Perhaps you consider yourself a somewhat organized person. Sure, you have drawers for socks, a shelf for sweaters and bins for shoes, but are there still unsolved storage issues nagging at you? And are you really making the most of the space you have? You will be amazed how a few small changes can take you to the next level and FINALLY get your closet organized.

Slide Out Belt Racks

Belts are often overlooked in closet space. They end up overflowing off a single hook, which makes them hard to access, or rolled up in drawers – causing warping and delaminating over time. Favorite belts can easily be forgotten at the backs of shelves or inside well-intentioned bins.

Installing a slide-out, telescoping belt rack will keep multiple belts straight, tidy and at your fingertips, all while taking up virtually no additional closet space. These handy racks can also work for ties and scarves.

Hanging Boot Racks

Boots, especially knee-high boots are one of those things that don’t quite fit anywhere in a closet. Leaving boots to flop over at the bottom of a closet or even on a shoe rack can cause damage to boots and can block access to other items. A hanging boot rack is specifically designed for these unruly items. It gets boots up off the floor and streamlined into an organized space-saving column.

Labeling Bins with Photos

This simple trick can change your average storage bins into personalized x-ray machines. Bins are great for storing occasional items, be it seasonal sweaters, linens or shoes, but it’s often hard to remember what is where. Taking a picture of items inside each bin and affixing it as a label on the outside of the bin is an ingenious way to keep organized. Imagine never having to rifle through bins again to find that favorite pair of heels. Genius.

Group Like with Like

When all your items are jumbled together it can be impossible to find what you are looking for. A lesser-worn item that would be great with your outfit can lie buried and left out of your clothing rotation simply because it wasn’t seen. The best way to combat this common problem is to group items by use and by color. Sort your items by use: work wear in one section, casual wear in another, festive and cocktail attire in another. Within those sections, group pieces together by color. That way, when you are looking for that little black dress you won’t be rummaging through your yoga pants.

Use the Backs of Doors

Using the backs of closet doors is one of the easiest ways to grab some unused space and find a home for your quirky items or create a staging area for next-day outfits. A couple of hooks are a simple option, but consider customizing that space for your hard-to-store items, specialty pieces and easily lost smaller items. There are many products on the market that provide cubbies and bins, mirrors and pegboards that neatly affix to the back of your door.

Shelf Dividers

Stacks of T-shirts or sweaters lined up in rows along your shelves are a pretty sight… for about five minutes. Even the most painstakingly arranged stacks can quickly fall over or run together turning your neat stacks into a bargain bin on a Saturday afternoon. Shelf dividers are inexpensive and easy to install, and will make quick work of your falling stacks, giving each one its own little cubby.

Lights

Even if you can’t afford to hire an electrician to wire your new chandelier, there are lots of great battery operated lights you can easily install yourself. Look for versions that include a motion detector, and you won’t be left in the dark ever again.