Organizing: The Master Closet

A few months ago I started a project that involved organizing.  Are you surprised?  If you have been following along for a while, probably not! If you are new, then you probably are.  In which case you should check out this, this, this and even this.

Here's the before:

I know what you're thinking, it doesn't look THAT bad...

but you'll notice that the purses are just thrown on the top shelf.

There are maternity shirts hanging on the lower left side of this picture.

(Yes, maternity.  I haven't been pregnant for 2+ years!)

Nothing is color coded, which my little heart loves.

The folded pants below are not organized in any way, which always happens over time. 

There are wallets and jewelry hanging from my mirror.

This wall = sad.

My first step was to purge.  I went through my closet and got rid of anything I hadn't worn in a while.  I was left with about 50 empty hangers and a few extras bucks in my pocket.  It was FUN!  Yes, this is my idea of a good time.  Cleaning things out, making room for new items, earning some cash.  Then I organized by sleeve length and color!  I used to have my closet organized by color all the time.  Then it happened.  Kids My life got busy and I didn't have as much time to put away laundry as I did before they came along.

 

Here's an in process picture:

Those scarves on the right used to be hanging from one of the bars.

I decided to put them on display.

I hung the scarves on the wall, using command hooks.  I also organized my purses and everything else on the top shelf.  I put my sheets into the pillowcase that matched with them.  A tip I saw on Pinterest forever ago and always kept in the back of my mind for later.  Well, it was later.

Here's an after picture:

Maternity shirts, packed away for next time:) 

I hung the race bibs I had kept from most of the 5k's I've run and decided to hang them up instead of having them cluttering the floor in here. I had the bright idea to write the date and my time on the back of all of them so I can always look back and see my progress!  I also left the mirror where it was because I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it.

Some new after pictures: 

I decided to move the mirror to the opposite wall.

I used another Pinterest idea and got a curtain rod and some shower hooks from Walmart. 

I put all of my jewelry on the rod.  Previously I had some of it in the bathroom and over time the steam from the shower (my guess at least) turned all of my silver items black and I spent way too much time cleaning it.

Then I moved the scarves to the wall where the mirror was. 

(A new scarf that I won was added!) 

Well, most of them at least.  I couldn't move them all because if I put one more hook on the right here, it would have been in the way of those bins that I use almost every day.

You can also see here that I rotated my pants the opposite direction.  They fit much better this way. 

I'm very happy with my newly organized closet.  Finding things to wear is much easier now.  Not having 50 extra shirts that I never wear makes decisions much easier to make!  Less clothing, less options! 

What have you been organizing lately?  Closets? Spice racks? Outdoor toys?