Seriously Useful Apartment-Friendly Closet Organization Ideas for Renters

by Erica Young
Seriously Useful Apartment-Friendly Closet Organization Ideas for Renters
Photo: Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock

 

Most beautifully organized closets have one thing in common - built-ins. Whether it be custom shelving or even IKEA installations, a little (or a lot) of construction is needed. But what if you're a renter, and you can't make any permanent changes to your closet? Are you doomed to a single hanger rod and basically a hot mess? Luckily we have some solutions that don't require a power drill. Read on for renter-friendly ideas that will keep your closet nice and tidy.

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Organize It!: How to Make Two Types of Drawer Dividers

by M.E. Gray

How to make a wood drawer dividers

Whoever invented drawers was a genius. A compartment where you can throw your stuff inside, shut it, and forget about it? Sign me up. What the inventor of the drawer did forget to consider, however, was organization. Toss your stuff inside a drawer, and you're sure to have to dig to find it again. You can buy traditional drawer dividers and organizers from the store, but what if your drawers are too small (or too big)? You're in luck - DIY drawer dividers are really easy to make yourself.            

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How to Fold Everything in Your Dresser

by M.E. Gray

How to fold everything in your dresser

There's nothing quite like the frustration of trying to find a shirt in a dresser drawer packed full of balled up clothes. There's no order, and everything is kind of just shoved in there. While it may be tempting to just close up your dresser drawers when they start to get chaotic, being able to have everything nicely folded and visible will make getting ready in the morning a million times easier. So, rather than just tossing that tee in the back of the drawer, fold it properly the first time so you can find it when you need it. Keep reading for the best way to fold shirts, pants, socks, even underwear!         

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How to: Turn a Baking Rack Into a Modern Grid Organizer

by Lidy Dipert

How-to: Turn a Cooling Rack Into a Grid Organizer

After the hustle and bustle of the season, I find myself going into this weird funk. Our home felt like it was going to burst at the seams with all the stuff we had accumulated. The last couple weeks I've been on major purge mode to help get things feeling peaceful once more. Plus it doesn't hurt to be more organized!  This simple project is all about making life easier when it comes to rearranging the home. And all it takes is breathing a...

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Before and After: How Smart Storage Transformed our Laundry Room

by Stephanie Lee

Before photo of our cluttered laundry room

I've always thought of my laundry room as the most troublesome room in our house. Not only is it narrow, but all of one side is taken up by a washing machine, sink and toilet. Add to that the fact that there are 2 doors that open inward, and the space starts to feel very small indeed.

I'd long ago resigned myself to having a difficult laundry room I didn't enjoy being in. Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong!

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Make It: DIY Stylish Mountain Bookends

by Stephanie Lee

Make it: Sweet DIY mountain bookends for your little one's nursery

Now that I have a little one to care for, I’ve come to realize just how wonderful story time can be. Sharing books with Lauren is one of my favorite pastimes… especially the books that I used to read when I was a kid (those are my favorites!). Of course, with a well-stocked bookshelf comes the need for some nice bookends to hold everything in place. So I decided to whip up these pretties for bubba’s room, and they’re so easy to make, I just had to share these DIY mountain bookends with you too!              

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13 Things You Can Just Go Ahead and Throw Away Right Now

by M.E. Gray

New Years Cleaning Challenge: Get rid of these 13 things cluttering your home

It's a new year. Now that the dust has settled, you want to maintain the great start you've accomplished. That means you gotta make like Elsa in Frozen and just "Let it go! Let it goooo..." That's right, I've caught the purging bug, and I'm talking about getting rid of clutter. After the materialist pressure of the holidays, it always feels good to go through your home and do a quick purge. This January, take on this cleaning challenge and get rid of the unnecessary. Don't think, just act. Here are a few things you can go ahead toss without guilt or a second thought:         

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Tried And Tested: Do These 10 Pinterest Organization Hacks Actually Work?

by Faith Provencher
10 Pinterest Organizational Hacks Tried And Tested
Faith Towers Provencher

Pinterest is filled with organizing hacks, promising to help you achieve your wildest organizational dreams. But just how good are they? I set out to test 10 of them, and today I'm sharing the results with you. Click through to compare their versions with mine, and to read my thoughts on the functionality of each one.   

 

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Make This: Simple Clothesline Basket

by M.E. Gray

Learn to make these minimal clothesline baskets.

If you're anything like me, you have a running list of projects you want to try. Things you save repeatedly on Pinterest, ideas you scribble down in the back of your planner, or maybe you just keep a mental list in your brain. Clothesline baskets have been on my want-to-try list for forever, and this week I took the plunge. After conquering the first one, I want to make a million of these clothesline baskets. A million! Additionally, I'm loving the simple stripe in this basket. We're exploring all things Scandinavian this month, and this basket fills the bill with equal parts monochrome and texture.        

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Tame That Junk Drawer! Make This Roll Organizer!

by M.E. Gray

Organize your life with this DIY roll tool organizer!

Clean out your junk drawer and keep it in this easy rollup organizer.

It's the season of organization and purging, and it's high time to get real with ourselves. Let's talk about the junk drawer. You know the one I'm talking about. The drawer that holds everything and anything: takeout menus, a few rubber bands, hardware from that IKEA chair you bought two years ago, and an orange-handled pair of scissors. Maybe you are one of the blessed few who has managed to avoid the never-ending pit that is the junk drawer. Good for you - gold medal in adulting. If you are an actual human being like the rest of us, or just need a place to put all your tools, why not roll'em?    

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The Days After Christmas Should Be the Best Week of the Year - Here's How

by Rachel Jacks

And breathe

You've decked the halls, hung the stockings with care, wrapped and unwrapped the presents, and it's no wonder if you're all tired out. Hopefully now that Christmas is over you finally have a bit of time to relax. Maybe you already know exactly how you want to spend the week between Christmas and New Year's, but here are 10 ideas for how to unwind in case you've forgotten how.       

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Tea Time: The Best Ways to Store and Organize Tea

by Rachel Jacks

There are a lot of fall activities and flavors that I can take or leave, but one thing I get excited about when the summer heat subsides is tea. On a cool, rainy afternoon, drinking a hot cup of tea is wonderfully cozy. (I think I just realized why tea is so popular in the British Isles.) My growing tea collection was a mess until I figured out the best way to store tea. If you're a fellow tea-lover with an unruly stack of boxes and tins of tea, here are some guidelines and ideas for how to keep your tea organized.

A cup of tea

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What is Swedish Death Cleaning? The Art of Mindful Minimalism

by M.E. Gray

Swedish Death Cleaning 101

I got a text the other day from my mom. She was asking me if I wanted a collection of magazines that she had held onto from my childhood (if you're curious, it was a collection of  Cricket magazines from the late 70s). Then I got another text -- my mom had found an old photo that she wanted to share with me. Then four more texts came my way, each containing a picture or memory of something from the past. It was clear that she was doing some deep cleaning.

When I asked her what she was up to, she replied, "Have you heard of Swedish Death Cleaning?" Um, excuse me??         

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Responsible Adulting: 10 Fall Chores You Shouldn't Forget To Do

by Rachel Jacks

Fall chores you shouldn't forget

Now that people are putting up their Halloween decorations, picking apples, and making holiday plans, it's also time to face some fall chores. Wait, don't go! I know no one likes doing this stuff, but some of it's really important, and you can reward yourself with a trip to the pumpkin patch and an apple cider hot toddy when you're done. (Bribery: Not just for children and pets.) Here's our checklist of fall chores that you responsible adults out there won't want to forget.      

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Does Your Trash Can Stink? Try This Simple Trick to Get Rid of Odors

by M.E. Gray

Trash can odors tips and tricks

Has this happened to you? You come home and open your front door, only to immediately get hit with a whiff of something nasty? Ick. Chances are, that unpleasant odor was your kitchen trash. It's inevitable. Trash can odors are going to happen, but there are things you can do to fight the stank. Today I'm sharing a quick trick for eliminating trash can odors, plus some other pointers for keeping the smell at bay.          

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How to: Make a Jewelry Organizer That's Cleverly Disguised as Wall Art!

by Stephanie Lee

Jewelry organizer cleverly disguised as wall art

I'll be the first to say that I adore those earring and necklace holders that are shaped like cacti or little porcelain animals. But they don't always hold a lot of jewelry, which means my vast collection of pendants ends up overflowing onto my dresser. So instead of using a whole bunch of little bowls that take up space, I thought I'd go down a different route and make myself a jewelry organizer that's hidden in plain sight. Best of all, I got a brand new piece of wall art to brighten up my walls in the process!         

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How to Organize Your Linen Closet Like a Boss

by M.E. Gray

Linen Closet Organization

Ah, the linen closet. The junk drawer of the closet world. The gateway to a lesser Narnia. What should be a place for organized towels and blankets can so easily become pure chaos! If you're the type who wads up their sheets and shuts the door, you're not alone! Fortunately, linen closet organization can be achieved with just a little change in routine and some prep work. Read on to learn how to make the best use of the space in your home, and tame that linen or bathroom closet once and for all.               

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Use What You Have: Practically Free Upcycled Organization Ideas

by Rachel Jacks

Underbed storage

If you've ever gone on an organizing spree, I probably don't have to tell you that the cost of stuff to organize your stuff can really add up. But if you want to get organized on a budget, your best bet is to create solutions with things you already have. Things that might instead end up in the trash or recycling, so you're saving the planet at the same time. These upcycled organization ideas for every room in the house prove that with a little creativity, you don't have to spend big bucks to create an organized space.        

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