Organizing your closet is easier than you think. It just requires a little bit of time, work and creativity. OK, I may be understating the little bit of time part, but I promise, having a clean closet is SO worth it in the end.

When we moved into our first apartment, we were pleasantly surprised to find a huge walk-in closet. What we underestimated though, was the amount of stuff we had to fill it with. We made little changes that helped keep our closet both organized and alluring. And now, we want to share some of our tips with you!

1) Get rid of things you no longer need.

The first thing we did was go through all of our clothes and decide what we needed and what we didn’t, what we actually used and what we didn’t. Gradually, our stacks of clothes dwindled down into a manageable pile.

We did the same with shoes, bags, jackets and accessories. We asked each other what was worth keeping and what wasn’t. It can be hard to give things away because in a way, you develop some sort of attachment to them, but at the same time, decluttering is empowering!

2) Buy matching hangers.

We could have kept the hangers we had from our parents’ homes and yes, it would have been cheaper, but it would have made our closet look disorganized and honestly, ugly. I had already thought of buying some wood hangers since they are sturdy and have a rustic feel to them. I ended up buying 120 regular hangers and around 40 skirt/pant hangers from Amazon. (Before you judge, we have a LOT left over, thanks to step #1).

3) Storage is EVERYTHING.

Why we ditched the dresser

With the things we couldn’t hang like t-shirts, jeans, pajamas — we searched for storage options. We didn’t want an expensive and bulky dresser that would take up half our room. We lucked out on a trip to Ikea when we found these galvanized shelves for $14.99 each and combined them with these white bins for $6.99 each. It did the trick and didn’t break the bank.

For accessories like hats, bags and things we don’t use on a daily basis, we bought a bunch of Better Homes and Gardens galvanized steel tubs from WalMart. I found them in the seasonal section of the store. They were being marketed as coolers for summer barbecues, but I thought they would make the perfect storage bins for our accessories. They had them in all shapes and sizes so we got four big rectangular bins and two smaller round bins.

Another storage option is baskets. You can put anything in a basket. We use baskets for our electronics and other miscellaneous items. Crates also work. Both my friend and sister-in-law gave us housewarming gifts inside wooden crates. Depending on the size, you can store blankets, pet toys, etc. It’s a pretty way to store all that junk you don’t know what to do with.

Think outside the box

Vintage suitcases are a unique way to store random items while also adding your style(s) to your closet. We found one at an antique store and immediately fell in love with it. We used it at our wedding as a card holder. Now, we use the inside to store the cards and the outside to showcase our cowboy boots. Yeehaw! (<– I had to). It added some charm to the closet while simultaneously representing a touch of our personalities and style.

For my scarves, I used a ladder from Amazon. Blankets and towels can be thrown on it as well.

Confession: It doesn’t always look like this. It’s a work in progress!

Oh my, shoes!

Together, we have 50 pairs of shoes and because we wanted to use our shoe closet for other things like Begad’s tools and our jackets, we needed a rack that was big enough to fit all of our shoes, plus, squeeze in our closet. Luckily, we found this inexpensive, easy-to-assemble shoe rack from Amazon. One of the things we love about it is the fact that we can zip it up when it gets too messy.

4) Follow a pattern

Whether it’s color coordinating your clothes or sorting them based on length, try to follow a pattern that works for you. Our pattern is based on seasons and occasions. Usually our fancier outfits are at the ends of the closet, since we don’t wear those clothes on a daily basis. One thing to remember while deciding on a pattern, however, is how to make what you need more often, more accessible. That way it’s easier for you to find and follow.

Did you make any of these changes to your closet? Share a pic with us in the comments below. We’d love to see!