Closet Organization Hacks: 14 Cheap DIY Tricks That Double Your Space Before the Holidays
These closet organization hacks start with a feeling most of us know too well: you open the door, a sweater slides off the shelf, a boot tips over and the gift you hid in October is somewhere under a pile of jeans. With holiday guests coming and presents to stash, the closet suddenly needs to hold twice as much. The good news is that you do not need a pricey custom system. Storage hack videos are pulling millions of views this year because the best fixes use things you already own, like soda can tabs, shoe boxes, pool noodles and old wire hangers. Here are 14 cheap DIY tricks that free up shelf space, stop the avalanche and give every scarf, belt and boot a home. Pick two or three this weekend and enjoy a calmer closet all season..
Closet Organization Hacks Start With a Second Hanging Rod
The biggest of all closet organization hacks is hiding right above your head. Most reach-in closets have one rod and a lot of empty air below short shirts and jackets. Hang a second rod from the first one with two lengths of chain and you instantly double the hanging space for tops, skirts and kids’ clothes. It takes about 15 minutes, needs no drilling and comes down just as easily when you move. Once the lower rod is in, the whole closet looks like a boutique..
You will need: A wooden dowel or tension rod, two lengths of light chain, four S hooks, a tape measure.
How to make it: 1. Measure the width of your closet and cut or buy a rod a little shorter. 2. Hook a chain over the top rod near each end with S hooks. 3. Slide the second rod through the chain links at the height you want. 4. Check it is level and hang your shortest clothes on it.
Soda Can Tabs That Turn One Hanger Into Two
Save the tabs from your next few soda cans, because they are tiny space makers. Slip a tab over the neck of one hanger, then hook a second hanger through the lower hole. The hangers drop down in a neat cascade and take up the rod width of just one. It is perfect for matching outfits, blouses or a set of pajamas. A handful of tabs can free up a third of a crowded rod. Which outfits would you pair up first?
You will need: Clean soda can pull tabs, matching hangers.
How to make it: 1. Twist the tabs off clean cans and smooth any sharp edges with a nail file. 2. Slide the top hole of a tab over the hook of the first hanger. 3. Hook the second hanger through the bottom hole. 4. Repeat to build a short chain of two or three.
Shoe Box Drawer Dividers Covered in Pretty Paper
Messy drawers are where socks, belts and scarves go to disappear. Cut old shoe boxes down to the height of your drawer, cover them with leftover wrapping paper or scrapbook paper, and you have custom dividers for free. Rolled socks, folded tights and small scarves stay in their own little rooms instead of mixing into one tangle. Brush on a coat of Mod Podge over the paper and the boxes last for years. What would go in your first box?
You will need: Shoe boxes, scissors or a craft knife, pretty paper, Mod Podge, a foam brush.
How to make it: 1. Measure your drawer depth and mark the boxes to that height. 2. Ask an adult to cut them down with a craft knife. 3. Glue paper onto the outside with Mod Podge and seal the top. 4. Let them dry and arrange them in the drawer like puzzle pieces.
File Folder Sweater Storage
Among all the closet organization hacks for cozy knits, this one is a favorite. Stacked sweaters always topple when you pull out the one at the bottom. Try filing them instead. Fold each sweater around a clear plastic file folder or a piece of stiff card, then stand them upright in a crate or bin like files in a cabinet. You can see every color at a glance and slide one out without touching the rest. It works beautifully for cozy knits that get heavy wear all winter. Ready to file your favorites?
You will need: Clear plastic file folders or card stock, a wooden crate or open bin.
How to make it: 1. Lay a sweater face down and place a folder in the middle. 2. Fold the sleeves and sides over the folder, then fold the bottom up. 3. Stand the folded sweater on its edge in the crate. 4. Keep going, darkest to lightest, for a pretty color fade.
Closet Organization Hacks for Drawers: Fold Everything Upright
One of the easiest closet organization hacks costs nothing at all. Instead of stacking shirts flat, fold them into small rectangles and stand them on their edges in a drawer or bin. Every piece is visible from above, so you stop digging and stop forgetting what you own. Most drawers hold about a third more this way, and the folds stay neat because nothing presses down on them. It feels a little fussy the first time, then it becomes a habit you will never drop. Have you tried it yet?
You will need: Your clothes, a drawer or shallow bin.
How to make it: 1. Fold a shirt in half lengthwise, then fold the sleeves in. 2. Fold it into thirds until it stands up on its own. 3. Line the pieces up in rows from front to back. 4. Put the ones you wear most at the front.
An Over the Door Scarf Rack From Shower Hooks
Scarves are the first thing to tumble out of a crowded shelf in winter. Put the back of the closet door to work instead. A cheap over the door towel bar or a row of shower curtain hooks clipped onto a hanging rail gives every scarf its own spot, and the colors look cheerful every time you open the door. You can see the whole collection at once, so you actually wear the pretty ones. Which scarf would hang in the front row?
You will need: An over the door hook rail or towel bar, shower curtain hooks or clip rings, your scarves.
How to make it: 1. Hang the rail over the top of the closet door. 2. Clip a row of rings or hooks along the bar. 3. Loop each scarf through a ring, folded in half. 4. Group them by color so it looks like a little shop display.
Wire Hanger Shelf Dividers
Old wire hangers from the dry cleaner can become sturdy shelf dividers. Bend each one into a tall U shape, then slide the ends over the edge of the shelf so the loop stands straight up. Now your stacks of jeans and sweaters have walls and stop leaning into each other. The whole project uses free hangers and takes about ten minutes. Wrap the wire with pretty washi tape or yarn if you want them to look a little sweeter. How many stacks does your shelf hold?
You will need: Wire hangers, pliers, washi tape or yarn (optional).
How to make it: 1. Cut off the hook with pliers (adult job). 2. Bend the wire into a tall U with flat feet. 3. Slip the feet over the shelf edge and squeeze tight. 4. Wrap with tape or yarn and space them to fit your stacks.
Closet Organization Hacks for Boots: Pool Noodle Shapers
Tall boots slump over and crease, then knock everything else on the closet floor sideways. These closet organization hacks for boots use a leftover summer pool noodle. Cut it into pieces the height of the boot shaft and slide one into each boot. The boots stand tall, keep their shape and line up neatly in a fraction of the space. One noodle makes shapers for three or four pairs, and they are soft enough to never scratch leather. Do you have a noodle in the garage?
You will need: A foam pool noodle, a serrated knife, a tape measure.
How to make it: 1. Measure the boot shaft from heel to top. 2. Have an adult cut the noodle to that length with a serrated knife. 3. Slide a piece into each boot. 4. Line the boots up along the back wall of the closet.
Shower Curtain Ring Belt Rack
Belts rolled in a drawer always end up tangled. Clip a row of shower curtain rings onto a sturdy wooden hanger, then loop one belt through each ring by its buckle. The whole collection hangs on the rod in the width of one shirt, and you can pick the right belt in seconds. It works for ties, tank tops and small bags too. Grab an extra pack of rings because once you start, you will find more to hang. Ready to free that drawer?
You will need: A wooden hanger with a bar, metal shower curtain rings, your belts.
How to make it: 1. Open each ring and clip it over the hanger bar. 2. Space the rings evenly along the bar. 3. Thread each belt buckle through a ring. 4. Hang it in the closet next to your trousers.
A Rope Rail for Extra Hanging Space
If the closet is truly full, borrow a little wall space nearby. A straight branch or wooden dowel hung from two pieces of rope makes a pretty extra rail for coats, guest clothes or the outfits you plan for the holidays. It looks simple and Scandinavian, and it costs only a few dollars. Hang it near the guest bed so visitors have somewhere to put their things too. Where would you hang yours?
You will need: A wooden dowel or straight branch, sturdy rope, two ceiling or wall hooks.
How to make it: 1. Fix two hooks into a ceiling joist or wall stud (adult with a drill). 2. Tie rope to each end of the dowel. 3. Hang the ropes on the hooks and check it is level. 4. Load it lightly with your extra clothes.
Closet Organization Hacks for Holiday Gifts: One Labeled Bin
Closet organization hacks matter most in December, when gifts start piling up. Give them one clear bin on a high shelf. Put wrapped presents, wrapping paper rolls, ribbon and gift bags inside, then tie a simple handmade tag on the front so you always know where to look. No more half wrapped surprises hiding behind the shoes, and no more buying tape three times. When the season is over, the same bin holds your wrapping supplies until next year. What is already waiting in your gift pile?
You will need: A large clear bin with a lid, kraft paper tags, twine, your gifts and wrapping supplies.
How to make it: 1. Clear one top shelf for the bin. 2. Stand wrapping rolls upright at one end. 3. Fill the rest with gifts, ribbon and bags. 4. Tie on a tag so the whole family knows it is off limits.
Closet Organization Hacks With a Pegboard Back Wall
The back wall of a reach-in closet is often bare. A painted pegboard panel turns it into flexible storage for bags, hats, necklaces and small baskets. Move the hooks whenever your needs change, and add a little shelf for folded scarves. Paint it a soft color and it brightens the whole closet. It is one of those closet organization hacks that makes a tiny space feel custom built. Which color would you paint yours?
You will need: A pegboard panel, spacers and screws, paint, pegboard hooks, a small shelf bracket.
How to make it: 1. Paint the pegboard and let it dry. 2. Ask an adult to screw it to the wall over spacers so hooks fit. 3. Add hooks in rows for bags and hats. 4. Clip on a small shelf for scarves or jewelry.
Display Handbags on Floating Shelves Like a Boutique
Handbags crushed in a pile lose their shape and get forgotten. A few slim floating shelves above the rod or on the closet side wall give every bag a spot, just like a boutique. Stuff each bag with tissue so it holds its shape, and keep straps tucked inside. You will see exactly what you own and pick the right bag in a second. Do you have a favorite bag that deserves a shelf of its own?
You will need: Two or three floating shelves, screws and anchors, tissue paper, your handbags.
How to make it: 1. Mark a level line on the wall. 2. Have an adult fix the shelves with anchors. 3. Fill each bag lightly with tissue. 4. Stand the bags upright with a little space between them.
Closet Organization Hacks for Winter: The Vacuum Bag Swap
Finish these closet organization hacks with a seasonal swap. Pack summer clothes, beach towels and light dresses into vacuum storage bags and suck out the air with a regular vacuum. A full bag shrinks to a flat slab that slides onto the top shelf or under the bed. Now the front of the closet is free for cozy winter sweaters, and your space has truly doubled before the holidays. Want even more ideas? This closet storage hacks video has millions of views, and our tension rod hacks add storage without drilling. Which season will you pack away first?
You will need: Vacuum storage bags, a home vacuum, your out of season clothes.
How to make it: 1. Wash and fully dry the clothes. 2. Fold them flat into the bag without overfilling. 3. Seal the zip and vacuum out the air through the valve. 4. Stack the flat bags on the top shelf.
