Organize your closet to keep track of your clothes and shoes.
Teens typically get secondary bedrooms with small closets, which can quickly be overtaken by clothes, shoes, old projects and anything else that needs a home. Organize your closet so you can find your clothes and shoes when you want them, as well as optimizing the closet space you do have. Does this Spark an idea?
Preparation and Upkeep
Clean out your closet before you try to organize it. Get rid of any childhood toys or clothes that don't fit, are out of style or that you don't use anymore. Donate, sell or throw away the items, depending on their condition. Limiting the amount of items you have to store in your closet makes upkeep easier. Make a habit of going through your closet every other month to discard the things you don't need, want or use.
Boxes, Baskets or Bins
Storage containers, including boxes, baskets and bins, can hold folded items, keepsakes such as letters or pictures, jewelry, hair accessories, makeup or other small stuff that needs to be contained in an orderly fashion. Store the items you use frequently where you can see them as soon as you open your closet on an open shelf or in a hanging shelf with canvas drawers. The items you use occasionally, such as sports equipment or blankets for sleepovers, should be kept on the floor or lower shelves where they are fairly easy to get to. Use the top shelf of your closet to store the things you hardly need access to, such as out-of-season clothes and accessories or stuffed animals you want to save but don't want to see every day. Choose storage containers that complement the color scheme or theme in your bedroom so they add to your decor.
Hooks and Hangers
Install hooks in your closet along the back wall or anywhere there's extra space. Hang purses, backpacks, scarves, belts or other small items so you can easily keep track of them without using up too much space. Use double closet rods or hooks that fold down to hold multiple hangers, which increases the amount of space you'll have to hang your clothes. Coordinating hangers in the same color gives your closet a unified and organized look.
Select a System
Your organizational system has to work for you -- not your parents -- or you most likely will not keep it organized. Loosely organize your shoes in shallow bins or baskets if you aren't likely to line them up on shelves. Keep your school clothes in one section of the closet, going out clothes in another and dress-up clothes in the last part. Then organize the items by category, color or both depending on your style. For example, jeans could go together, long-sleeved shirts then short-sleeved shirts. Use stacking, hanging or installed shelves if you prefer to fold your clothes or use bins over hanging them.
Finishing Touches
Hampers, storage ottomans, over-the-door racks and shoe racks can help put the finishing touches on your closet organization. You need a place to put your dirty clothes besides the floor, making a small hamper practical. Store your shoes on racks that hang on the back of the closet door, swiveling stands that take up less room, stacked in their original boxes or tossed in a shallow bin on the closet floor. Over-the-door organizers can also be used to organize and store pens, makeup, hair accessories, jewelry, gloves or other small items.
Tags: your closet, your clothes, clothes shoes, other small, hair accessories, keep track
