It’s that time of year again! And if you’re anything like us, you’re probably getting that urge to have everything sparkly and clean. The only problem is – finding the time to do it! If you’re having trouble getting motivated or spending the time getting started with your spring chores, we hope this helps get you moving.
One of our favorite things to do in Spring is tune up our organizing skills and makeover some of the smaller spaces in our homes, like closets!
The bedroom closet is often forgotten because who has time to organize their closet on a typical day? But depending on the size of your closet, you may only need between 2-4 hours for this job and it can make such a difference in your day-to-day life.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to makeover your bedroom closet – or really any space, for that matter!
Begin by getting your supplies & prepping the space:
- Boxes & Trash Bags
- Marker & Tape
- Optional: Label Maker
Set up a trash bag nearby as well as boxes for various categories such as donate, elsewhere (things that don’t belong in the space), and keep. You can use the marker and tape to label the boxes. This will make it much easier to keep track of everything when you start diving in because it will get worse before it gets better!
A note about containers: Don’t buy anything yet! It’s important to know what you’re dealing with before doing the fun part and going out shopping for new bins.
- Pull Everything Out
Sound drastic? It might feel overwhelming but it’s really best if you can see everything all in one place. Remember, it gets worse before it gets better! If you love Marie Kondo, she suggests piling on your clothes on the bed before you spark joy. Or you can simply pull everything into an open area for the next step – sorting!
- Sort
As you’re pulling everything out of the closet, you’ll probably begin naturally sorting them into categories. If you know for sure that you don’t want to keep something, decide if it can be donated or if it’s trash. If you decide you’re keeping the item, place it in the ‘keep’ area or box. As you come across items that don’t belong in the space, put them in the ‘elsewhere’ box so you can distribute them later. Don’t do it as you’re working or you may get distracted in a different room!
- Haul Away
Did you find a lot to donate? Or uncover some trash? Place the donation items in your car right now so they don’t sit around cluttering your space. Take the trash out right away as well. Now is the time to put items from the ‘elsewhere’ box into their appropriate spaces – but don’t get sidetracked! Stay focused. The best way to finish a project is to build some momentum and the best way to do that is to begin seeing results. So, clear out the stuff!
- Categorize
Now that you’ve sorted through everything and purged what doesn’t need to be in the space, you can begin grouping like items together. You probably did a lot of this in the sorting phase. If you have a big pile of clothing you’re keeping, begin grouping like items together as in pants, shirts, socks, underwear, etc.
Other categories may include linens, shoes, seasonal clothing, or anything else you’ve decided to store in your bedroom closet. This is also a great time to take stock of the condition of your pillows and linens to see if any need replacing. Read our guide on ‘When to Replace Your Pillows’ here.
As for linens, we love folding sheet sets and storing them within one of the pillow- cases to make a tidy package that doesn’t get strewn about. See the tip on our organizing tips & tricks Pinterest board!
- Set it Up!
Now is the time to assess whether you need any new containers, shelving, hooks, etc. Often, you’ll find that you already have a lot of what you need or you can always get creative with Pinterest worthy hacks. Or, make a list and head to the store! Either way, be sure you contain all the categories you created in step four. This way they won’t spill over into each other and make a mess all over again. Organize the way you think and put things together that you feel go together, because that’s how you will look for them. There isn’t a right or wrong answer here so trust your instinct.
Be sure to use the vertical space whether that’s with shelving, or hanging canvas organizers that act as temporary shelving and can separate linens, sweaters, or other items. Hooks that hang over the back of the door can come in handy for hanging hats, ties, scarves and the like.
Work through every category and find a place for it in the closet. A place for everything and everything in its place is a cliché for a reason! Remember to place things where you will look for them, as that’s what will help you keep up with maintenance.
So, there you have it! A simple, manageable process to organize your bedroom closet. It really could be used on any other space so good luck – and happy Spring!
