Closets/Clothes :: Organizing Wonders

Archive for Closets/Clothes

Outgrown Kid Clothes

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on August 1, 2015 No Comments

As every parent knows, kids go through a lot of clothes- and fast. My first child was 9 1/2 pounds at birth and basically skipped all the 0-3 month clothes we had for her. Did not see that coming! The amount of clothes and the constant turn over is enough to drive anyone crazy. Here are some ways to handle outgrown kid clothes:

1. Save: If you are on baby #1 and keeping clothes for future baby #2, put washed outgrown clothes away in bins labeled with sizes like 3-6 months, 6-9 months. I liked the Deep Sweater Box from the Container Store’s line of clear storage boxes. They were the perfect size for baby clothes and I could stack them in the closet.

2. Pass Along: If you are all done with babies, it is the perfect time to pass them along to a friend or relative who can use them. It works great when you know someone with a child 1-2 years younger than yours. You can keep passing things down the line- and hope they do the same.

3. Donate: Most charities are happy to take baby clothes. Some like Baby2Baby even specialize in them. You can also check with your local women’s shelter.

4. Sell: You won’t make much at yard sales for baby clothes- but they are popular if in good condition. If you have high end, name brand baby clothes in good condition, you can sell them on-line at places like ThredUp. Mail your clothes to them and they will send you some money for the ones they can sell!

5. Raise Money: My new favorite thing to do with my kids’ clothes is send them to Schoola. They send me a postage paid bag. I fill the bag with the good clothes and send it in. They sell them on-line and 40% goes to my kid’s school. A very easy way to raise funds! You can see photos of your clothes on their website, watch as items get sold across the country and see how much money is coming to the school.

6. Recycle: If your kids clothes are past their usefulness to anyone- don’t throw them in the trash. Use them as rags. Give blankets and towels to the local animal shelter. And recycle the rest at local H&M stores through their Don’t Let Fashion Go to Waste program. A fantastic way to keep textiles and clothes out of the landfills.

Whatever way you decide to part with kids clothes, just make sure you keep doing it. If you fall too far behind, you might get buried in clothes!

Categories : Closets/Clothes, Donating & Recycling, Kids

Organized Headbands & Hairclips

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on March 30, 2015 No Comments

I have two little girls- and that means a lot of headbands. I tried putting them in a little bucket, then a divided container, but neither worked well. Then I decided to hang them. I took two Command hooks and put them on my daughter’s closet door. Then I put a small curtain tension rod on the hooks. An instant awesome headband rack was created right at my daughter’s level so she can pick which one to wear.

To remove a headband from the middle, simply lift one side of the rod, pull the headband past it, replace the rod, and then pull the headband down and out from the others. It was fast and easy to make. It looks great, was inexpensive, and is so user friendly.

What about all the hair clips? Even easier. Just put up another Command hook. Use a leftover piece of ribbon and attach all the clips. So easy to see and easy to put away. If you are doing hair in another location, just pick up the ribbon and all the clips come with you. These things have been working really well for my girls and hopefully they will for you too.

Sometimes you need to think outside of the container for the perfect organizing solution!

Categories : Closets/Clothes, Kids, Simple and Organized

Elfa Closet Sale!

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on January 5, 2015 No Comments

January brings fresh starts, goals, resolutions- and the Elfa Closet Sale at The Container Store. I got an Elfa closet 9 years ago when I moved in with my then fiance and had to use the most ridiculous closet space for my clothes. The closet was very high and long with very little access to it aside from a tiny door. There was no way around it. I needed Elfa. We designed a double hang closet that accommodated the space and made it functional for me in a way I didn’t think possible.

A year later, we moved and that Elfa closet moved with me. In our house, the master closet was done, but my daughter’s room needed a better closet. With just the addition of 3 parts, my old closet was reconfigured and became my young daughter’s new closet. As she grows up, the low hanging bars and shelves will move upward. This closet will work the whole time she is growing up! Now that is a worthwhile purchase.

Once my father gave up trying to share a closet with my mom, he moved his clothes to the guest room closet. Only problem was, that closet had also turned into a kitchen pantry. I used Elfa to turn one closet into a clothes closet for my dad on one side- and a pantry with shelves on the other side. It created much more space in the closet and made it functional for its dual purpose.

I love Elfa for it’s ease and flexibility. You customize it to your space, budget, and tastes. Keep it simple and inexpensive with just the basics or go for everything from mesh drawers to jewelry trays. There are usually 2 sales a year so try and time your closet purchase accordingly. Right now it is 30% off until February 11, 2015. Their designers are great. They can install it if you can’t. (It is pretty easy.) I love the way the catalog looks- but let’s be honest- no one’s closet has only 7 shirts and 6 pairs of shoes. I wish they would show what a real closet looks like with Elfa- so here is one =)

Categories : Closets/Clothes, Helpful Products, My Blog

Hanger Clutter

By Tanya Whitford, CPO® on February 24, 2014 No Comments

When getting dressed, do you pull a shirt off the hanger and leave the hanger or do you actually remove the hanger with the shirt? Sounds simple, but many people out of habit just pull a shirt off and leave the hanger. When you do this continually and then don’t go through your closet and gather all those empty hangers at laundry time, you will end up with a messier closet and less room. One of the first things I do when working on a closet is remove empty hangers- and it can easily be 50-100 hangers! That is a lot of unnecessary hanger clutter that people often don’t notice until all the empty hangers get pulled out.

If you have a tendency to leave hangers behind, try to get in the habit of pulling the hanger and then removing your clothes. Put the empty hanger in a bin in your closet or hang them all at the end of the rod. I drop mine in a laundry basket that doubles as my hamper. That way when I do the laundry, I have all the hangers I need to put the clothes back up. It is a simple habit that will make a big difference in your closet. Save time, space, and frustration by eliminating hanger clutter.

Categories : Closets/Clothes, Simple and Organized