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Custom closets for kids seem like an extra expense. But it really is not when you want to keep your kid's small room mess-free. I am going to share with you my experience on how I organized my kids' closets with custom closet organizers.
As a Professional Organizer, I have contacts in the closet installer industry. Years ago, I used My Custom Closets in Collegeville, PA, for my primary walk-in closet. And, I referred them to other clients to create custom closets for their homes. They are wonderful. They listened to what I needed and gave me closets and organizing systems that work best for my home.
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We had to determine what each closet would store and how to arrange it. Below are the before photos of the closets after they were installed.
BEFORE kids' walk-in closet organization
This is one of my children's closets. It had a door on the far end, and the wall to the left was not usable except for hanging narrow hooks, hats (Affiliate Link), and belts. This closet was 5 feet wide and 7 feet deep.
We had a large family luggage that we needed to make room for at the top of this set of shelves (Affiliate Link)/drawers. My Custom Closet lowered the shelf to accommodate that luggage, which worked great!
Since the other side was at least 7 feet long, we decided to split it into three sections: one for hanging clothing, another for storage, extra clothing, memorabilia, extra out-of-season blankets, and keepsakes.
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For the small closet, we had to be a little more creative. This very small closet was 2 feet deep by 4 feet wide. The cubbies on the side were the perfect size for wicker bins.
The laundry basket (Affiliate Link) was placed at the bottom of the closet for easy access, and the closet rods were raised a little higher to allow clearance for it.
Since my child did not have many long garments, a small 8-inch wide space worked fine.
Now, it was time to clear out the closet before they arrived to install the new custom closets in a few days.
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Declutter was necessary
First, I removed everything from the closets and determined what was no longer needed and what could be recycled or donated. Then, my kids went through their toys in the closet and decided what they wanted to keep for the new custom closet.
Learn more about WAYS TO TEACH YOUR CHILD TO PURGE THINGS.
My husband and I removed the shelves (Affiliate Link), patched the holes, and repainted the closets. They were very shabby and needed some TLC.
Then, I had My Custom Closets install the organizing systems into the closets; I then went in and did my organizing M.A.G.I.C.!
Below is how I did my M.A.G.I.C.! Get it! See what I did there? lol
Professional Organizer M.A.G.I.C. Steps
M: I made sure I sorted all the items I wanted to keep and what I wanted to get rid of from each closet.
A: I arranged each item into groups: short-sleeved shirts were in their own pile, long-sleeved shirts were in a different pile, and everyday pants were together. Dark socks (Affiliate Link) were on one side of the drawer, and light socks (Affiliate Link) were on the other.
G: I gathered the items together to determine the size box I needed. I had to purchase a few boxes (Affiliate Link) for this part. To do this, I decided how much square footage I had for the grouped items. Then, I measured the shelf where I would be storing these items and took those measurements to the store to make sure I got a box that matched the depth and didn't surpass the width.
I: I went through and put my "I love items" away on the shelves (Affiliate Link). Then, I determined where boxes (Affiliate Link) and bins fit on the shelves (Affiliate Link). I kept the memorabilia together, the out-of-season blanket together, and so on.
C: - I completed the closet by putting away all the clothes on hangers, in drawers, and on shelves (Affiliate Link). My child's wardrobe had their dresses in one section and their sweaters on the shelves (Affiliate Link). My other child's closet had everything hanging, from shirts to pants. The only thing that was on the lower shelves (Affiliate Link) were sweaters. Now, I arranged their clothes depending on their amounts and the available space.
After the M.A.G.I.C.
Here is the after picture of the walk-in closet. The luggage was stored on the top shelves (Affiliate Link), which helped keep them out of the way. On the other top shelf, we stored out-of-season blankets.
On the top part of the other side shelves (Affiliate Link), we added memorabilia like scrapbooks and other keepsakes.
The drawers were used for undergarments and socks (Affiliate Link). If you want to see how we organized the socks (Affiliate Link), check out my post: HOW TO ORGANIZE SOCKS ONCE AND FOR ALL {SOCK ORGANIZATION OPTIONS}
We stored the laundry basket (Affiliate Link) at the bottom. It was the perfect size to fit on the floor and slide out when my kid needed it.
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In this smaller closet, we found some bins for the small cubbies.
Update 2022:
As my child is a lot older now, the below after image was done when they were away at college to help them maximize the space better. Visit my updated post on how I organized this space for my now older child.
After I finished my M.A.G.I.C., I could share these great organized kids' closets with my kids. You may be wondering why I didn't get them involved in the organizing. Since there were categories in the closets, it wasn't hard for me to reorganize them. And I wanted it to be a surprise. At the big reveal, they loved their closets! Surprisingly, the most significant benefit was they are keeping the closets organized more frequently. Woohoo! Let's hope it continues.
Feel free to visit our other posts about organizing kids closets.
15 UNIQUE THINGS TO TOSS FOR A STRESS-FREE KIDS CLOSET
6 STEPS TO ORGANIZE KIDS CLOSETS
UPDATE 2 years later:
After Two Years, the closets still look the same. My kids are older now and can put away their clothes and maintain their closets much easier.
UPDATE: 5 years later:
After five years, it's now 2018. My son's closet is pretty much the same, but my daughter's closet is a little messier. I think it is because, as you probably already know, girls have a lot of clothes.
Update 2023:
Yes, the closet is still organized this way. There is a little mess here and there, but the stuff has its home. But I am not organizing it any longer because my oldest is in his 20s. Yay!
Check out our other closet organization posts!
Janet Barclay says
These are beautiful systems that can easily adapt to your children's changing needs as they grow.
Sabrina says
I totally agree. My teens are enjoying the organization. =) Thanks for commenting.
Phoenicia says
Excellent idea!
I am constantly culling my children's wardrobes as they grow out of clothes quickly. I sort their clothes into sections of tops, cardigans, trousers, jeans, dresses? I take their old clothes (those still in good condition) to a local charity.