Wire shelving (Affiliate Link) in a closet is an affordable way to organize your clothing. When installed correctly, they are durable and last for years. They can hold a lot of weight, too! So, to help you organize the clothes, you can add affordable wire shelving (Affiliate Link) accessories that will attach to the wall or the wire shelves to give you more organized space in your closet. I will share the products I used with clients so they, too, do not have to buy custom shelving (Affiliate Link).
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Wire shelving (Affiliate Link) can be used in foyer closets, pantries, basement closets, bedroom closets (walk-in or plain closet layouts), garages, and sheds (Affiliate Link). Basically, for any area of your home, you want to organize with vertical shelving (Affiliate Link), you can add wire shelving (Affiliate Link). But we will be focusing on clothing closets today. I will be revisiting the other areas later this year.
Note: Remember to purge your closet before adding more wire shelving (Affiliate Link) accessories. You may not need as much as you think. Visit our other posts below to know when to declutter and how to sort your clothing.
20 SIGNS A CLOSET NEEDS TO BE PURGED
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHILE PURGING YOUR CLOTHES
HOW TO STORE CLOTHING IN REALLY SMALL SPACES
WHAT TO KEEP IN YOUR ORGANIZED CLOSET
Now that you have cleared out the unwanted items and sorted the clothing by type, we are going to begin adding the wire shelving (Affiliate Link) accessories to make your space a customized one.
Get Shelf Liners to Keep Items From Falling through the Wire Shelving
Let's first get some wire shelf liners (Affiliate Link) so the items, especially clothing, do not slide through the gaps. If you go for the thicker liners, they work best for wire shelving (Affiliate Link). There are different depths, from 12 inches to 24 inches. Below is one I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link).com (affiliate), but I have seen it at many other places, like The Container Store.
Make sure you get the correct depth before buying.
Shelf Liner for 16" Wire Shelving with Locking Tabs - 10 Foot Roll
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Tip: Be sure to measure your shelf's depth to make sure you purchase the correct ones. They can range in size drastically. Some are sheets already precut, and others are in a roll that you will have to cut the length.
If you want to do a DIY hack instead of buying these liners, you can cut strips of cardboard and lay them on top of the wire shelves (Affiliate Link), as a client of mine did in their bathroom closet.
You can also use foam core boards. Cut them into strips, cover them with Self-stick decorative paper, and lay them on the wire shelving (Affiliate Link). I found this post years ago that shows you how to do it. You can see it in this picture from my narrow linen closet post.
Now that you have determined the liner you are going to use and added them to your closet, below are the items you can add to these wire shelving (Affiliate Link) accessories to get the most out of your closet.
Tip: Remember that some liners may be blocking the area to attach to the wire shelving (Affiliate Link). Cut out a small area so you can attach the accessories to the wire shelving (Affiliate Link).
Use Shelf Dividers to Keep Piles in their Place.
If you want a pile of things to stay in line and want to protect them from falling over, wire dividers work nicely. Items that work well with these dividers are sweaters, towels, sheets (if you fold them well), quilts, and blankets.
Here's one from Amazon (affiliate).
Buy Now → (Affiliate Link)
Use Wire Cubbies to Maximize Floor Storage
If you have a closet for the kids and you want them to help put their clothes away, try these cubby systems (Affiliate Link). You can make them as low as you want, and they are very lightweight. I have used them several times through the years, from college apartments to small apartments. They are easy to assemble and disassemble when needed. Below is one of the options from Amazon (Affiliate Link) for the wire cubbies kits (affiliate). They come in all different quantities.
Great for apartments and rental properties.
Wire Cube Storage, by C&AHOME 16-Cube Organizer Metal Grids Storage
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
The items that can be stored on them are sweaters, workout gear, small kids' clothing, and toys. If you want the items to be hidden, fabric cubby bins work great.
Use Hanging Clothing Rods for extra space to Hang Clothing.
If you only have one rod going all the way around, you can add an extra garment bar to hang another row of clothing. This way, it will allow for more space in your closet.
Safety Tip: Add extra support to your existing wire shelving (Affiliate Link) system to make sure they are screwed into studs. The wire shelves (Affiliate Link) may pull out of the wall if they are not properly secured to studs. This option of adding space to the closet does add a good amount of weight to the wire shelves (Affiliate Link).
Some options for adding space to the bottom half of the closet are cubbies (listed above), shelves (Affiliate Link), and clothing bars. One option is the cubbies and bar combo. We used one from Amazon (Affiliate Link) for my daughter's dorm closet, and it worked great and is still holding up after two years.
The hanging clothing bar allows you to use the top part for shirts and the bottom for folding in half pants. I found that the wire shelving (Affiliate Link) usually installed by new construction home builders is hung a little low to use for adult clothing. The clothing at the bottom would rub on the floor. Adjusting the bars up a bit will help with this. The clothing on the top bar overlaps with the bottom bar. If you are not bothered by this or have smaller clothes, this will work for you.
I found that the double bar works great for younger kids' clothing. And they can help put stuff away, too. =) You can also install another small wire shelve with a bar in the middle of the wall to create the same effect. Below is one I found for closet wire rods on Amazon (Affiliate Link)(affiliate).
They are great for smaller kids' clothing.
Closet Hanging Rod, Width and Height Adjustable Closet Extender Hanging by STARTOSTAR
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Add an Extra Row of Wire Shelving to the Top of the Closet.
If your ceilings are high, you can add one or two additional wire shelving to store out-of-season clothing or items you do not use often. They are out of the way and can be accessed super easily when you need them.
Be sure to install them into studs.
ClosetMaid Wire Shelf Kit with Hardware, 4 Ft. Wide
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Below is an image of one I created when we first moved into our home. These shelves (Affiliate Link) were used for luggage (Affiliate Link) storage, among other things.
Adding these wire shelving (Affiliate Link) accessories lets you store so much more in your closet. I hope this post helps you get your closet more organized and helps you be happier with your space. Do you want to share any affordable hacks for closet organizing? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Please note that these are affiliate links. If you click through and purchase, I will earn affiliate commissions at no additional cost to you.
Stick around and learn more about closet organization!
Janet Schiesl says
i have wire shelving in my closet and appreciate your tips to gain some additional space.
Melanie says
So many GREAT suggestions. I find the liners to be so handy in most cases. Thanks for sharing.
Seana Turner says
It is nice that there are options like wire shelving for people who either don't want to or can't invest in a melamine or wood system. I think you get a lot of bang for your buck out of these. The shelf liner is a great idea, especially when you will be storing smaller items. I've never thought of using the foam core covered with contact paper - great idea!
Ronni Eisenberg says
I really like this practical system. I’ve even used it in my own home, with liners, as you suggested. What’s great about this system is that you can maximize every inch of space.
To your point about securing everything securely, that’s so important. Still, you have to be smart and not place undue pressure on the system. Except, my husband decided to put a bunch of heavy jackets on my side of the closet (where he wasn’t invited) and the entire shelf and everything on it came tumbling down.