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Without organization, a child's closet can quickly become an overwhelming nightmare. A jumbled pile of shoes, toys, and clothes makes it nearly impossible to find what you need. How can you achieve an organized, functional kid's closet?
Besides a custom closet solution, the three main ways to maximize the organization in your kids' closets are hanging items, storing items, and creative labeling.
Ready to finally take the chaos out of your kids' closets? Don't stop here! Read on to learn even more!
Basic Organization Tips
No matter the size or shape of your child's closet, there are a few standard tips to keep things organized.
Purge or Store Outgrown Clothes
Every parent can relate to throwing outgrown clothes somewhere in their child's closet to store later. Unfortunately, that pile can take up valuable space. Instead, place any outgrown clothes in a basket or hamper and store them out of sight. Each seasonal change, remove the clothes and purge, store, or donate outgrown pieces.
Keep It Simple and Accessible
Your child should be set up to succeed at accessing and maintaining the tidiness of their own closet. This means keeping everything super accessible and at an appropriate height. When things are easy to reach and put away, your child will feel empowered to dress themself and keep things tidy.
Get The Kids Involved
Your child is more likely to enjoy and keep their new closet tidy if they were part of the process. Let them help pick--or give the choice between three options--the shoe organizer, the storage bins, or hamper. Pick out some fun stickers to put on the walls. Get their opinion on accessibility.
Hanging Organization Ideas
When most people think of a closet, they picture hanging clothes. While this can be the main function of a closet, there are so many options to maximize the use of your hanging space!
Hanging Clothes
First things first: organize your child's hanging clothes. This can be done with dividers or different colored hangers. Have a section for pants, shirts, dresses, jackets, arrange clothes by days of the week, or use whatever categories your child needs.
Hanging Organizers
Hanging organizers come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. You can organize just about anything in a hanging organizer, but many people use them to organize shoes, clothing sets for each day of the week, and undergarments.
Extra Tension Rod
MSN.com notes that doubling your child's closet space can be done by adding an extra tension rod below the main closet rod. Even better, this makes clothes very accessible for your child!
Storage Organization Ideas
One of the biggest challenges in organizing a closet is the storage system. This varies for every closet--and every child! What works well in one situation may not work in another. Here are some popular ideas for storage:
Storage Bins
Storage bins are a wonderful way to keep everything organized and accessible, but a quick internet search will reveal thousands of options. Only you (and perhaps with your child's help!) can determine which storage bins work best. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Different colored storage bins - Pick various colors and organize clothes by type (shirts, pants, etc.), by day (so your child can quickly grab their clothes), or by season.
- Difference sizes - Don't be afraid of using different-sized bins. Your child may need more space for some items & less for others.
- Stackable bins - Using storage bins with lids allows you to stack them and maximize space. While this might not be practical for a young child, stackable bins can be used on the top shelf or for items that are infrequently used.
- Hamper - Use a hamper to keep dirty clothes contained and out of the way. Hampers can also be used for shoes and are a good option for pairs that are worn infrequently like hiking boots or water shoes.
Shoe Storage
Shoes can quickly take over the floor. Use a shoe organizer to keep things tidy and maximize space. Over-the-door pocket organizers are an excellent way to keep shoes paired and accessible.
Dividers
If once-organized items are prone to merge together, consider using shelf or drawer dividers. These define the shelf and drawer space so everything stays neat and tidy.
Wire Baskets
Another great way to maximize dead space is with under-shelf wire baskets. These can be used for hard-to-fold items like socks and underwear, or for ball caps, swimsuits, or winter gear.
Labels
Once you've determined your storage system, it's time to label! A newly-organized closet can be confusing to your child as they learn to put things in the proper places. Here are a few creative label ideas:
- Colors - Especially easy for toddlers and young children, a color-coded system organizes their items for quick identification, such as a blue sticker for shirts, green for pants, and yellow for pajamas.
- Days of the week - Particularly helpful for school-aged children, labeling storage bins with each day of the week saves you from the fuss of finding each day's outfit.
- Clothing type - Label storage bins with each clothing type.
- Character labels - Use various stickers of your child's favorite movie characters for storage bins, such as Lightning McQueen for shirts or Olaf for pants. This is another system that's great for young children.
Conclusion
Organizing your child's closet can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Take inventory of their wardrobe, the dead spaces that you can transform into storage space, and your child's preferences. Working together, you can create a fun and functional closet everyone can use!