Monthly Archives: July 2009

DIY Project: Closet System

Fall is a great time to get rid of things you rarely use and get ready for back to school time. Designing and building your own closet system is a cost effective way to get exactly the storage you need that fits your life and your budget.

Wire shelving systems are popular because they are easy to install and don’t cost a fortune to invest in. There are all types of wire shelving accessories that help you personalize the space. You can easily install drawers, sliding tie racks, shoe racks, and laundry bins. Being able to add on to the system later is an additional budget-friendly bonus.

You will need an electronic stud finder, a level, a tape measure, a hacksaw and a power drill. Clear everything out of the closet. Remove old shelves and hanging bars that you are not going to use. You will need to prep the closet for the new shelving system at this point.

Fill all holes with putty and let it thoroughly dry. Sand off any excess spackle with a fine-grit sandpaper. Vacuum up any remaining dust and paint the walls of the closet. Now your closet is ready for install.

There are two types of wire shelving systems. One type has clips that screw to the wall and the wire shelf attaches to the clips. The other type hangs from a track and is more versatile. Draw level lines throughout the closet where you want your shelves to hang. Then go through with your stud finder and mark each side of every stud that touches your lines. Cut the hanging track with the hacksaw to the desired lengths. Attach clips or hanging tracks by drilling screws along the lines into every stud that you can.

Cut and install your longest shelves first to ensure that you have enough length. You may decide to install a few extra short shelves for smaller items if you have some usable pieces left over. Attach the brackets that are designed to go with your system. These usually clamp on to the wire shelf. Putting one at every stud possible will make your shelves very sturdy and capable of holding up a lot of weight. Shorter brackets are available for shelves that you want to hang at forty-five degrees, like shoe shelves.

These shelves are great for hanging all of your clothes. They are compatible with most shirt hangers, pants hangers and suit hangers. If you find that smaller items slip through the wires, consider using bins or baskets for these items. When your closet is done, you can be proud that you did it yourself!

About the Author: Charlie Hafter is on the staff of Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online resource for shirt hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers and dress hangers. Get all of the accessories you could need at http://www.closethangerfactory.com, which is recognized worldwide for their excellent quality hangers.

Shirt Hangers, Skirt Hangers and Other Space Savers

Almost everyone has struggled with a bulging closet. Closets are notorious for becoming cram packed with too much junk. They become a quick hiding place for clutter when we have to speed clean. They get neglected and can hold the same, unworn clothing for decades. Well, it is time to clean that closet. It not only needs to be cleaned, but a system needs to be put in place to give you the extra room that you need to keep it organized.

Start by emptying the closet. Keep only what you really like to wear. After you thin the herd, you can begin to organize your clothes. Remember, the goal here is to create even more space than you actually need. This way, as time goes by and new clothing gets added, you do not have to start over. We want a closet that stays organized despite our best efforts to pack it full.

Now, you could spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on a custom closet system. If you can afford it, it’s not a bad idea. But, for those of us looking for a quick fix for a long-term problem, we may want to look at some more cost-effective options.

The best closet trick in the book is to utilize the many specialty hangers that are on the market today. Hanger designs have made it possible to double or even triple the space in our closets. These special hangers used to only be available to stores and high end retailers. But, thanks to the internet, we can order luxury shirt hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers, space saving hangers, slimline hangers, and more! The list goes on and on. But, the point is that you do not have to buy hundreds of one type to order straight from the best manufacturers out there.

So, order yourself some really sturdy hangers. Get all of the different types that you need to really make some space in your closet. Many hangers, like slimline hangers and metal salesman’s hangers, allow you to cascade items from one hanger to another.

For example, you can hang your shirt on a shirt hanger, your pants on a pants hanger, and then adjoin them with a cascading hook. This way, they are not only hung together and ready to wear, but they take up half the space that they did before. Salesman’s hangers have an extended neck to keep the pants or skirt hanging well below the shirt, making even more space. It may not seem like much, but all of the tiny bits of space that you save can add up.

Once your closet it organized with specialty shirt hangers, skirt hangers and pants hangers, you should have some extra space. Now, every time you put away laundry, your closet will be instantly organized again. When everything has a specific space, you are more likely to keep it there.

About the Author: Charlie Hafter is on the staff of Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online resource for shirt hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers and dress hangers. Get all of the accessories you could need at http://www.closethangerfactory.com, which is recognized worldwide for their excellent quality hangers.

Creating a Tidy Closet

Closet organization is a multi-billion dollar industry. But there are a few things you can do yourself that require little or no money. Getting your closets organized is a good way to get your life in order. With clutter and disarray around you, you just feel overwhelmed. That feeling of being pulled in all directions with too many responsibilities to handle can be lessened by getting things in order around the home.

Start by setting a date to do your organizing. Leave the whole day or weekend empty to get things done. You can enlist the help of friends or family. But, if you anticipate having to baby people through the process or constantly needing to stop to take care of things for the family, then arrange for them to be out of the house on your organization day.

Take it one step at a time and don’t think about how much work you’ll have to do. Pull things out of one closet and start by getting rid of what you don’t need. Giving clothes to charity or friends is like having a heavy weight lifted. Get the clutter out and feel the difference in your mood and energy. If you’re not sure about whether you can let go of something, consider storing it somewhere other than your closet. You can keep sentimental items with your out of season clothing. Another option is to simply turn the hanger around backwards. If that hanger stays backwards for more than a year, then you know that you should get rid of it.

Now is the time to get things moving. Without building a lot of shelves or installing drawers, you can still make space. Hooks and over the door organizers are popular. A small shelf on the floor can double your shoe storage space and eliminate that giant shoe pile that haunts you. Consider a wooden chest outside of the closet for storing boots and other bulky shoes that you don’t wear often.

Another trick is to get a 12” wide board and cut it into triangles. Install triangle shelves in the front corners of your closet to give yourself endless areas for little things like dress shoes, jewelry, camera bags and more. Use small bins and baskets to keep things in their place. Crates can be used for things like crafts, linens, socks and underwear to keep them out of sight, yet organized.

The last step is to purchase some matching specialty hangers. Shirt hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers and dress hangers can keep things from becoming crammed or ending up on the floor.

These are all inexpensive options. Utilizing small shelving, bins, skirt hangers and shirt hangers, you can quickly get things organized in your home and let your life move along.

About the Author: Charlie Hafter is on the staff of Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online resource for shirt hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers and dress hangers. Get all of the accessories you could need at http://www.closethangerfactory.com, which is recognized worldwide for their excellent quality hangers.