There are plenty of clever ways to make big use of tiny closets. From picking hangers that minimize bulk to increasing square footage with closet organizers, you don’t have to settle for a cramped wardrobe. Use these nifty ideas to fit more stuff in that smaller space without giving yourself more ironing work. With these tips, you might even find room to add some new outfits!
1. Use suit hangers
Whether or not you wear suits, you can put these multi-use hangers to work to free up some space in your small closet. If you have shirts and pants you wear together often, hang them as an outfit on a suit hanger.
2. Use clip-style pant hangers
While folding a pair of pants over a hanger works great for most closets, you need to save some space if you have a small bedroom with an equally small closet. You can either buy clip-style hangers to reduce bulk or invest in waterfall hangers to hang multiple pairs of pants at once.
3. Use shelving space
Make use of every part of your closet to maximize your storage space. Even if the upper shelf is too high to reach, put some items up there that you don’t use often but don’t want to get rid of. You can always grab a step stool when you need to.
4. Use bins to add space
You can better utilize the shelf space you have in your closet by investing in plastic, cloth, or wicker bins to organize smaller clothing items. This is also great if you don’t have space in your room for a dresser.
5. Fold like Marie Kondo
The KonMari website has folding tips that will help fit more items into bins and dressers. Not only is this an excellent method for space-saving, but it also makes it easier to pick out which pieces you need each day without digging through piles.
6. Get the right hangers for space-saving
Space-saving hangers come in many different styles. There are tiered pant hangers, shirt hangers, and even slotted ones for hanging multiple tank tops, scarves, or bras.
7. Hang your shoes
Free up some of your shelf space and get your shoes out of the walkway by using a hanging organizer. You can put one of these organizers on the back of your closet door or utilize both sides of the door if you have a lot of shoes.
8. Fill up floorspace with a shoe rack
Do what you can to utilize empty floor space in your tiny closet. For example, you can add a shoe rack to give yourself room to organize your footwear.
9. Or put other things on the floor
If you don’t have a lot of shoes or have them stored in a separate area, you can still get the most out of your closet space by putting other items on the floor. Use storage bins or bags to cut back on the visual clutter. This is a good place for your laundry basket, too.
10. Double your hanging rods
Add an extra rod in your closet so you can hang one row of clothing above a second row. This will allow you to hang a lot more in a little space.
11. Remodel your closet
Consider redoing your closet to create more space. You can buy a metal or wood closet organizing system from a store like IKEA or Target, but measure your closet before purchasing so you get an organizing system that fits your specific dimensions.
12. Put your walls to use
You can create some extra room in your small closet by utilizing some wall space outside your wardrobe. If you have a collection of hats, scarves, or other accessories that you can hang on a wall in your bedroom or hallway, hang them.
13. Put coats elsewhere
Coats can take up a lot of closet space, but they don’t need to. Whether you opt for a free-standing coat rack or one that attaches to the wall, this will give you more closet space and easier access to jackets when you need them.
14. Add an external closet
If you have a bigger room with a smaller closet, consider investing in a garment rack. This will add more space for hanging clothes, and you can find them in all sorts of sizes.
15. Store out-of-season items
Just because you have a small closet doesn’t mean you don’t have space to stow out-of-season clothing. Vacuum-sealed bags make even the bulkiest garments easily storable.
16. Use non-slip hangers
Keeping your small closet organized means keeping clothing on the hangers. Velvet hangers help keep garments from sliding off. The divots also come in handy for tank tops.
17. Organize your hanging clothes
Whether you organize your items by color, clothing type, or some other strategy, putting stuff away in a specific order makes it easier to find what you want when you need it. This helps minimize mess.
18. Utilize your dresser more
Put more stuff in the dresser. Clothing that doesn’t wrinkle easily doesn’t need to be hung if your closet space is limited. Keep jeans, leggings, sweaters, and tank tops in the dresser. Reserve the closet for dresses, dress pants, and dress shirts.
19. Consider a capsule wardrobe
You could cut down on how much stuff is cluttering your small closet by adopting a capsule wardrobe, which calls for owning fewer items. Your closet will be easier to organize when you have fewer garments.
20. Donate clothes you rarely wear
You can also take this time to weed out clothing you haven’t worn in a while. Why hold onto something you haven’t touched in a year? Instead, take it to the thrift store and make your closet look nicer.
