25 Next Level Small Closet Organization Ideas That Will Instantly Give You More Space
Need help organizing your small closet? Here are the 25 game changing small closet organization ideas that will make your space feel so much less stressful.
If you constantly struggle to keep your small closet organized:
- You’re not alone!
- You’re in the right place
Keeping a small closet organized is HARD, there is no doubt about that! But not to worry, today we’re going to turn that small space into a highly-functional closet that will stay organized long term.
As someone who has had to deal with their fair share of small closets over the years (apartment living at its finest haha), there are definitely some ideas that will help maximize your space and take your storage game to the next level.
Even implementing a few of these simple ideas will make a HUGE difference! Today, we’re turning your small closet into the most organized space in your entire room. And trust me, it’s a lot easier than you think! 😊
This post is all about the best small closet organization ideas that will make your closet feel twice as big.
The Best Small Closet Organization Ideas:
1. Install a Second Hanging Rod to Instantly Double Your Closet Space
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A lot of closets will give you a single hanging rod and call it a day. Which, as I’m sure you’ve experienced, feels impossible to fit all of your hanging clothes on.
But you can actually give your closet a second rod if you wish (renter-friendly of course). That way you’re making the most of your vertical space, and actually have enough room to hang your clothes.
This is such a great way to customize your small closet space without spending a ton of time or money!
2. Use Slim Velvet Hangers to Gain Inches of Hidden Space You Didn’t Know You Had
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The kind of hangers you’re using in your closet actually matter! And I’m not talking about for aesthetic purposes, although your closet will look a lot more organized when you consistently use one type of hanger.
In a small closet, thin hangers are going to be your best friend! For one, they’re super thin, so you’re not giving up any more hanger space than you need to. And for two, velvet hangers are life-savers for making sure your clothes don’t slip off of the hanger and onto the floor. You’ll never want to go back after using velvet hangers!
3. Add Shelf Dividers So Your Stacks Stop Falling Over
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The shelves above your hanging rod can give you so much storage – especially for chunky sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets that you don’t have room to hang up or put in your dresser. The only problem is, your sweater or sweatshirt stack will inevitably fall over and mess up the beautiful stack next to it.
It’s also just a lot easier when there is a clear border to keep your clothes nice and tidy. The nice part about clear shelf dividers is you hardly notice they’re there. But organization wise, they will make your life so much easier when it comes to organizing those top shelves!
4. Store Your Least-Used Items in Matching Bins on the Top Shelf
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Talking about closet shelves… that top, harder to reach shelf in your closet is a great place to keep things you don’t need access to every single day. Think seasonal items, accessories that are not in your current wardrobe rotation, etc.
And matching storage bins are a great way to make sure you’re maximizing your shelf space, while keeping everything organized, and from making your closet look too cluttered.
Some people like to use clear bins so they can see exactly what’s inside, but that tends to look messy (the last thing you want in a tight space). You’re better off going with matching baskets and adding a label to keep things neat and straightforward.
5. Add a Hook Strip on the Back Wall for Hidden Vertical Storage
The back wall of your closet is the perfect place for a hook strip. The key to making the most of a small closet, is sneaking in storage where you can and making sure you’re not giving up a ton of real-estate.
Hooks are one of those things that have so many uses in a closet. Whether you want to hang hats, purses, belts, etc., you can almost always find a good use for them.
6. Use a Hanging Organizer for Sweaters Instead of Folding Them on Shelves
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If you have some free hanging space, use a hanging organizer. Shelves fill up fast, especially with bulkier items. This might not work for everyone’s closets, but if you have more hanging space than you need, and not enough shelf space for folded items, this is such a great way to make your closet space work for you.
This also doesn’t just have to be for sweaters. You can use this hanging storage for shoes, accessories, jeans, or anything that is overflowing out of your dresser drawers. 😉
7. Turn the Closet Floor Into a “Drawer System” Using Slide-Out Bins
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The floor of your closet is a storage goldmine! Do not give up this space – because there are so many different ways you could put it to good use. I absolutely swear by a drawer system to maximize the bottom portion of your closet!
It’s a lot more practical than a chest of drawers or a cubby system since the organizer itself doesn’t take up a ton of space, and you’re pretty much able to see everything inside. And you would be surprised how much you can fit in each drawer – it’s kind of crazy.
For items like jeans, leggings, shorts, swimsuits, and other articles that don’t make sense to hang up with your given space, drawers like these will give you another option.
8. Store Your Shoes Toe-to-Heel Instead of Side-by-Side
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As much as I’m sure we all love shoes, storing them can be a pain in the butt! I mean the amount of space they take up is kind of crazy, and not super practical when you don’t have a whole lot of space to work with.
The best way I’ve found to store shoes is by lining them up heal to toe instead of side by side. This quite literally doubles your shoe space and allows you to fit a lot more pairs on a single shelf.
You can definitely copy this idea without the shoe organizers, but I think it’s worth it to make sure they stay nice and clean.
9. Add Purse Hooks So Bags Aren’t Taking Shelf Space
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This idea is so smart! And even though it’s super simple, a lot of people completely disregard their closet door as extra storage space. But adhesive hooks are something that don’t take up a lot of room and won’t ruin your closet doors with holes (or scratching the paint).
I think the gold command hooks are pretty darn cute (and feel a little more elevated than your average adhesive hook), so they feel more appropriate for holding your pretty bags. 🙂
Either way, this idea will make sure you’re not wasting valuable space on your closet shelves to store your bags when they could be out of the way.
10. File-Fold Jeans Vertically Instead of Stacking
Jeans are one of the trickier articles of clothing to organize in your closet. It’s mainly because of their bulkiness. I mean you think you can fit a lot in a drawer until you start sticking your folded jeans in there.
But, I think a lot of how much space you allow them to take up in your closet is partially dependent on how you’re folding them. There are also certain folding tricks that will make them easier to access without messing up the rest of the perfectly organized drawer.
Que: the file system! If you’ve been around the blog before, you’ve probably heard me talk about this several times. But I kid you not, storing items in a file fashion is so darn practical and allows you to see everything at a glance instead of having to dig through a drawer to find what you’re looking for.
You can thank me later for this one! 😉
11. Hang Accessories on the Side Wall Using Adhesive Organizers
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This idea is unfortunately not going to work for everyone. But if you have some kind of closet built-in (either one that came with the closet or one you added in yourself), the side of that built-in is another great opportunity to work in some more storage.
You can really use this space to store anything (works best with accessories), but purses are a big one! I mean, for items that take up so much space, it’s nice to be able to have a dedicated home for them that doesn’t feel like they’re taking up more closet space than they need to be.
12. Store Off-Season Clothes Under the Bed Instead
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This idea will probably save you more closet space than any other idea on this list! If you’re not already storing your seasonal clothes somewhere else, like under your bed, you’re wasting a lot of closet space.
And I get it, this is easier said than done. But that’s why the area under your bed is so valuable – a lot of people don’t think to use this space as storage.
But when you’re desperate for more closet space, you’ve got to get creative. And there is no point in storing seasonal pieces that you’re not going to be touching for the next several months.
So when the time comes, you can swap out your seasonal wardrobe no problem. But until then, keep those puffy coats and jackets under your bed!
13. Use Matching Neutral Storage Colors Only
Okay, hear me out… the more colors you have in a small space, the more overwhelming it’s going to feel. And even though a pop of color can be good to bring some life back to your space, when it comes to places like your closet, neutral storage is the way to go!
It’s easier on the eyes, and will make your closet feel super put-together without a ton of effort on your part. Of course you can’t help colorful clothing, but where you can, try to put your neutrals front and center. Or at least opt for neutral organizers like baskets, bins, and hangers.
14. Add a “Tomorrow Hook”
I have not stopped using this trick since I learned about it! I don’t know about you, but putting out my clothes the night before saves me SO much time in the mornings. I can easily waste 30 minutes (or more) trying to put together an outfit I like.
So having a designated hook in my closet where I lay out the outfit I am going to wear the next day is a life-saver! It also helps you visualize your outfit when you have a separate spot in your closet to put everything together.
Pro tip: Your closet door is a great place for this!
15. Store Clutches Vertically in File Organizers
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This is the best way I’ve found to store clutches, because it just makes sense! When they’re all nicely lined up, you can see all of your options at once, and they’re easy to grab as you’re heading out. And unlike purses, clutches don’t tend to take up a ton of space, so this idea is really convenient!
Once again, the file system saves the day!
16. Add Organizers to Closet Door
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We’re bringing it back to the closet doors, because giving up that much storage space in a small closet feels like a crime! Don’t be afraid to use your doors to hang organizers. Even if it’s not the most aesthetic setup, it can seriously multiply your closet space (by a lot!).
And if there is only one organizer you use on your closet door, let it be a shoe cubby. We all know how much space shoes take up in our closets. So if you can store even ten pairs of shoes in a hanging cubby, it will be worth it!
They’re also super east to access when they’re literally the first thing you see as you open your closet.
17. Keep Only Current Season Front and Center
Try to keep only your in-season items up front. Even if you store seasonal clothes under the bed, or elsewhere, a lot of still have clothes in our closet that might not be considered “relevant” in the current season.
So as the weather starts to change, make sure your most seasonally appropriate clothing is the easiest to reach. We all have pieces in our closet that we look forward to wearing as the weather starts to shift, so make them as easy as possible to see.
The worst thing you can do is forget you have clothing because you have the same pieces hanging up year round. So make a point of putting pieces you want to wear on your main hanging rod (that way you can’t miss them!).
18. Roll Sweats Instead of Folding
Just like you roll your clothes in a suitcase to save room, the same rule applies for your closet. Rolling just tends to make storing folded items a lot easier – for saving space and organizational purposes.
Whenever I roll my sweats or my leggings, I can tell a noticeable difference in how many pairs I’m able to fit into a single drawer – which is a major small closet win!
19. Use Labeled Sections
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Don’t shy away from labels! They are your organization side-kick. Matching baskets and bins are a game-changer for making your closet feel a lot less cluttered and a lot more put-together. But when you can’t see exactly what’s inside from a glance, it’s time to break out the labels.
That way you don’t have to sacrifice the aesthetic look, but you’re also making it easier on yourself to find what you’re looking for in an instant.
20. Store Hats Vertically
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This is one way that storing hats won’t take up a ton of space. It’s pretty compact, so you don’t have to give up a ton of shelf space to make this idea work, but it’s a great way to make sure you’re hats are being stored properly (so they don’t crease).
I would say this is a step up from shoving a bunch of hats on a single hook. 🙃
21. Use Clear Shoe Boxes
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And we’re back on the topic of shoe storage – because there is more than one way to effectively store your shoes. Now, I’m going to preface by saying that this shoe storage idea will take up a little bit more closet space than the last one, so you might want to reserve it for a special couple of pairs.
The best part about this idea is that it allows you to stack your shoes on top of one another, making it a little more customizable than other ideas.
One of the tricks to working with a small closet space, is finding flexible organizers that allow you to get creative with your storage. So whereas you might not be able to fit an entire shoe rack at the bottom of your closet, maybe you could fit a couple of clear shoe boxes.
It’s still a clean organized look, it’s just making your closet space work for you instead of the other way around. 🙂
22. Fill the Storage Gaps
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The last thing you want is to have gaps in your closet that you could be using for extra storage, but aren’t! Particularly, when you have tall shelves, it can be hard to use up all of the space effectively.
I’ve found this to be the case, not just with closets, but with pantries and cabinet shelves as well! My go-to: an under the shelf basket. That way, you’re able to fill the gaps with extra storage that allows you to keep everything nice and organized.
This may seem like a small change, but it’s a major win when you’re working with small spaces!
23. Create a Small Vanity Station
If the space allows for it, creating a small section of your closet to dedicate to a small vanity or get ready station is such a cute idea that will make your closet feel super boutiquey and quaint!
On top of a dresser or set of shelves (maybe even cubbies) is a great spot to make this happen. And it doesn’t have to be anything crazy either. Adding a small mirror, some jewelry organizers, and a piece of decor or two will instantly make your closet feel super homey and customized!
Extra Closet Ideas:
Okay, these next two ideas aren’t technically for organization, but they’re so good I just had to include them in the post. Think of them as bonuses to make your tiny closet feel elevated and way bigger (yes please!).
24. Install Battery-Powered Motion Lights to Make Your Closet Feel Custom
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I cannot tell you how big of a difference this one idea makes! I mean you instantly go from a small dark closet to one that feels like it’s custom built.
Lighting really is everything! And when it comes to small spaces, they can tend to be quite dark.
You definitely don’t have to add light strips or pucks to all of your shelves, maybe just a couple to highlight the parts of your closet that you want to stand out. It also makes it a lot easier to keep your closet organized when you can clearly see all of your hard work pay off!
25. Hang a Mirror Inside to Make Closet Feel Bigger
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If you haven’t heard of the mirror trick, let me introduce you to one of the best small space hacks of all time! A lot of designers will use mirrors in small spaces to make them feel so much bigger.
And since mirrors are perfect for reflecting light, they give the illusion of a brighter, bigger space. So adding a mirror, maybe a full length one if you can (a small one will do the trick, just not as good) will do wonders for your tiny closet!
But this trick also goes for almost all other areas of your house as well, so don’t be afraid to use it!
This post was all about the best small closet organization ideas that will make your closet feel twice as big.
Other Posts You May Like:
How to Organize Your Closet in One Weekend and Finally Keep It That Way
33 Genius Closet Organizer Ideas That’ll Make You Want to Rearrange Your Closet Immediately
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