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.
