One closet, two kids and no extra space. Help!

[ajrsmom]

My kids share a room and therefore share a closet. It is a small walk-in closet that has a rod for some clothes to hang on + a shelf above the rod. They each have a dresser that has 2 small drawers + 4 large drawers....and that's it for clothes storage.

Most of the space on the floor of the closet is taken up by toys.

Can you give me some advice to organize their clothes and shoes?

Thanks!
Tami

[RobertaD]

Could you add a second rod to double the hanging space. I've seen them suspended off the top bar so it wouldn't have to go across the whole closet.

I would look at going up for the shoes and clothes instead of across the bottom of the clothes. Maybe something like the hanging days of the week organizers which only take up about a foot of hanging space.

Roberta

[barbszy]

I second Roberta's idea of the "day of the week" type organizer. I got my 2 older kids one of those; I think it has 8 compartments. It's supposed to hold sweaters. But they use it for their T-shirts and sweat shirts. It has helped a lot in their rooms.

[debknechtel]

Tami my hubby built a set of shelves on one side of my dd's closet to store sweaters and shirts etc.....we then added a rods at different hights for hanging clothes. Can you put a rolling drawer under their beds??? We did that for my boys when they were in bunk beds. To make space in the room for toys my hubby took on wall ad built florr to ceiling shelves....all different heights....it sure helps to keep everything off the floors...we use baskets and totes to store the items

hugs debbie

[mom2-4]

We had this same problem with my oldest two DDs.

We were lucky to have a hall closet, being that we live on one floor. I was able to take everything that "belongs" in a hall closet and throw it in my closet. And the hall closet became one of DD's closets.

Than when oldest DD moved out, the hall closet that she was using than became youngest DDs.

Now it is DS's room. No not really his room, but since made choices that were not good choices, he lost his bedroom, and youngest DD took his room, and now he sleeps in the living room, and the hall closet is his.

One day I will have my hall closet back to use as a hall closet, and get the vacuum out of my closet!

There is also an option of shelving that you put together yourself. A neighbor gave some to me, and it is now in youngest DD's closet, since she don't have a dresser, she uses those to organize everything.
Let us know what your solution is. I would love to know.

[wicket]

my three girls share a closet and we have incorporated a few of the ideas already mentioned, the days of the week organizers for t-shirts, extra hanging bar for skirts and blouses, a built in shelf along the side for shoes, purses, hats etc

the other thing I could suggest would be the wire mesh stackable cubes that you can buy. We put them between the dresser and the wall and each girl has one cube for sweaters. That keeps their drawers from becoming too full.

[bluebird]

I have the hanging shoe racks and love them. I would also go online to the pricey closet stores and make notes of what you like. Then trash to treasure shop at thrift stores, in your home, freecycle etc. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

[SherriO]

There are some great ideas shared here so far!
When my kids were young at we had no extra closet or drawer room, I would pack away the seasonal clothes in plastic bins. They could be put in the attic and reached easily if needed.
I also love the hanging shoe rack - the kind with pockets... These are great not only for shoes but also clothes, and other small items.

[Can You Guess?]

What about those nets on the ceiling?

[barbszy]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask if your kids might have too MANY clothes. Does everything in the closet/drawers still fit? Do they wear all those clothes? Are there things they do not wear and would not miss?