Organize closet clutter with a hanging organizer.
To rid yourself of the clutter that builds up inside your closet, a hanging closet organizer can be just the trick. You can sew one yourself using basic, straight-line sewing skills. Not only can a hanging closet organizer help you get and stay organized, it can also be a personal statement if you choose fabric pieces that reflect your personality. In addition, sewing a closet organizer is a good project for teaching beginners sew. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the area where you want the closet organizer to hang such as the back of the closet door or the back wall of the closet. For example, a closet organizer to hang on the back of the door might measure 35 inches long by 23 inches wide. Add one inch to each dimension for seam allowances.
2. Cut the backing fabric for the closet organizer to the measurements from Step 1. In this example, cut a piece 36 by 24 inches.
3. Fold the edges toward the back 1/4 inch. Fold again 1/4 inch. Press the folds and stitch them in place to make a finished hem all the way around the backing fabric piece.
4. Cut three pocket fabric pieces. The fabric can be the same kind used for the backing fabric or a contrasting color or pattern. The width should be 4 inches shorter than the backing fabric, or 20 inches in this example. The height will depend on the length of your backing piece and how deep you want to make the pockets. Double the depth you want your pockets and add 1 inch for seam allowances. For this example, cut a large pocket piece 20 by 20 inches, a middle pocket piece 13 by 20 inches and a small pocket piece 11 by 20 inches.
5. Fold the edges of the pocket pieces of fabric toward the back 1/2 inch. Press the folds and stitch them in place to make a finished hem all the way around each piece.
6. Fold the pocket pieces in half horizontally with the wrong side of the fabric inside the fold and the hems together. The folded edges of each rectangle will be the top of the pocket. Stitch around the three hemmed sides.
7. Pin the pocket pieces to the backing fabric with the deepest pocket on the bottom and the shallowest pocket on top. Center each pocket piece horizontally on the backing piece. Leave 3 inches of vertical space between them.
8. Sew each pocket piece around the sides and bottom 1/2 inch from the edge to secure it to the backing piece.
9. Mark a vertical line on the pocket pieces where you want the sides of the pocket compartments to be. Make them varying sizes depending on what you plan to store in the organizer. For example, a compartment for a shoehorn would be only a couple of inches wide, whereas a compartment for a pair of flip-flops would be 5 or 6 inches wide.
10. Sew along the vertical compartment lines to secure them to the backing fabric.
11. Punch a hole with a grommet punch and secure a large grommet to the top corners of the closet organizer to give you an easy way to hang it. The grommet should be at least 1/2 inch in diameter. You can find grommets and grommet tools at a crafts store.
12. Hang your closet organizer on wall hooks or over-the-door hooks. Load it up with items to store and enjoy the uncluttered appearance of your closet.
Tags: closet organizer, backing fabric, pocket piece, piece inches, pocket pieces, backing piece, inches wide
