll share my master closet organization tips you can use without spending a lot of money:

Tear every single thing out of the closet. 

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it is the best way!

Vacuum every nook and cranny and wipe down the shelves and baseboards.

(Originally, I had no plan on posting this cleaning frenzy on my blog so I don’t have a true “before” to show you!)

But I can show you what my bedroom looked like during the closet purge!  How scary is this?!!  As you can see, I was not proud of what came out of there!

Emptying the closet is a must according to all those master-organizers out there.

As you can guess, this is not a fun activity.

After emptying the closet, lay everything out and reevaluate every item.  

Although, some things were hard to part with, I ended up donating quite a pile!

Purchase some inexpensive bins and boxes to help with the closet organization.

In my closet, the toile boxes up top hold little things like cards, pictures and items that have nowhere else to go!

My navy Walmart bins are a lifesaver when I want to just grab something and go.

Labeling the bins makes life even easier.

This may seem like a frivolous step but it is an important key to keeping things where they belong.

Fold scarves in the bins.

I used to hang my scarves, but they would get all tangled up.  I found it easier just to fold them in the bin.

Use the bins for items you don’t need everyday.

Fancy little dress bags don’t get used much…

So putting them neatly in the bin keeps them out of the way and in one place.

Keep everyday items in sight and easy to reach.

My larger handbags just line the shelf.  Not the neatest arrangement but they are displayed where I can see them when I need to grab one to match an outfit at the last minute.

Hang the belts and hats.

In my closet, belts, hats and robes hang on the back of the door where they can be grabbed easily.  To me, it’s not worth it trying to neatly roll up a belt and put it in a bin or a drawer.  I’m sure it would unroll itself like a snake and flop all over the place!

Organize shoes to alternate between facing forward and backward.

Yes, I read somewhere that this trick is a space saver.  It really does seem to help free up some space!

Stack jeans on the shelves.

For me, it is more convenient to stack jeans on shelves instead of in my drawers.  One shelf holds the capri jeans and the other has the regular ones.

Keep clothes hung together according to item and color.

(I am still working on perfecting this…usually things get a little mixed up.)

Also try to use the same hangers to keep things uniform.  

For now, I just use the white plastic ones for most items and clear pants/skirts hangers for the rest.  After all, this is a budget makeover.

Separate the seasons:

I keep mostly my winter clothes on the left side of the closet.  Winter clothes bore me, so there is not much to show there!

So, there you have my tips for an organized master closet…on a budget.

Someday I would love to install a nice built-in closet system.  For now, I think this inexpensive option works just fine for me.

If you are looking for even more organizing ideas, be sure to read Thinking Organization – Working on One Space at a Time.

What are your tips to organize a master closet?

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