Add an extra pole to fit more mini clothes, buy kid-size hangers, and make sure you can find that dress from Grandma before your little girl outgrows it.

The Challenge

As one of six sisters, Adrienne Wooldridge inherited enough baby clothes and gear to last through daughter Sumner's third birthday. The closet's single rod was at full capacity, but the tiny frocks left a good portion of the vertical space unoccupied — "an abomination," says the 29-year-old stay-at-home mom, considering that the floor was cluttered with two big plastic bins full of clothes.

The Solutions

Found space
Unable to hang her vinyl shoe bag from the folding closet doors, Adrienne used an unclaimed spot on the wall. The pockets hold spare powder and lotion, as well as small things that get lost in a drawer. 24-Pocket Vinyl Overdoor Shoe Bag, $15, the Container Store, www.containerstore.com.

Within reach
Some of Adrienne's hanging canvas shelves hold blankets and diapers. "I like not having to fumble to pull diapers out of the packages in the middle of a diaper change," she says. "That can be disastrous." Sumner's most frequently snuggled toys are stashed on the lower shelves, where she can reach them easily. A couple of Crunch Cans accommodate the rest. Canvas 6-Shelf Sweater & Accessory Organizer, $17; canvas drawers, $10 for two: Organize Everything, www.organize-everything.com. Umbra Crunch Cans, $8 to $15 each, www.umbra.com.

Box it in
Unlike the disorderly bins that once held Sumner's outgrown clothing, large canvas boxes, labeled by size, stack neatly on the shelves. Natural Canvas Boxes, $16 to $20 each, the Container Store, www.containerstore.com.

Double-decker
A second closet pole that attaches to the existing one with metal hooks maximizes the vertical space. The upper bar, at mom height, holds Sumner's current clothing; the lower bar stores her future wardrobe, so Adrienne can remember what her daughter has. By the time Sumner fits into the clothes on the lower bar, she'll be tall enough to reach them and old enough to dress herself. Double Hang Closet Rod, $14, Organize-It, www.organizes-it.com.

Be consistent
To create a sense of order, Adrienne used sturdy white plastic hangers to replace the mismatched ones that came with the clothing. Children's Tubular Hangers, $4 for 10, Organize Everything, www.organize-everything.com.