9 STEPS
TO ORGANIZE YOUR CHILDREN’S CLOT HES A playbook to inspire, guide and empo wer yo u to simplify yo ur kids’ c lo thing, c lo sets and ro o m.
l e ssm e ssm o re l i fe . c o m
Yo u r To D o L i s t
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ST E P 1
Set a s i de 3 ho ur s o f uni nt er r upt ed t i me.
ST E P 2 (5 min. )
Set up ba gs / bi ns f o r do na t e, gi v e t o a no t her f a mi l y, t o o bi g a nd/ o r t o o s ma l l .
ST E P 3
E mpt y t he dr es s er s a nd c l o s et s .
(15 min. )
(60 min. )
E di t , t he c l o t hi .ng. T hi nk ha r d a bo ut t he c l o t hes Y O U w a nt t hem t o w ea r v s . t he c l o t hes t hey w i l l a c t ua l l y w ea r. I mea n, t hi nk r ea l l y ha r d.
ST E P 5
O nc e pur ged, o r ga ni z e i nt o c a t ego r i es .
ST E P 4
(30 min. )
ST E P 6
(30 min. )
ST E P 7
(15 min. )
( fo r st eps 5 -7,di recti o ns o n fo l l o w i ng pa ges)
P l a c e c l o t hi ng ba c k i n a ppr o pr i a t e pl a c e.
C r ea t e bi n s y s t ems f o r f ut ur e.
ST E P 8
Send me a pi c t ur e o f y o u dr o ppi ng o f f do na t i o ns ( m o s t i m p o r t a n t p a r t ) .
ST E P 9
R ew a r d y o ur s el f – w i ne, w a l k , ma s s a ge. (Seco nd m o st i m po rta nt pa rt.)
(20 min. )
Hang + Contain
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For babies, I love these little wood hangers, especially if clothes are visible outside of a closet. Use for clothing up to size 6.
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Huggable hangers for everyone! Pick one color . Container Store, $3.59 for 5
Hangers
Choose pretty wood with grips or huggable ones. Skip the slippery plastic multi-colored hangers.
Shoe Storage
Keep a bin of socks near the kids shoes kept by the door. Easier to get out the door!
For shoes by the door, pick a large, sturdy bin or one bin per child. Container Store, $12
My most often recommend shoe storage solution - adults and kids. Maximizes floor area in any closet. Target, $12
Organizing a Dresser § Create divide in drawers using shoe boxes, storage bins or dividers. § To make your own drawer dividers (specific directions on my Pinterest page): 1. Cut a cardboard box the same height and depth as the inside of your drawer. 2. Wrap in favorite wrapping paper or solid paper. 3. Tape to inside of drawer. 4. Create one section per category of clothing (remember one box in the middle of a drawer creates three sections). § Fold cotton tops. Roll synthetic (slinky, athletic-y) tops. The rolls will do better in smaller containers (hard to keep lots of rolled tops organized in one large drawer). § Store items lightest to heaviest from top to bottom of dresser §
Top Drawers – underwear, socks, pajamas
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Middle drawers – t-shirts and shorts Lower drawers – sweaters and pants
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Larger, bulkier items (jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts) will always do better on a shelf or hanging in a closet.
§ Clothes in drawers should have room to breathe. The easier things are to put away, the more likely it is to happen.
Dr awer Divider Ideas
Buying a Dresser § Think simple and classic when it comes to buying a dresser. Save bold patterns for pillows and other inexpensive accents. § Before you invest in a huge 6 or 9-drawer dresser, get real about what is going inside. Play and relaxing space is important in a child’s room so maximize the closet before spending money on a larger-than-necessary dresser. § If a closet only has hanging space, consider adding shelving (Elfa, IKEA, Home Depot) to the closet before buying a dresser. This can potentially save you hundreds of dollars and a smart long-term move. § Look for dressers with wider drawers which give us more flexibility as children get older. Avoid lots of small, narrow drawers. § When buying your first dresser for a baby, look for an option with removable changing table or attach a changing pad to top of the dresser. We want something that outlasts diaper changes. § Using a dresser inside of a closet can be a budget friendly solution versus building out a closet and provide much needed drawers. Great use of an old dresser that doesn’t fit the room’s décor.
Dresser Crush Room and Board, Mills Dresser
Dresser Love If your chi l d has a cl oset i n thei r room, a 3-drawer dresser shoul d be pl enty of storage outsi de of the cl oset.
$100 - $500
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IKEA Hemnes Big drawers so make sure to create divide within them! Works anywhere. $169
Land of Nod, Monarch White, classic $399
Babyletto for Target, With lower priced furniture, white is always a safe bet. $399
Joss & Main, Marshall Restoration Hardware-esque. Great for boys! $439
Dresser Love
$500 - $900
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Land of Nod If tight on space, works well for toy/book storage as well $899
Dwell Studio A fave dresser that lasts a lifetime $723 on sale!
Land of Nod Walnut always works! $799
Wayfair Sleek + modern $899
Drawer vs. Basket
If y o u a r e s ho r t o n dr a w er s but ha v e s hel v es o r c ubbi es , us e ba s k et s f o r s o me i t ems but c er t a i nl y no t a l l .
In a Basket
Out of a Basket
Underwear/socks
T-shirts
Leggings
Shorts
Swimsuits/Leotards
Pants
Pajamas
Dresses
Diapers/Wipes
Sweaters
Sports Uniforms
Hoodies/Jackets
Drawer vs. Basket
Land of Nod Strapping Shelf Basket Great for underwear/socks. Easy for kids to see contents. $7
Land of Nod Strapping Cube Bin Slightly larger, better for pajamas, swimsuits. $12
Container Store Shoe boxes create great divide within drawers. Buy these or create your own. $8
C ho o se the sa m e, neutra l co l o r bi n fo r a l l si zes. B r i g h t b i n s a r e f u n , h o w e v e r, t h e c l o s e t i s c r a z y eno ugh so l i m i t the cha o s w i th si m pl e co l o rs.
Container Store White Montauk Two sizes, soft interior structured sides. $19 - $24
IKEA, Svira Love the smaller boxes. Can remove the dividers from larger box if too hard to maintain. $9.99
Target Shoe box size – great for bras, underwear, socks, $9.99
Setting Up Systems Ever yone want s ”syst ems. ” No mat t er your syst em, t h e k e y t o m a i n t a i n i n g i s a c t i n g o f t e n a n d q u i c k l y.
C R E AT E T H R E E B I N S
Too Small
Items to be kept within the family. Get real about what you are keeping. Really real.
Too Big
Future items – depending on quantity, may be kept in closet or in a separate area like the garage.
Donate
Donate to a family, your local shelter, or Goodwill. Remember to actually donate them when bin is full.
Great inside a closet. Sweater bin Container Store, $12
Perfect donate bin Brown, paper bag
Big bins for garage storage. One per clothing size at the most! Target, $18
Setting Up Systems ➕
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When putting laundry away, if the item is too small or worn out, put it in appropriate bin – donate or too small. Always have at least a donate bin in the laundry room. If you receive hand-me-downs, edit them upon arrival. It’s ok to not keep everything you receive. Promise. If you have multiple children, multiple sizes, store the next size clothing in larger bins in a second location. Set a reminder in your calendar to purge and rotate the clothes every three months. If you regularly use the systems, quarterly maintenance will be fast and easy. Use clear plastic bins for systems. However, if you have a child who may care, pick a solid sided bin and store up high…or even better, a grocery bag so you can grab and go when time to donate.
Clearly labeled so everyone can contribute!
Get Inspired If you don’t know how t o set up your closet , t r y C o n t a i n e r S t o r e ’s E l f a D e s i g n C e n t e r o n l i n e . Yo u ent er your dimensions, t hen t hey will cr eat e mult iple closet layout s t o give you ideas.
Get Inspired Tr y i n g t o k e e p t h e c o s t d o w n ? S h e l v i n g i s a l w a y s cheaper and mor e flexible t han dr awer s. A dd inexpensive bins t o act as dr awer s in t he closet .
Rarely items are up high. Great place for donate and memorabilia bins.
T-shirts stacked no more than 6 high to avoid the collapse. Shelf liners on all shelves to keep things from falling through the cracks. A must! Bins for underwear, socks, sports gear, bras Shelving spaced closer together for flat shoes, farther apart for bigger shoes. Adjustable shelves accommodate high tops, heels as your kids get older. Bottom shelf off the ground to allow for cleaning. Bottom shelf could be even higher to allow for laundry bin, if needed.
For p rod uc t d etails and more insp iration on how to keep the c lothing org anized , visit our View Pinterest Board Want help c alming the c haos of the rest of your home? Visit www.lessmessmorelife.com/contact
HAPPY EDITING THEN ORGANIZING!