Closet Organization Ideas

Organize Art Supplies in Your Closet

Whether it's your scrapbooking supplies or the kids' paper and markers, art supplies tend to clutter up a closet faster than you can complete a project. Whether you have a walk-in closet with room for seating or a closet with just a few shelves, you can still create order out of art-supply chaos. Professional organizer Charlotte Steill shares her top five storage solutions below:

Rolling carts: These can be tucked under a shelf or work surface for easy accessibility and are ideal for storing items you don't use everyday.

Magnetic spice racks: These small round containers come with clear lids so it's easy to see what's inside.

Magnetic baskets: Small paint bottles, paintbrushes, crayons, markers and colored pencils are easily identifiable and moved about if you have an easel or separate area for drawing and painting.

Small compartment boxes: The compartments are great for keeping up with buttons, beads, shells and rubber stamps.

Expanding files: The individual files allow you to easily sort scrapbooking and decoupage supplies into categories, either by person, holiday or event.

Create a Closet Office

If you're lacking office space, employ a spare closet (with an electrical outlet nearby) to store your computer, important papers and office necessities. Here's how:

• Brighten the interior of the closet by painting it a fun color.
• Add a shelf at chair height for the desktop and one or two shelves up high to store office supplies you don't use on an everyday basis. Cover the desktop with fabric to smooth the rough edges.
• Create a message board by attaching cork to the inside of the closet door.
• Use translucent wall pockets to corral incoming mail. Be sure to assign action verbs to each pocket, like To Read, To Do and Trash.
• Keep the desktop free of clutter by installing magnetic containers to hold office supplies.
• Place a rolling file cabinet under the desktop to store important papers. Use a color-coded filing system to distinguish between types of papers like bills, bank statements and work-related documents.
• Store magazines on an upper shelf in magazine files.
• If you're sharing the office space with other family members, designate a basket for each person to hold their own personal supplies.

Looking for more ways to turn a closet into an office? See an office closet makeover »