My Closet Overfloweth!

The closet in our master bedroom has been driving me crazy for ages! Danny's side is wonderful, but mine has slowly been flowing over and out of control, as you can see from this before picture. This weekend I went to setting it to right, and you can do exactly the same thing in any of your closets with the same four steps.

1. Clear everything out. Empty your closet of anything and everything - take the clothes out, clear off the shelves, make sure the floor is empty and remove anything from the walls. We want a completely blank slate to work from.

2. Clean. Wipe down all the shelves and the rod under them. Sweep the floor with a carpet powder or sweep and mop if it's a tile floor. This is also the time to repaint if you're going for a completely different look.

3. Sort. Nothing goes back into this closet unless you use it, wear it or carry it. Be ruthless - have a thrift shop donation bag close by and fill it. Throw away anything that's broken or ripped, even if you have a notion to fix it. If you haven't already, you probably won't. Donate anything that doesn't fit properly or make you feel wonderful when you wear it.

4. Organize. This is the fun part! You get to decide how to arrange everything and put it back into the closet. Consider some new rolling drawers for smaller items and a great wicker basket for larger ones. I found the one pictured here at the thrift store for just a couple of dollars. When you hang your clothes back up, organize them in a way that works for you. I put my dresses and skirt hangers in the back, short-sleeved shirts (because I'm not wearing them in the in the winter), then jackets, long-sleeved shirts, 3/4-length shirts and sleeveless shirts, organized by color within each section. At some point I'd like to replace all my wire hangers with matching padded ones so their more gentle on my clothes - someday!
My shoes are also organized by color and season.

You don't have to organize as methodically as I did - the idea is to clear out the excess in your life and feel like you have control of the "stuff" instead of it having control of you. This is what works the best for me, so find what's going to make your space attractive, make what you need accessible and keep them in great condition.