If you’re too scared to go into your closet, it’s probably not the monsters. It’s more like the monstrous pile of clothes everywhere! Can I get an amen? Tame the mountains of clothing once and for all, and then keep your wardrobe manageable with these clever closet ideas for cleaning, sorting, and organizing!

If you've ever stared (or cried, shouted, pouted, etc.) at your closet for an embarrassing amount of time because you have NOTHING to wear, today's post is for YOU! Ever since I shared my ideas on how to dress your bump, you guys have been begging me to share all of my closet ideas.

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I'm sharing my best closet organizing hacks and closet ideas to help you keep your closet clean and make sure you're rotating through all of your favorite clothes. Keep in mind that the process of cleaning a closet is ongoing. It's not a one-and-done type of deal.

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Watch my first pass at my closet organization video online here and see the nitty-gritty of how I get my closet in shape in simple ways you're. gonna. love!

Aren't those tips great?! And for the older (but still full of information!) video that goes into more detail on how I organize my closet…

Check out the video online HERE, or click and watch below:

Did you make it?! That wasn't so bad! If you're not curled up in a ball on your closet floor wishing you were already done, keep on reading! You've got this!

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Here's a quick recap of my closet organization hacks that are sure to change the way you store your clothes, shoes, boots, and – well – everything! But first we need to…

REFRAME THE PROCESS OF CLOSET ORGANIZATION

Has this ever happened to you? You're cleaning and organizing a space, and you fell into the trap of getting too granular. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the small stuff, think of your cleaning process like this old experiment:

Imagine you’re told to fill a vase with water, sand, big rocks, and small pebbles. It’s nearly impossible to fill the vase unless you start with the biggest rocks, then add the small pebbles, then add the sand, and then the water. If you go out of order, it just won’t work. The vase overflows.

Think of your cleaning and organizing process the same way. Work in this order:

• The Big Rocks – First, important big steps. I call this a “company's coming clean”. Make it all look good, but don't worry so much about the inside of drawers and cupboards. Those don't have to be perfect.
• The Small Pebbles – Once the space is clean and generally organized, focus on one section at a time and go through it with more detail. Organize by color, straighten hangers, find new spaces for overcrowded items, etc.
• The Sand/Water– Go through each crack, drawer, and crevice. Roll each sock. Lint roll each sweater. Perfectly line up each earring in the jewelry box. No space is left untouched.

Thinking of your closet as this vase keeps you from being bogged down in the minutiae so you can make actual progress. As you'll see, this isn't about being perfect; this is about making progress! Keep this in mind as you take the next steps to cleaning and organizing your closet…

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OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

It's important to keep clothes rotating through the closet on a semi-regular basis. I switch out my closet about every six months for a number of reasons:

• I get a new, fresh wardrobe – By taking all of my fall and winter clothes and putting them away and bringing out my spring and summer clothes, I am constantly getting a new wardrobe. This way, I shop way less because it feels fresh and new every time I pull something new out. 
• It creates space in the closet – I pull out things I won’t wear for a while to make space for things that are perfect for the season. 
• It forces me to get rid of stuff – Maybe the clothes don't fit anymore or aren't on-trend. If you don't still love it, instead of letting it clutter up your space, get rid of it!
• It forces me to sort each piece – As I hang the next season's clothes on the open hangers, I’ll sort each item of clothing. If I haven’t missed it, out it goes. 

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MAKE SPACE

When I start the purging process, I can hardly walk in my closet. Not fun (even in snowshoes). With this in mind, I clear the floor and take things out of the closet so I have a clean slate to work with. I keep the things I need to organize the space:

• Black Garbage Bags – One for trash that you plan to toss out, and one for donation items. Hang these up to keep them handy. 
• Laundry Basket – For things that belong somewhere else in the house.
• Last Season's Clothes – This is stored off to the side in a bucket that will soon become empty and then refilled with last season's clothes.

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CREATE A CLOTHING PILE

After you create a staging area to work and you've got your supplies, it's time to make a pile. Here's how you tackle your clothing swap:

• Make a big pile of last season's clothes – On the floor to free up your hangers, drawers, and hooks for upcoming, seasonal clothing.
• Sort, fold, and pack the clothes you love – If you keep it, put it into a storage bin. Donate items you don't love (or throw them away if they're too far gone).
• Pull out this season's clothes – Once last season's clothes are put away, dump this season's clothes in a pile, and you're ready to rock and roll with these next steps…

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Before we start organizing, check out this awesome before and after!

Holy hannah! Isn't that after shot glorious to behold? Alright, time to get to all the closet organization hacks. Boom!

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ORGANIZE CLOTHES BY COLOR AND SLEEVE LENGTH

Organizing your clothes by sleeve length makes it so much easier to put together outfits. I follow a generic color scheme and arrange everything in order from tank tops, sweaters, dresses, and so on. By doing this, you'll be able to put outfits together quickly. You'll also be able to rotate them pretty well because you'll be aware of what you have for each season since they'll already be organized by sleeve length.

Pro Tip: Do something while you’re cleaning so you can multitask and keep your mind busy. Use this time to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, or YouTube videos! 

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MAXIMIZE DRAWER SPACE

One of my favorite closet ideas is to utilize drawer space and roll clothes. (Check out how I roll my clothes for efficient packing in this video.) By rolling your clothes, you can fit so much more in a drawer. It keeps them wrinkle free and it helps you to see everything in one glance.

If you don't have drawer space in your closet, don't fret! You can easily do this same thing in your dresser OR you can grab some bins like these and roll things within the bins.

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FLIP YOUR HANGERS

I'm a huge fan of this tip because I like a lot of variety and have a lot of clothes. I don't follow a capsule wardrobe plan, but A LOT of Freebs do and LOVE it. If you're looking for more closet ideas and a way to get started with a capsule wardrobe, Get Your Pretty On has everything you need!

For me, I like choices! This tip comes back to a hanger. Anytime you wear something, put it back on the rack backwards. Then, every few months go through your closet and get rid of anything that's not flipped backwards because you're not wearing it enough. This also reminds you of what you haven't worn recently so you're not wearing the same clothes all of the time.

Pro Tip: Have clothes that snag other clothes (like sequins)? I turn those items inside out to store them in seasonal boxes. Then they don’t catch or snag on anything else in the seasonal box.

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ADD HOOKS TO EMPTY WALLS

Let's be honest. You might only have so much hanging space for clothes, but don't overlook the blank space on your walls. This gives everything a home off of your floor! Use hooks anywhere you can find space to hang things like:

• Backpacks
• Purses
• Bags
• Hats
• Scarves
• Belts
• Umbrellas

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ORGANIZE BOOTS & SHOES

I. love. boots. and. shoes. (I have a shoe problem, let's just not talk about it)! Plus, there are so many smart and simple ways to store them:

• Boots in Drawers – I love storing my boots flat in drawers! It's actually my preference.
• Boots Standing Up – If you don't have the drawer space, take an old pool noodle or an old rolled-up magazine. Stick it in the boot for stability so you can store them upright on a shelf or lined up nicely against a wall.
• Shoe Shelf – I like to store my shoes front to back on a shelf.
• Shoe Organizer – These shoe organizers are fairly inexpensive and help you keep everything in order.

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USE A CATCH-ALL BASKET

At all times, have a catch-all basket in your closet. If you're like me, you're a dropper. While frantically trying to find what to wear, you grab clothes and toss them aside if they're not exactly what you're looking for.

Obviously, it would only take 5 seconds to put them up, but sometimes a girl just wants to live a little in her closet. Am I right?! When the basket is full, just take a few minutes to put it all away.

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There ya go! That was just a few of my closet ideas to help you organize your closet. I'd love to know if you have any other closet ideas or organization tips. Please share them below in the comments!

Getting organized is one of the best ways to stay on top of all the chaos and stay productive! Don't forget to check out my Productivity Boot Camp program for even more tips on conquering life in every area of your life and home!

Use the code FCFBLOG for 10% off on the program.

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Need a few more organization tips?

• Check out these super simple pantry organization tips!
• Anyone struggling with paper clutter?? Here are a few of my favorite tips for staying on top of all the endless stacks of paper.

Good luck getting organized and enjoy shopping your closet! 😉

XO –