Organize Your Closet So You Can Actually See What You Own: 10 Solutions by Size

If you’re the type of person where things don’t exist unless you can physically see them, then the way your closet is organized is important. If dresses are tucked into far corners, sweaters are packed away into shelves, or shoes are being kicked around in a heap, then you’ve got no chance of knowing what kind of awesome pieces you actually own. Start off the new year with a wardrobe cleanse, and try these fast and cheap DIYs to organize your closet so you actually see what you own. Because fabulous outfits start with a neat closet.

Since not all closets are created equally we’re going to run through a couple of options for one of the most messiest, frustrating portions of any wardrobe: The shoes. I know just thinking of the disaster that is the bottom shelf might make you want to draw a circle of salt around you, but we can do this. Whether you have the luxury of a walk-in or are dealing with a shoebox apartment from the 1800s, you can get that sucker organized. Here’s how.

If you can’t fit a decently sized shelf in your wardrobe or can’t mount your heels to the wall (more on that later), then you might have to settle for creating shoe bins that store your favorites. Save major dollars by repurposing old cardboard boxes with pretty fabric (a fabulous DIY from Making Home Base can be found here), and glue a picture of that particular shoe onto the front. You’ve just made your shoe a home—keep it in there.

If you can fit a bookcase into your wardrobe, for the love of god, do it. Snag a Billy bookcase from IKEA and use it as your new shoe rack, with help from House of Hepworths. Every time you throw open your doors, you’ll see all your boots, flats, heels, and sandals on display like a boutique. And the key here is that most of your options will be eye level, rather than swimming around in the bottom of your closet, behind long skirts and dresses.

If you have a walk-in closet, then it’s time to reinvent your wall space. Rather than leaving your shoes on the floor, free up room by using Attic Mag’s tip of turning eight-inch crown molding into hanging racks. That way you can slip your heels on top of them, and never miss an excellent shoe choice because it was kicked under your gym shoes and worn out flats.

If you’re the type of person that forgets you own knits if they’re not in your direct line of sight, then you’re going to need some organizing tips. Here are some clever ones that’ll make sure your sweaters won’t just be tucked away into drawers you’ll constantly forget to check.

If you can’t fit pockets of shelves into your wardrobe, no worries. Here’s an amazing tutorial from The Krazy Coupon Lady that shows you how to fold your sweater around a hanger so it doesn’t get stretched out or get those awkward lumps at the shoulders.

If you have a floating shelf in your closet but feel like you can’t keep your knits neatly stacked—especially if you grab a particular turtleneck from the middle and everything topples over into chaos—then these shirt separators are going to be winners.

Sometimes the problem isn’t necessarily that your sweaters aren’t already on hangers or right in front of your eyes. The issue might be that all your clothes are squished together and you can’t properly see your options. If that’s the case, try these Hanger Space Makers to make some permanent room.

It’s time to bring your jeans, trousers, and favorite pencil skirts way into view with these clever tricks.

If there’s no way you can possibly fit every bottom you have onto its own hanger, you don’t have to. Try these cascading pant hangers instead—you’ll see a glimpse of each option, but they’ll be tucked neatly into one minimal, vertical row.

If you have a little more wiggle room, you can space out your options a little more without necessarily taking up a huge chunk of the wardrobe real estate. This ingenious moves uses IKEA brackets to organize pants and bottoms going outward from the closet, rather than across.

Do you lose track of all your scarves, belts, and hats? Let’s right that wrong with these easy fixes.

This one’s going to involve dollar store shower curtain rings, so get ready to break out the big bucks. If you don’t have a ton of room to work with, try twisting your scarves up boutique-style onto a single hanger, using the rings to house each piece. The same can easily be done with belts, too!

If you have a door that opens rather than slides or have a spare wall in your closet, try this clever mounting technique from Thrif Decor. Take a curtain rod and mount it to the door or wall, using curtain rings with clips to hang the accessories. You can also use this technique to store your hats and belts, too.

Follow some of these tips and the clutter in your house might feel a little less overwhelming—at the very least, you’ll get to see all of your pretty pieces neatly displayed and ready for your outfit choices!