How to Organize Your Closet in One Weekend and Finally Keep It That Way

Need help organizing your closet? Here is the best way to go about organizing your closet when you have no idea where to start.

Your closet is one of those places that spending time organizing is 100% worth it and will pay off every single day!

Because if you’ve ever tried convincing yourself that your claustrophobic closet with piles of clothes covering the floor “isn’t that bad” just think of how much easier your life would be if every morning when you went to get dressed you knew exactly where everything was at a glance.

Trust me, it’s a lot easier than you think, and you’ll be so happy you took the time to organize your closet (the right way).

And whether you’re looking for new techniques to take your closet organization to the next level, or you have no idea where to start and you’re overwhelmed just thinking about tackling all of your clothes, you’re in the right place!

You’re going to learn how to actually organize your closet from how to organize your closet walk in, how to organize your closet shelves, how to organize your closet clothing, and more.

So take one last look at your closet, because after implementing these tips and following these exact steps, your closet will never look the same again!

This post is all about how to organize your closet when you have way too many clothes and not enough time.

Tips to Maximize Space:

1. Use Thin Hangers

As nice as wood hangers look, they end up taking a lot of hanging space simply because they’re thicker than your average hanger.

And when you don’t have a lot of space to begin with, or are trying to give yourself more room to hang clothes, using a thinner hanger might not seem like a big deal, but it really will make a difference!

I recommend using velvet hangers since they’re nice and thin (while still being pretty durable) and they’ll keep your clothes from slipping and falling onto the floor. Grippy hangers are a game changer!

2. Utilize the Doors

Your closet doors are just waiting to be put to use! They’ll give you a ton of extra space to hang hooks, organizers, and extend your closet storage as far as it can go.

And when you don’t have a whole lot of room to begin with, it’s important that you take advantage of any empty space.

3. Maximize Vertical Space

Maximizing your vertical space can be hard to do when you don’t have adjustable shelves to work with.

But, adjustable organizers like shelf risers, hooks, or even just stacking bins on top of each other (a lot easier if they have lids) will give you the flexibility of truly customizing your closet space and making it work for you.

That way you’re not just left with pockets of free space and no way to put it to good use.

4. Hanging Versus Folding

It can be hard to know which clothing belongs on hangers, and which clothing should be folded. The truth is, there is no one right answer. A good rule of thumb is to think of which method would better preserve the clothes.

For example, blouses and shirts might get wrinkled sitting in a drawer folded, so hanging them seems like the better choice.

This is one area you need to use your best judgement on.

5. How to Fold 

There are a lot of different methods out there for how to fold your clothes.

And as tempting as it might be to copy the perfectly folded jeans you see in a clothing store, or take the extra time to fold your pajamas in a particular way that makes your drawer look pretty – is it really practical?

Coming from someone who loves nothing more than a beautifully organized closet or dresser drawers where everything is folded and sorted perfectly like a filing system (the Type A part of me talking), I know long term, I’m probably not going to be able to keep up with that system.

So do yourself a favor, and make it easy on yourself to keep up with your organized closet long term. Otherwise you’re going to become lazy and give up on the whole system (and we definitely don’t want that!).

6. Store Seasonal Items Elsewhere

Storing your seasonal items somewhere else will free up SO MUCH SPACE! Instead of trying to stuff your winter jackets in with the rest of your clothes, give them their own space – like under your bed.

You can grab some super affordable under-the-bed organizers for clothes to make sure they stay nice and clean while they’re not in season.

And when the time comes and the seasons change, you can do a closet swap where you bring out all of your winter items out from under your bed and tuck away all of your shorts and swim suits.

7. Store Accessories the Right Way

Organizing and storing your accessories can be a pain in the butt! That being said, it’s still important that you carve out a little bit of room for a jewelry box and a sunglasses tray so you have a dedicated home to keep them safe until you wear them.

Without a good system for your smaller items, they’ll quickly get lost among everything else.

Step by Step How to Organize Your Closet:

1. Take Everything Out of Your Closet

First things first, everything has to come out of your closet. And I mean EVERYTHING! Don’t try to talk yourself into leaving your shirts hung up because you want to keep all of them so there’s no point in taking them out in the first place.

In order for this closet reset to work, you need to lean into the process – and that starts with a freshly emptied closet.

2. Vacuum Every Nook and Cranny

Now, before we go one step further, you’re going to want to vacuum (or dust) every inch of your closet. It might seem tedious, but the last thing you want to do is put your freshly organized clothes back into a dirty closet.

Plus, when’s the last time you vacuumed or dusted every part of your closet? It’s probably been a while (no shame), so it could use a little extra TLC.

3. Declutter and Donate

At the least, decluttering your closet and donating items that you no longer want or have a use for is super satisfying! It also lifts a weight off of your shoulders, and your closet, when you know you’re not trying to store clothes that you don’t even like anymore.

The best way I’ve found to move through this process is to make piles with your clothes. Sorting your clothes into these piles will give you a good visual of everything you have and what to do with it all.

Here are the piles you’re going to want to create:

• Keep – Don’t talk yourself into keeping items you know you’re never going to wear
• Donate – If the clothes are in fairly good condition, give someone else a chance to get good use out of them
• Sell – For some of your nicer items that you think you could make a little money back from 
• Trash/Recycle – Some items just can’t be repurposed or reworn
• Seasonal (if not currently in season) – These are the clothes that are going to go under your bed (or somewhere of your choosing) until their season comes back around

Here are also some questions to help keep you honest during the process:

• Does it fit right now?

• Do I feel confident wearing it?

• Would I buy this again today?

• Does it match my current lifestyle?

Pro Tip: If you haven’t worn the item in a year and it doesn’t serve a special purpose (like sentimental value), it’s probably safe to let it go.

4. Measure Your Closet Space

I know, I’m not a big fan of measuring either! But taking the extra time to make sure you know the exact dimensions of your closet (and its built-ins) will keep you from buying organizers that don’t fit and being disappointed.

Here’s what you should be measuring in your closet:

• Hanging rod height and width

• Shelf depth and spacing

• Drawer dimensions

• Floor space

Measuring is also what will keep you from having awkward fitting organizers and space left up for grabs.

5. Assess Storage

This is one of the most important steps! Taking inventory of how much space you have to work with – and the type of organizers you’ll need to turn your closet into a highly functional and practical space.

After you measure and assess your storage, I would take some time to look on Pinterest just to get a good idea of how people are organizing their different closet layouts.

Even if this doesn’t help you figure out exactly what you want to do with your closet, it will give you a good idea of how to maximize the tight spaces inside your closet. 

And if you’re not sure what organizers to buy for your closet – I’ve got you covered. Here are 33 genius closet organizer ideas that’ll make you want to rearrange your closet immediately.

6. Map Out Closet

This is where everything comes to life! Before you start putting things back in your closet, you’ll want to create a clear plan of where everything goes. This will save you from having to take a bunch of clothes back out because they don’t all fit the way you thought they would.

One of the best ways to do this is to take a picture of your entire closet, then either use your iPad and stylus to label where everything is going to go, or print out the pictures and do it by hand. That way, if you realize your setup doesn’t make sense, or there is a more practical layout, it’s super easy to switch around.

7. Sort Items by Category (Color coordinate + organize by type)

Even if you’re not an organization freak, this part is still pretty fun (and will make your closet feel luxurious). You’re going to take everything in your “keep” pile and sort each item into one of the categories. 

How you sort your clothing is a personal preference, but make sure you at least organize your closet by type of clothing (e.g. tank tops, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, etc.)

How in-depth you go with the sorting and categorizing really just depends on what will help you stay organized the most and make your life easier.

Color coordinating your closet is another super popular method for making your clothes as visually appealing as they are easy to find. When you’re trucking to create an outfit and you know a black top would look best with a certain pair of pants, you’ll know exactly where to go to see all of your black tops in one place.

8. Put Everything Away

Now it’s actually time to put everything back into your closet. This part should be fairly easy since you’ve already mapped everything out and have sorted your clothes into different categories.

9. Make it Easy to Maintain

The hard part is done, and all that’s left is maintaining your tidy closet. Just remember, all of this work was only worth it if you work to keep your closet organized. 

Here are some good rules of thumb to keep yourself accountable:

• Do a weekly reset 
• Declutter your closet every 3-6 months
• Keep a donation bin in your closet

Pro Tip: Create a drop zone for items you know you’re going to wear again soon, clothing you need to get tailored, or even recently worn clothes that you haven’t gotten the chance to put away yet (make sure to put them away as soon as possible or else this pile will not stop growing).

And there you have it – a completely refreshed, decluttered, and organized closet! Doesn’t it feel good?

Finishing Touches (Optional):

1. Stick to Matching Hangers

It always looks good when you open or walk into your closet and see matching hangers! As important as it is to do the work of actually organizing your closet, how your closet looks at a glance is also super important.

And using matching hangers is an easy way to make sure that everything looks as uniform as possible. It’s also encouraging to keep your closet organized when it looks pretty. 😉

2. Use Neutral or Clear Organizers

Going for neutral or clear organizers is going to help your closet feel less cluttered and overwhelming. Even if your closet is well organized, if there is too much going on visually, it’s going to be hard to find what you’re looking for (on top of if stressing your eyes out).

The only thing about clear organizers, is you have to make sure whatever you’re storing in them looks neat. Otherwise, you’re better off going with some neutral organizers to hide the chaos.

3. Add a Small Rug or Battery-Powered Light

If you have a walk-in closet with hardwood floors or tile, a rug is a great way to warm up the space and make it feel cozy. Something as simple as a runner will keep it from feeling super stale and cold.

Lighting will make the biggest difference (not just in your closet, but anywhere in your home). It’s super easy to get some battery-powered light bars to stick in your closet to add some warmth. They’ll make your freshly organized closet pop and feel instantly more luxurious!

4. Leave a Little Breathing Room

Even though we’re trying to make the most of our closet space, you don’t want to overstuff your closet. If it’s too hard to hang clothes up and put them back, your closet is just not going to stay organized. 

This post was all about how to organize your closet when you have way too many clothes and not enough time.

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