9 Simple Ideas to Organise Your Closet On a Budget
If you’re struggling with a cluttered closet and are looking to create a luxurious home for your clothing and accessories on a budget then you’re in the right place.
We know that the prospect of getting a messy wardrobe in order can be overwhelming, especially when the budget is limited, but it doesn’t need to be!
This step-by-step guide will help you to create the wardrobe of your dreams with easy hacks and budget-friendly ideas for organising your closet once and for all.
Keep reading to discover 9 simple ideas to help you organise everything in your closet without spending loads of money!
Step 1: Declutter your clothing and accessories
The best way to start maximising space and organising your closet is by decluttering your clothing and accessories. We recommend emptying out your closet and grouping items by category e.g t-shirts, jeans, dresses, skirts etc. Make as many categories as you need!
As you are sorting your items into categories, declutter any items that are either damaged beyond repair, you no longer wear or no longer fit you. If you declutter any items that are still in good condition, take the opportunity to make a bit of money back by selling them on through a clothing resale website such as Vinted. Any revenue from these sales could go towards purchasing some useful organising products for your wardrobe or into a new outfit fund.
Step 2: Deep clean your closet
Before returning any items to your closet, take the opportunity whilst it is empty to give it a good deep clean. A clean closet free of dust mites and mould leads to better maintained clothing that will last. Hoover up any dust and wipe down all surfaces with hot soapy water. You’ll take great pleasure returning your items to a fresh, clean space!
Step 3: Plan the layout
Before placing anything back inside your wardrobe, it is important that you take some time to plan out the space. Regardless of whether you have a large walk-in space or a beautiful antique standalone wardrobe, planning the space is a really important step in ensuring your wardrobe is efficient for your lifestyle needs and will make it so much easier to maintain your organisation in the months and years to come. You’'ll avoid the need of purchasing extra storage furniture when what you already have is efficiently used.
It is a good idea to imagine yourself using your wardrobe on a daily basis and figure out which items you need to be most accessible and which ones can be stored in less accessible places, for example on high shelves or in low drawers.
Depending on how much hanging/drawer/shelf space your wardrobe provides, you may also need to take some measurements if you decide that incorporating bins will help you maximise your space.
Step 4: Store your clothes by category
A simple and free hack when it comes to organising clothing and accessories in your closet on a budget is to store items by category. This closet storage idea will ensure that you’re always able to locate exactly what you’re looking for, thus eliminating the mistake of purchasing duplicates as well as ensuring your closet organisation is simple to maintain.
As mentioned earlier, you should create as many categories as is necessary for your inventory. To get you started, here is a list of common wardrobe categories:
Jeans
T shirts
Vests
Blouses
Dresses
Skirts
Jackets
Coats
Cardigans
Jumpers
Activewear
Pyjamas
Bras
Socks
Knickers
Trainers
Sandals
Pumps
Heels
Boots
Step 5: Upgrade to matching hangers
Whilst they may appear insignificant, mismatched hangers can add a surprising amount of bulk to a closet, not to mention that varying colours, materials and sizes of hangers can make for a cluttered aesthetic.
Upgrading your hangers is an inexpensive way to transform your closet, helping your clothes to hang consistently whilst maximising the hanging space to the full.
Slimline hangers take up far less space than their plastic or wooden alternatives and create a more visually appealing aesthetic. You can even select between a range of colours to match your interior style!
If you’re really short on space in your closet, you can add matching connector hooks which will enable you to store two to three items together on one hanger.
Prioritise hanging delicate items such as dresses, skirts and blouses and sturdier items such as suits, coats and jackets.
Hang everything within their categories by colour and facing the same direction for a neat and organised look.
Step 6: Maximise your vertical storage
A simple and cheap way to create more space in your closet is to ensure that all vertical storage space is being utilised to the max! This means top shelves, backs of doors, walls and floor space. For example:
Add labelled storage boxes to top shelves to store out of season clothing
Add an over the door accessories organiser to hang earring, necklaces and sunglasses
Stick command hooks to the walls and use them to store scarves, handbags or hats.
Add an extendable shoe rack to the floor of your wardrobe and see your shoes storage space doubled!
Step 7: File fold clothing into drawers
If you’re short on storage space in your closet and don’t have the budget for drawer dividers or inserts, start file folding clothing in your drawers. File folded items take up far less space than hanging items in a closet, plus they look great too!
Folding items such as jeans, t-shirts and knitwear is far more spatially efficient than hanging these items. The file fold is our favourite as it is space-saving, allowing items to be stored vertically rather than stacked; this makes it much easier to view and find exactly what you’re looking for.
Step 8: Use the one in one out rule
Believe it or not, the easiest hack for a more organised wardrobe is to have less stuff! Establishing a rule where you don’t buy anything new until you let something go will really help you achieve this whilst saving you some cash too. Give it a go!
Step 9: Regularly declutter
Regular decluttering is essential in order to maintain your dream closet going forward! Clutter can easily build back up and take over quickly if it's not kept on top of, especially in smaller spaces.
To help keep on top of items you find yourself not wearing, place a small basket somewhere in your closet (or nearby) so that you can set them aside the moment you’re ready to move on.
As the basket becomes full you can discard, donate or sell the items within and maybe even treat yourself to a new piece of clothing you’ve had your eye on!
Time to get your closet organised!
Over the years, Homefulness professional organisers have supported many clients in optimising their wardrobe storage to make selecting outfits and maintaining organisation so much easier!
Check out this wardrobe how-to guide for some more in-depth guidance on organising your clothing and accessories the Homefulness way. Whether you have a purpose built wardrobe solution or a creatively improvised space, there is an organisation system that will work for you!