11 Tips To Organize Your Closet – On a Budget
Tired of the messy closet? Here are simple and budget-friendly ideas to help you organize any closet.
Are your closets messy and stressing you out?
Organizing your closet can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have an unlimited budget.
You look at all the beautiful custom closet inspiration on Pinterest or Instagram and wonder how you can achieve something even remotely similar without breaking the bank.
Don’t worry! I got you!
Here are ten tips on how to organize your closet on a budget—from decluttering before shopping for storage solutions to utilizing vertical space in creative ways.
So let’s get started!
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Organize your closet on a budget
With these simple steps, you will have an orderly and stylish wardrobe that won’t cost you a fortune.
1. Declutter
Before we start organizing your closet we need to do some decluttering. Decluttering is my favorite part of the organizing process because it’s so freeing to get rid of things that you don’t use or need.
Start by taking everything out of your closet. Then start purging, purging, and purging. You shouldn’t have to spend so much time trying to figure out what to wear because you have way too much in your closet.
Get rid of all the clothes that no longer fit and that you no longer wear. Doing this will make your life less stressful because it will make getting ready much faster and easier.
A great added benefit of decluttering your clothes and closets is that you will have less laundry. Who doesn’t want less laundry to do?
Don’t know what to declutter? Here is the big list of things to declutter today this list will get you started and help you get rid of a ton of
2. Make a plan
Now that you have decided what to keep, it is time to make a plan before putting it all back.
- Measure your closet space and determine how much storage you need.
This will help you decide what type of storage solutions to DIY or purchase that fit within your budget.
When measuring, be sure to take into account all available spaces – including shelves, drawers, hanging rods, and the back of doors.
Utilizing the closet’s vertical space is key to maximizing storage.
For example, adding shelves above your clothes can help store items such as shoes and out-of-season clothing while giving you more space on the floor.
3. Utilize vertical space
Closets are really tall on the inside and most builder-grade solutions don’t utilize the space to the fullest extent. There are a few ways to utilize the vertical space:
- Add more shelves – It is relatively easy to add another shelf at the top of your closet with off-the-shelf solutions. You can even build your own shelves easily if you are handy. These can help store items such as shoes and out-of-season clothing while taking up less room on the floor.
- Add a second rod – adding an additional rod lower can double your hanging space if you are only storing shirts and pants. Of course, you will have to leave some long spaces for dresses if you have them.
- Add a tension rod in narrow or tight spaces to utilize the storage space. Here is a great example.
4. Reorganize clothing how it works for you
There are many suggestions out there on how to organize clothing. Some recommend organizing by color.
Some recommend organizing by function – all similar clothing styles together
Some recommend organizing by occasion.
There is no hard and fast rule on which way is the best way to organize. The best way to organize is the weight that makes sense to you and your brain.
I like to organize my clothes by function and style. I have all of my daily wear blouses together with short and long sleeves grouped together. Same for all of my dresses as well.
RELATED: Check out 27 Closet organizing solutions here!
5. Use clear bins for sorting and storing
I think the worst culprit for a messy closet is our clothes that need to be folded and kept on shelves. They are always falling over, getting mixed up, and just creating a general mess.
One of the best ways to organize and sort them is to use clear bins. You can purchase clear plastic pants from any of the big box stores. My favorite are these storage bins which have a clear window so you can see what’s inside the box and you can easily open and take things out.
These bins can then be easily stacked up on the shelves in the closet.
6. Utilize the back of closet doors
The back of closet doors is precious real estate.
You can easily hang organizers on them like fabric organizers or pocket organizers for things like purses, belts, scarves, etc. It is also a great place to hang your jewelry organizers.
7. Install a shoe rack or use stackable containers to store shoes neatly
Another huge pain point in closets and my least favorite thing are the shoes at the bottom of the closet.
It can be very easy for them to get messy.
Organizing those shoes will go a long way in the look and feel of the closet.
You can install a shoe rack inside the closet to keep them nicely stacked.
Or you can get these stackable containers so you can protect the shoes that you don’t wear very often plus the clear window makes them easy to find when needed.
8. Use baskets, boxes, and dividers for easy storage of small items
Small items can easily get misplaced in a huge closet. They are also items that can make the closet look messy.
Storing them in by category or color in bins and baskets makes the entire closet more organized and easier for you to find them when needed.
9. Shop your home
My favorite way to start organizing is to always start by looking around my home and see if there are items that can be repurposed to use.
I found a shoe holder like this one from amazon that we owned already but weren’t using. I hung it up in my closet and used it to put scarves and beanies in. This keeps them all in one place and organized and since I found something I already owned it cost me no extra money.
10. Simple DIY organizational solutions
DIY is always the best way to save money – if you have the materials readily available. Here are a few examples:
- DIY storage bins. You can easily make stylish storage bins using cardboard boxes. Here is a quick tutorial on turning diaper boxes into fancy canvas bins. All you need is a hot glue gun!
- DIY jewelry organizer – you can easily whip something up with dowels, PVC pipes, or thrifted items.
- Rolling crate bins – simple crates from the store – add casters and you have a nice storage solution.
11. Shop around for affordable organizing solutions
Even if you end up having to purchase items to organize your closet, it does not mean that you have to break the bank.
There are many budget-friendly solutions and stores where you can find useful products to help make organizing your closet easy. Here are a few examples:
- Big box stores like Walmart and Target carry lots of great options for very reasonable prices.
- IKEA is another great alternative where you can find lots of drawer organizers, baskets, and shelves.
- Stores like TJ Maxx and HomeGoods are great places as well.
- And as always Amazon is a great place to shop.
- Thrift stores are another great alternative are you may be able to find not only organizers but also furniture like dressers, etc.
Organizing your closet on a budget doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The above tips will help you achieve an organized closet in no time and proper planning and execution will ensure that the closet stays organized for a long time.
