Operation Organization: Closet Storage

Confession: my closet looks like a hot mess around 70% of the time.  Okay, maybe 75% of the time.  Okay, lets just not quantify it.  Here’s a thing I did to help myself get a little more organized in the closet.

My closet is actually considerably big for my little 571 sq. ft. apartment.  It’s just under 37 sq. ft., and at 8 1/2 ft deep, there’s a fair amount of walkin’ space.  It’s almost 5 ft wide, leaving me plenty of room to put a shelf on the back wall, and still hang my clothes on the adjacent rod.

My bookshelf is one of those inexpensive composite-wood, adjustable shelving units that you can find at most big-box stores.  Its just over 6 ft tall, around 3 ft wide and 1 ft deep.  I purchased it 6ish years ago, and it’s in good shape, so I’d say I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth… but… with all of my purses and wallets and clutches and shoes on it, it’s uggo.

It’s nothing that a curtain rod, a curtain, some paint, and a sponge can’t fix, though.

I attached a $5 curtain rod (from Target, maybe?) to the top of my shelf.

My curtain had visible tabs, but I didn’t want that, so I folded them over and sewed them in place.  The curtain rod now slips in the tabs behind the top hem.  Tabs be gone.

Then I hemmed the bottom of the curtain up a few inches.  I just hung it on the shelf and marked where I wanted the bottom to be with a piece of chalk.  No pesky measuring, here.

Then I cut a damp kitchen sponge into a triangle, and used black and grey latex paint to create a random geometric pattern on the curtain.

Old baking tins lined with aluminum foil make great paint trays, and allow for easy cleanup!

Now I don’t have to stare at what could be considered a “hoarders stash” of shoes and purses every time I walk by or into my closet!  I still have a ways to go before anyone could consider this closet pinterest-worthy, but at least I’ve got the ball rolling.  Baby steps.

I already had all of the supplies used in this project so I’m not sure of the exact cost, but I’d bet that you could easily re-create this on your own for under $50.  All you need is a composite wood shelf, a cheap curtain rod, a curtain, a sponge and some paint!

What solutions do you use to store your purses and shoes?  Link to them in the comments section so I can see!

xo

J