50 Brilliant Closet Organization Ideas That’ll Tame the Chaos at Last
These closet organization ideas will help you get rid of the storage clutter.
A person’s closet can be one of two things: It can be a space they love and are proud of, or a place they look at and cringe. If yours makes you feel overwhelmed every time you look at it, take that as a sign that you need to put some closet organization ideas to work—and stat! With the right closet organizing ideas, tips and hacks up your sleeve, you can turn your closet into a place that makes you feel good, not chaotic. Because after all, you should be happy when you’re looking at all the clothes and accessories you own, not dread it.
To help you feel better about your closet’s organization, you can add some closet-organizing products that will tidy things up—like shelves, hooks, cabinets, bins, racks, labels and more. Just adding one or two of those items will totally transform your space and help clear up the clutter. If you’re not sure where to even start when it comes to finally getting your closet organized, start with our budget-friendly DIY organization hacks that won’t cost you a cent to do—they’ll just take a little time. Once you try out those closet organization ideas, you can then decide if you want to step up your organizing game a notch and add extra organizing products, like a hat rack, a dresser, clothing separators, display shelves, etc.
Organizing your closet will make picking out your outfits a breeze because you’ll actually be able to clearly see everything you own, instead of having to dig through piles of shirts or search through every nook and cranny to find the match to your other shoe. Organizing your closet also helps it look more aesthetically pleasing and will transform it into a spot you love seeing every day, rather than a spot you're continually embarrassed by.
Check out all 50 closet organization ideas below to see which ones are best for you.
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50 Closet Organization Ideas
1. Add some wire shelving
If you have tons of clothes, this is for you because this wire garment closet isn’t messing around! It not only looks nice displaying your favorite clothes, shoes, bags and suitcases out in the open, but it has a load capacity of 800 pounds and each of its hanging rods can hold up to 33 pounds. Adding it to your walk-in closet will be the answer to your prayers. Vipek Large Wire Heavy Duty Clothes Rack, $170, Walmart.com
2. Transform a bookshelf into closet shelves
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Want to DIY closet shelves, but not use any tools? Then repurpose a bookshelf as closet shelves. You can use a short or tall bookshelf to do this, depending on what look you’re going for.
3. Include a fabric storage dresser
This 6-drawer dresser has an iron frame and easy-pull fabric boxes. It comes in a variety of sizes to fit whatever your storage needs are and is perfect for a kid or an adult to use to help organize the inside of their closet. SONGMICS 3-Tier, Storage Dresser with 6 Easy Pull Fabric Drawers and Wooden Tabletop, $72, Amazon
4. Use shower rods to hang shoes or belts
Round up several shower rods to create some unique, yet practical and cheap shoe racks for your closet. Start by spray painting them the color of your choice and then once they are dry, install them. If your closet mostly consists of high heels, then think about installing an entire wall of rods from your floor to ceiling so that your shoes can be hung on and out of the way.
5. Add an overdoor shoe rack
Whitmor, White 36-Pair Over The Door Shoe Organizer
Out of wall space in your closet? No problem. Use your door to clean up clutter instead. An over-the-door shoe organizer is the perfect way to get your shoes up off your floor. This one holds 36 pairs! Whitmor 36-Pair Rack-White Over the Door Shoe Organizer, $33 on Amazon
6. Use clear bins
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Make use of all of the shelf space in your closet by adding in clear bins. You can store things inside them and then stack them on top of one another so no inch will be unused. It’ll give your closet a chic and organized look right away.
7. Display your hats
Take advantage of your closet’s wall space and use it to display your favorite hats in one place. You can find a hat rack that goes with your design esthetic online, or DIY your own. Baseball Cap Hat Hanger, $40+ on Etsy
8. Hang your jeans up
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If you store your jeans in a drawer and you find that it’s overflowing, hanging them up may just be the solution for you. All you have to do is get some pant hangers and then hang them all up together so they have a dedicated section in your closet.
9. Sprinkle in standing shelves
If you have at least one existing shelf in your closet, you can place these on top of it so you can store more items within their compartments and on their top section. If you don’t have any existing shelves in your closet, just line them up on the floor so it creates a shoe shelf or a place to you can store your folded jeans on top of an under. Expandable Closet Shelf, $18 at ContainerStore.com
10. Display your handbags
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One way to make your closet look less messy is to treat it like a store display, which includes how you arrange your purses. Put your open shelves to good use and use them to show off your favorite bags in a cute way.
11. Get a leggings holder
Wakult Legging Organizer - Hanging Closet Organizers and Storage for Clothes - 24 Compartments Jeans Organizer for Closet Wakult-storage bag Wakult-storage bag
Chances are the number of leggings you have acquired grew in recent years. If that’s the case for you, finding a way to store them in an organized manner is essential to decrease clutter in your closet. This product will help you do just that by storing 24 rolled leggings! Legging Storage Bag Hanger, $18 on Amazon
12. Hang up a curtain
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Add a sliding curtain inside your closet that you can slide across a shelf to hide what’s behind it. Remember to choose a pretty color or pattern that you love.
13. Buy a closet system
This piece is 69 inches tall and has tons of shelves with dividers so that your clothes will stay put and aligned once you put them away. It comes in three different color options and even includes a small section where you can hang a few pieces of clothing. SalonMore 69” Closet, $36 on Walmart.com
14. Organize your clothes by color
You don’t have to spend money to organize your closet. One hack is to take everything out of it and to re-hang them up by color! You’ll be surprised what a difference it makes.
15. Include drawer dividers
Are you a victim of messy drawers? Inserting drawer dividers in them can help you keep everything inside them sleek and from getting all mixed together. 3-Piece Underwear Drawer Organizer, $12 on Amazon
16. Label your bins
To help prevent you from having to check inside every bin you have in your closet when you want to find something, label them. Make sure your labels are all in the same color and font so they look clean and neat.
17. Insert a portable wardrobe
This fabric-covered wardrobe looks nice and will keep your clothes organized and out of sight. It features a wardrobe rack inside, as well as two pull-out drawers and has large double doors for easy access. Just place it on the wall inside your walk-in closet for some added storage. Honey-Can-Do Portable Wardrobe Storage Closet, $100 on Amazon
18. Make use of your top shelf space
Sometimes people leave the top of their closet shelves empty, but that’s just wasting space. The key is to create a beautiful display using fashionable items that you don’t wear that much. That way you won’t have to worry about getting them down all the time.
19. Use boot standup inserts
If you have lots of boots, then you know just how messy they can look when they are all drooping over on your closet shelves. To help this problem disappear, buy some boot shaper insets. You simply stick them in and they will keep your tall boots from sagging over and looking messy. Erioctry Boot Shapers (2 Pairs), $15 on Amazon
20. Get matching hangers
It may be easy to mix and max your hangers over the years, but trying to stick to one kind will make your closet look more put together. It’s something most people look over and don’t think about, but it’ll make all the difference.
21. Embrace fabric cubes
Closet inserts, like these cubes, can work wonders. You can find ones that are square-shaped or rectangle-shape in a variety of colors, prints and materials. They work great for hiding away items like intimate apparel or storing all your winter accessories. Fabric Storage Box, $18 on Wayfair.com
22. Add a sitting bench with storage
If you have room in your closet, add a storage bench. Why? It will double as a place for you to sit and also as a secret storage space to put your scarves, pajamas or other clothing in.
23. Go with floating shelf sneaker displays
Your closet will look Instagram-ready thanks to these clear floating shelves that each fit a pair of kicks. Make sure you measure out and mark where you want all of your shelves to go before you install them to ensure they are straight. Set of 12 Floating Sneaker Displays, $78 on Etsy
24. Group your alike items together
You don’t have to spend a dime on this organization idea! It just requires a little patience. Start by separating all of your clothes into groups, like dress shirts, T-shirts, short sleeve dress shirts, jackets, dresses, etc. Then, hang them all up so they are split into their own groups.
25. Get acrylic bag hangers
If your closet is on the smaller side and you don’t have any wall space to spare, you can still find other ways to organize your accessories. Investing in a few handbag hangers is a good place to start. We love that these are neon in color and that each one supports a bag with straps that are up to 1.5 inches wide and 15 pounds. Neon Luxury Handbag Hanger Set, $45 on Etsy
26. Store your shoes the right way
Don’t just place your shoes on your open shelves—place pairs side-by-side with one facing forward and one facing backward. Doing so doesn’t take much time, but it makes a huge difference in their appearance.
27. Put up a belt organizer
One accessory that is hard to neatly arrange and keep track of are belts. Having a belt organizer that can be mounted on a wall will keep yours looking great. This one comes in various finishes and length. Wooden Belt Organizer, $28+ on Etsy
28. Use the same color storage baskets
Incorporating a bunch of storage baskets in your closet is good, but if you buy ones in different colors it can make your space look not as put together as you’d want it to be. The secret is to make sure that your baskets are all the same shade. That way you can still include different sizes and shapes, but they will look uniform and organized.
29. Include space-saving hangers
If your closet racks are stuffed to the max, you’ll love these space saving hangers. They allow you to hang multiple shirts on one hanger so you can store all your clothes in a more organized way. Talk about a great idea! MORALVE Space Saving Hangers, (4 Pack), $30 on Amazon
30. Use velvet clip hangers to hang your shorts
Come summertime, you’ll be sporting a ton of shorts and short skirts. Using velvet clip hangers to hang them all up on a lower rack in your closet will make choosing which one to wear super easy and will look great.
31. Add some spinning tie racks
For under $10, you can keep your husband’s ties more organized than ever before with these two spinning tie hangers. Each one holds 20 ties and is less than five inches wide, so they don’t take up much space at all. IPOW Updated Twirl Tie Hanger (2 Pack), $11 on Amazon
32. Invest in slide-out drawers
If you have space in your existing closet, invest in slide-out drawers. The best part is, that they can be at different heights. That way you can have ones that are perfect for shirts and sweaters and then skinnier ones you can store scarves and jewelry inside.
33. Put up accessory closet hooks
Decluttering your purses can be tough, but one way to do that is with hook racks. They’re easy to install and make for a simple yet fashionable wardrobe organization hack. Mid-Century Hook Rack, $81+ on WestElm.com
34. Invest in a closet island
Just because you have a big closet, doesn’t mean you won’t eventually need more space to store things. That’s why having a closet island is never a bad idea. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and color, so you can find the perfect one for your space.
35. Use clothing divider tags
Are you looking for a way to organize your baby’s closet so that you can separate newborn clothes from 3-6 month clothes and everything else you’ve accumulated? The best way to do so is with divider tags. You just simply place them between different age groupings and then you’ll always know what to wear when. Nursey Closet Hanging Clothing Divider Tag, $12 on Etsy
36. Declutter your shirts
Who knew the way you fold your clothes could make such a difference in how it looks? Instead of stacking your T-shirts on top of one another in drawers or cubes, do it the Marie Kondo way so that you can stack them side by side, like in this pic.
37. Insert clear acrylic shelf dividers
Folding different stacks of clothing and placing them on your closet shelves may seem like you’re being organized, but sometimes those stacks can fall over or blend together. Sticking a clear acrylic divider between each pile will help each stack stay straight. Clear Acrylic Shelf Divider (4 Pack), $40 on Amazon
38. Add in a rug
While a rug or runner in your closet can’t be used for storage purposes, it can help pull your closet all together and make it look chicer, which in turn will give it the illusion of being more organized. When choosing one, pick one that includes colors that a lot of your clothes are in. By doing so, it will add a design aesthetic to that space and pull together all the shades.
39. Hang a jewelry mirror armoire cabinet
Let a mirror double as storage for you in your closet. This one can be hung on your closet door and it opens to reveal hidden departments where you can store jewelry, sunglasses and other accessories so that they don’t have to be spread out on shelves. SogesHome Jewelry Mirror Armoire Cabinet, $100 on Amazon
40. Upcycle a small dresser in your closet
Sometimes closet shelves are hard to maintain and can look messy. That’s why adding in a dresser you already have can help things look cleaner. You can tuck items away in the drawers that you don’t want to be seen or that are hard to hang up, like pajamas, socks, undies, bras, bathing suits and more.
41. Store seasonal clothing in vacuum bags
Walmart
If you don’t use vacuum bags in your closet, you’re missing out. Why? You can add tons of clothes to each one and then shrink down its size by vacuuming out all the air. This allows you to stack them on top of each other while using less space. It’s an amazing hack when you have a small closet because you can switch out storing your seasonal clothes in them. Home Space Saver Saving Storage Bags Vacuum Seal Compressed Organizer, $8+ on Walmart.com
42. Add floor-to-ceiling shelves on a side wall
Just because you have a small sidewall in your closet doesn’t mean you can’t use it for storage. Adding small shelves that go all the way up is key. Each shelf can be used to display heels, purses, and other items.
43. Put up wood closet shelving
Wood shelving is perfect for the closet organization because it looks great and can help you get your clothes and accessories off the floor. Just installing one shelf above your clothing rack where you can neatly arrange your shoes on so they are out of the way will make a huge difference. Arrange-a-Space Prime Closet Organizer System, $381 on Overstock.com
44. Add doors to your shelves
If you’re really messy, open shelves may not be the best design to have in your closet. Adding doors to each one so that they are closed off might be more practical.
45. Add a pretty garment rack
If you need more clothing racks, but don’t want to permanently install them, purchasing a freestanding garment rack is the next best thing. You can find them in various colors and sizes, so you can get the perfect one for your closet. We recommend getting one with wheels so that you can easily move it. It’ll look extra fabulous if you hang all your long, flowy dresses on it or your dressy coats. Clothes Rack, $58 on Wayfair.com
46. Add a trunk
Having a huge leather trunk in your closet looks nice and provides you with some extra storage space. You can even leave it out on your floor and it won’t look out of place.
47. Install an adorable jewelry holder
This cute piece doubles as a necklace and earring holder and a decorative item. It’ll look pretty on any wall in your closet and keep your go-to jewelry from getting lost and tangles because it won’t be tossed on a shelf or inside a bin. Bumble Bee Jewelry Holder, $26+ on Etsy
48. Add shelf lighting
Highlight your favorite items in your closet with shelf lighting. It’ll help draw the eye to those areas that are nice and clean and keep the attention off of other spaces in your closet that aren’t as clean. That way you can trick people into thinking your closet is more organized and put together than it might actually be.
49. Get a sock organizer
Socks can look messy when they are left out on your shelves or tossed into bins. Having a sock organizer that has pockets where you can insert pairs of socks will keep them together and looking nice. Sock Organizer, $15 on Etsy
50. Use cute baskets
Add some style to your closet by incorporating pretty baskets that can slide onto your shelves. They will not only look nice, but they will help you conceal things, like socks, so they won’t be on display.
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