16 December, 2009

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How to Make Space for Gifts

Many people struggle with finding room for all of their gifts that they get for Christmas. This is especially true in small apartments or houses with small closets. Part of the problem is that Christmas comes on the heels of switching over from summer to winter wardrobes. If you haven’t completely switched over, then your closet is probably really overcrowded already. Use these tips to get your house in order and be ready for the holidays.

1) Finish clearing out the summer clothes and get them into storage. You will need containers or boxes for summer clothing. Shallow containers are great for storing things underneath beds, where they will be out of sight, yet accessible for the next season. You can use bed leg lifts to make extra space under the bed. Don’t forget to get beach towels, floats, and other summer accessories out of your closets, too. Get all of this stuff out of the way and you can make room for your winter clothes.

2) Thin out your winter clothes and try to leave room for new clothes that will be coming in. Coats should be kept in a coat closet so that there is room for your bulky winter clothes. A small shelf can usually be installed in most closets to make space for your sweaters to stack. You don’t really want to hang them, because they can get stretched out at the shoulders. They are also more likely to get snagged when hanging, because you’ll be pushing them around while you’re looking for clothes to wear. Many people ruin sweaters because their rings snag the sleeves while they’re hanging.

3) Make room by giving as much as you can to charity. This is definitely the time of year for giving, so be generous and give away usable items that you don’t wear for one reason or another. Make limits for yourself on what space each item is allowed to take up. Only allow so much room for pants, so much for long sleeved t-shirts, sweatshirts, thermals, etc. If you discover that you have way too many pants, try to get rid of some. Shoes are notorious closet space robbers. Be selective about which ones you want to keep.

4) When the closet is thinned out, come up with a design that will allow you to make the most of the space. Vertical space is often ignored. How much empty space is available up by the ceiling? That top closet shelf is usually too low for what you need to store there. Consider installing a second shelf above it for items that you don’t use much, like suitcases. You’ll be surprised how much room this makes! You can then use your regular top shelf for bins or baskets that hold smaller items, like gloves, scarves, socks, underwear, phone and camera chargers, or whatever you need to store out of sight.

5) Update the rest of your closet by investing a little in space saving hangers, like velvet hangers. Velvet hangers are flat and can save more space than you imagined. The velvet hanger surface grips clothing without damaging it. Using space saving hangers affords you the extra space that you need for hanging all of the new clothes that you will be getting for Christmas!

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

6 December, 2009

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Space Saving Tips for Small Apartments

Living in a small space can get cramped really quickly if you don’t stay on top of things. Getting things to a manageable level can be challenging. This is why we have assembled these tips for you. You can make more efficient use of the space that you have without spending a lot of time or money.

It helps if you start out knowing that you will need to be efficient with space before you buy furniture. You can buy a platform bed with drawers underneath for extra hidden storage. Try to work storage into every item that you buy. A coffee table can lift open to reveal hidden storage, or you can pick one that has drawers. You may even pick something unconventional, like a trunk, and use it as a coffee table. Ottomans can open up to hold knitting supplies, throws, magazines and more. You get the idea. Whatever you can buy that provides you a place to put extra things will benefit you greatly without using up any of your precious space.

Find wall units that work for what you own. Some people own a lot of knick-knacks or simply need to decorate. Instead of using your table top or counter spaces, hang small shelves wherever you can. Corner shelves are useful and take up very little space. You can use them for more than decorations, too. You can place a cup full of pens on them, stash books, or put a basket for your keys and wallet there. Finding a little space for all of the things that can quickly junk up your apartment is a great place to start.

Organize your entryway so that junk doesn’t enter your small area. If you have somewhere to put your keys, coat, hat, umbrella, laptop, mail, cell phone, and shoes when you come in, then they won’t end up on the kitchen counter or in a heap that you have to clean later. A small roll top desk is perfect for hiding away belongings while keeping them organized.

Keep your closets organized in a way that makes them ultra-useful. You can nail baskets to interior closet walls for storing things like socks and underwear so that you don’t need a dresser. You can build some shelves for linens, sweaters, books and more. Move the hanging bar up, making more use of the vertical space in your closet. Hang your clothes on space saving hangers like velvet hangers or cascading hangers to make the most of a small space.

24 November, 2009

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Saving Space in Your Closet

Saving closet space may not be rocket science, but sometimes it can sure feel like it! Closets get crowded so easily. Switching back and forth between seasons can make matters worse. If you’re ready to take control of your closet, then good for you! It may take a little time and a little work, but having an organized, spacious closet is worth it.

1. Get out of season clothes out of the closet. Winter clothes especially are bulky and take up a lot of space. They either eat up the closet with huge bins, or require more space than you can make on your hanging bar. The key is to get some of that out of the closet. Instead of storing out of season clothing in the closet when you’re not using them, find some attic, garage, or spare bedroom space for storage. Use containers that seal out moisture and protect your clothes from insects. Cedar closet accessories are great for keeping clothes smelling fresh, repelling insects, and absorbing moisture.

2. What if your closet is still crowded after you remove the alternate season’s clothes? You can make extra room by getting the bulkiest items out of there. Big coats and comforters take up a lot of space. Comforters can be stored in big bags that you can vacuum the air out of. You’ll be shocked how much smaller they get! Then you can simply prop them against the wall behind your hanging clothes and they’re off the shelf completely. You can hang big coats on a wall mounted bar outside of the closet. Dress it up a bit with wooden coat hangers and you won’t mind having it as part of your décor. You can also use a portable garment rack to keep clothes that aren’t used very often out of sight.

3. Once you’ve done that, you closet should be getting better. Give away as many clothes as you can. If you are storing something that you didn’t wear last season, then you’re probably going to care about it even less when it comes out of storage again. Have an exchange with friends and give whatever is left to charity. Another option is to have a garage sale and use the money to update your closet.

4. Install some shelving that accommodates the items that you own. If you waste a lot of vertical space because shorter items sit on deep shelves, then add some smaller shelves or cubbies on top of the existing shelf. A simple riser or divider can double the space in the closet storage areas.

5. Make the absolute most of closet space by utilizing space saving hangers, like velvet hangers. These new hangers are super strong and have a velvet coating to prevent clothes from slipping and ending up in the floor. They come in different styles that can hold multiple items on one space saving hanger. You’ll love the look and be shocked at how much space these slim velvet hangers can make.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

20 November, 2009

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Get Your Home Ready for Thanksgiving

Decorating for autumn is an exciting time of year. The colors, the weather, the sentiment, the holidays, and the time with family make fall a lot of people’s favorite season. Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, so we decided to put together some quick organizing tips for you. Part of decorating is getting organized so that you can keep your house clean enough for visitors while keeping your own stress level down during this busy time.

Prepping your home for Thanksgiving starts with getting organized. You need to get things in order to keep it running smoothly when the visitors start to pour in. Start with your everyday problem areas. The entryway to your home, your countertops, and your closets are usually the biggest challenges. After you get these things under control, you can decorate and get your house ready for company.

Entryway: Keep the entrance to the home welcoming and clear. When people come in, they will need somewhere to hang their coats. If your coat closet is already stuffed, consider clearing it out a little. You can hang coats that aren’t used as often in a spare bedroom or on a rolling garment rack. This combined with using space saving hangers in the closet will give you a lot more space. If you don’t have room in the coat closet, you can use a stand-alone coat rack by the door. Or, you can install a wall mounted coat hanger bar. You can stock it with slim velvet hangers that won’t cause your guests’ coats to end up on the floor.

Countertops: Keeping the kitchen and bathroom countertops clear can be challenging for sure. These areas often become the catch-all spot for little things that people don’t feel like putting away. If you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner at your house, you will definitely need to do something about clutter before you need that space. See if you can find areas for appliances that aren’t constantly used. You will need a lot of counter space to prepare and serve all of those dishes. An organizing charging station on the kitchen counter can solve a lot of your problems. Small wall shelves or cleaning out your junk drawer can give you more room, too.

Closets: Closets are notoriously messy. They are rarely seen by others, so they are constantly pushed down the list of cleaning priorities. Give your closets a quick makeover by giving away as much as possible to charity. Hang your clothes on space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to find new space that you didn’t know you had. You will be amazed how much time you save when your closets are usable and decluttered.

13 November, 2009

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How to Make Closet Space

Making space in a cramped closet is no picnic, but it can be a lot easier than you think. Follow these steps for making the task run more smoothly and make more space in your closet than you ever imagined possible!

1) Traditional closets waste a lot of space. Consider removing the old “rod and shelf” and put up some inexpensive shelving. There are so many options on the market today and most are very sturdy and easy to install.

2) Donate what you can to charity. Most people report having a lot of the same clothes in their closet that have been there for ten years! You really should go through and get rid of out of date clothes. You probably rotate between your favorite outfits and ignore the rest. Slimming down your belongings is a quick and easy way to make more room.

3) Store sentimental clothing outside of the closet. If you must keep your prom dress for twenty years, consider having it heir loomed. Most cleaners offer this service. They will clean the dress and then seal it in an acid free container that will keep your dress in great shape. Plus you can store that box in the attic, under a bed or in the garage without worrying about the dress.

4) Store out of season clothing rather than leaving it in the closet. A rolling garment rack with a cover is a great way to store clothing without taking it off of the hanger. Your clothes will be protected from dust, wrinkles and musty smells. You can keep the rack in a spare bedroom, garage, basement, or even just in a corner of your room. But, getting those clothes out of the way will be priceless when it comes to creating some space and staying organized.

5) Create a system that will help you keep things clear. Hang all of your clothes hangers backwards on the bar. As you do laundry and hang up things that you have worn, hang them the right way. When the season comes to an end and you are ready to switch out your wardrobe, give away the clothes that are still hanging backwards. This will help you to get rid of things that you don’t wear without wondering if you’ll ever use them again. If you didn’t use them this year, chances are you won’t miss it.

6) Use clever ways of making space. Using space saving hangers is a quick and easy way to create a lot of space in a very short amount of time. Space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, are very slim, yet sturdy. They grip clothing to keep it from ending up on the floor, help clothing keep its shape, and fit closely together to make a lot of room. You can even add specialty hangers like pants hangers that hold a lot of items on one hanger. Cascading hooks and other closet accessories will help you to create even more space as needed.

4 November, 2009

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Saving Closet Space this Winter

Closets definitely get cramped when the winter clothes come out. Get your closet winter ready with these easy to follow tips.

1) Get your other clothes out. Get rid of whatever you didn’t wear over the summer. You can donate clothing to charity, a friend or family member, or even sell it on consignment. If you didn’t wear it this year, then chances are it just doesn’t fit right, it’s out of style, or you simply don’t like it enough.

2) Store your summer clothes. You can use boxes and bins or store them on a rolling garment rack. You can make extra room on the garment rack by using space saving hangers that cascade off of each other. This allows you to piggy-back lots of items on one hanger. You will be surprised how many articles of clothing you can hang on one garment rack. Throw on the plastic or canvas cover and you’re set for the winter.

3) Keep musty odors down in your stored clothes by throwing in a few used dryer sheets. Fresh dryer sheets will deposit a waxy substance on your clothes, which you can see on dark fabrics. If you really want your clothes to smell a lot like the dryer sheet, consider taping it inside the lid so that it’s not touching any of your clothing. The smell that happens when clothes are stored is actually mold. Use cedar hangers or cedar closet accessories to absorb the moisture and odors, keeping mold from forming.

4) Go through your winter clothes. Take the time to actually try things on. If something doesn’t fit right, has a stain that won’t come out, or if you just don’t think you’ll wear it, go ahead and get rid of it. Winter clothes are bulky and take up a lot of room. Not only are they bulkier, but add coats on top of it and your closet can become quickly packed. Make room by using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers. These are shaped correctly and are strong enough to hang your heaviest coats. They keep everything close together.

5) If you still don’t have room, consider cascading hooks and pants hangers. Pants hangers hold three to six pairs of pants on one hanger. They hang flat against each other so they don’t get wrinkled. Velvet hangers also have optional cascading hooks and clips. The hooks hang over the neck of the hangers and make a space for another hanger to hang. You can pair up pants and shirts that go together, or simply hang as many shirts as you want on one hanger. You can cascade hanger after hanger until you have the space that you need. You can triple the space in your closet using velvet hangers. Space saving hangers are an inexpensive, effective option over installing an elaborate closet system.

31 October, 2009

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Changing Seasons: Closet Organization

Closet organization is a hard thing to maintain if you don’t plan ahead for the changing seasons. Switching from warm weather to cold weather wear can make your closet suddenly get overcrowded and disorganized. There are a few different techniques to make the switch easier on you and lessen the work that needs to be done when the weather starts to change.

One option is to keep your out of season clothing in the same closet as your current wardrobe. If you have enough room, you can install shelves up each side of the closet. Find boxes that fit and store your out of season wardrobe there. When the time comes to switch, you can simply switch out the clothes. You can pull out a few things when the season begins without leaving the boxes out in the way while you wait for the time when you’ll need the whole wardrobe.

If you don’t have that kind of space, you may be able to make room on the floor or top shelf of your closet. It may be helpful to move your hanging bar up a little higher to accommodate large plastic storage containers. You can store the out of season clothes there and they will be easy to get to when you start needing to pull out a few items for slightly different weather. If you hang your pants on one side and longer shirts, dresses and coats on the other, then you can free up some space to place containers underneath the pants.

If there really is no room in your closet to store both your summer and winter wardrobes, then there are more options. Shallow plastic storage containers can easily slide underneath the bed. Here they will be hidden from sight, but still easily accessible.

Another option is a rolling garment rack. You can hang your wardrobe here, put a cover over it and store the clothes in a seldom used corner or spare room. The cover will keep the dust off and the garment rack can be moved if necessary.

You can use a smaller rack than you might think if you utilize space saving hangers. The most popular slim hangers are velvet hangers. They are very flat, yet sturdy. The velvet creates a non-slip surface that ensures your clothes won’t end up wrinkled on the floor. You can purchase hooks that allow you to cascade velvet hangers together so that many items only take up the room of one hanger.

Space saving hangers are also useful in your closet. They can double or even triple the amount of space available on your hanging bar. You may be able to leave all of your clothes hanging year round and never worry about storage and the seasonal wardrobe switch again.

22 October, 2009

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Small Apartment Organization

Living in a small apartment can feel suffocating at times, but some people actual prefer living in a tiny space. You can conquer the cramped in feeling by following these organizational tips that are great for occupants of tiny homes.

The first thing to do is to identify your problem areas. Tackle one thing at a time. If you end up using a chair, counter top, end table, or a desk as the holding area for your keys, wallet, mail, jackets and lap top, then you probably need to start there.

This little area of clutter can make you feel weighed down. That is because you have to dig through it every time you are leaving the house. Starting off your morning by having to deal with a disorganized situation is not going to contribute to a sunny disposition! This problem is relatively easy to fix. You may only need to install a couple of hooks, a shelf, or a shelf with coat hooks beneath. If you have a small desk, it will work great for keeping your phone, MP3 and camera chargers handy. Just make sure that you designate a special area for these things. Don’t let it invade your computer desk or kitchen.

A coat closet is extremely useful for saving space. If you are in a tiny apartment, you probably have a tiny coat closet or no coat closet at all! If you don’t have one, invest a little in a shelf with a hanging rod. These are relatively inexpensive and can hold a lot of weight. You can hang it wherever you have a little wall space.

Whether you use a wall mounted hanging rod or a coat closet, you need to make the most of the space. Use space saving hangers that are sturdy enough to hold your heavy winter coats. Slim, velvet hangers are a good choice. They come in an array of colors that you can match up with your décor. The non-slip surface helps keep your coats and jackets neatly hung without having to zip them up or fasten the buttons.

The next biggest place that usually needs organization is the bedroom. The bedroom is where we tend to hide junk that we want out of sight. Of course, you should get rid of as much as possible out of your bedroom. Next, create some space for bulky items. The easiest way to do this is to buy a bed with big drawers underneath, or place your bed on risers.

Store your blankets, out of season clothes, luggage, and bulky sweaters, underneath the bed. This should free up some space in your closet. Utilize door space for hanging shoes or other small items that need somewhere to go. Build small shelves up the front corners of the closet if you can. Hang hooks where ever you can to keep items out of the way.

Make extra space in the closet by using more space saving hangers. Velvet hangers are great in bedroom closets, too, because they come in many different styles. Some velvet hangers have a few sections so that you can hang many pairs of pants on one hanger. You can buy hanger accessories, such as, cascading hooks and finger clips, so that your space saving hangers can be used for anything that you own.

15 October, 2009

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How to Manage a Tiny Closet

1. Select your best wardrobe. The bottom line is that we have to get rid of as much as possible. Make it an ongoing effort. Keep a bag hanging from a hook inside the closet for things that you don’t think you’ll wear again.

2. Hang almost everything. The less bins, shelves and folding you have to do, the better. If you can take your clothes out of the dryer, lay all of your shirts and pants flat, mate your socks and toss your underwear into a bin, then doing laundry will be a snap. Slide space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, into the clothes and throw them on the bar. It’s so fast and easy that it barely takes more time than pulling the clothes out of the dryer. It’s much easier to keep things organized if you have an easy system to follow.

3. Design an efficient space. If everything has a place, then you’ll never have clutter again. If you need to, designate an area, bag, box or bin for things that don’t have a place yet. If you get dressed in front of your closet, then you should have your laundry basket right there. Don’t let clothes get piled up or it will feel less organized every day. You have to commit just a little bit to keeping your closet neat.

4. Utilize unused space. There may be space where you haven’t noticed it before. Can you move back your closet rod and free up some space in the front corners for shelves? What about moving the bar and shelf up so that you have room for a second bar down low for pants? Get creative. If you see some square footage not being utilized, figure out how you can use it.

5. Get seasonal storage out of there. How many of you keep your ski clothing and hiking boots in your closet even though you only use them a few times a year? Do you have a dress coat that you only wear on special occasions? What about sentimental clothing, Christmas decorations, or sports equipment? All of these things can easily clutter up your closet space and make it unusable. Consider putting risers on your bed so that you can store these things underneath in airtight containers. Or, seal them up and store them in a garage. Keep only what you need in your everyday closet and ban the rest.

6. Use stackable bins. Baskets and bins are wonderful, especially if you have some shelves to dedicate to holding them. If your closet is truly tiny, you may be better off going for some inexpensive stackable bins. They take up less space, don’t require shelves, and they’re usually clear so that you can easily see what is inside.

7. Choose hangers wisely. There is no reason to have a closet full of mismatched hangers, flimsy plastic or wire hangers. There are so many high-quality space saving hangers on the market today, that there is no excuse for keeping your closet in the dark ages of crossed up necks, damaged clothes, and clothing lost to the floor mountain. Use slim velvet hangers to keep clothes neatly close together, wrinkle free, and securely on the hanger. Cascading velvet hangers are wonderful space saving hangers that allow you to really maximize space. Velvet hanger accessories also let you piggy-back pants and shirts, getting your wardrobe ready to wear in a tiny amount of space.

5 October, 2009

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Closet Space Saving Accessories

Most closets get packed full over time. People need a place to store things out of sight and the closet is often the target. Ideally, we would not store things in our closets. We would only have the clothing and shoes in there that we need fairly regularly. But, sometimes that’s just not possible. So, we need to figure out ways to more efficiently and effectively use the little closet space that we have.

Baskets and bins are becoming very popular because they keep smaller items organized and out of sight, but they are still accessible. Use them for socks, underwear, belts, ties, or whatever you need to keep in the closet that doesn’t hang. A small series of shelves in the front corner of the closet can hold all of these bins and baskets, making them easily accessible, giving everything its own place, and not taking up hardly any space.

You can use plastic containers that close and stack for lots of things. Pictures, stockings, jewelry, art supplies, and more can be stored in easily accessed containers. You can stack these high on a shelf and they don’t take up much space at all. Use clear plastic containers so that you can see what is inside. Or, you can label them.

You can also use clear plastic boxes for shoes. Stackable ones can be stacked on the floor, you don’t even need a shelf for them. Keeping your shoes in boxes like this will keep your shoes from losing a mate, getting crushed and misshapen by other shoes, and from getting dusty and scuffed. They are so easy to find and you can even categorize them for easier use. Dress shoes can go in one section, work shoes in another, and casual shoes in another section.

Shoes are often in a pile at the bottom of the closet. If you don’t put them into boxes, then you should get an over-the-door organizer that holds a lot of shoes. If you have accordion doors, then try installing a shelf at the bottom of the closet. A low shelf will double the amount of space you have for shoes without taking up much space.

For your clothes that hang, there are quite a few options. You can invest a little in some cascading hangers that allow you to hang a few like items on one hanger. There are many space saving hangers on the market today. One of the best designs is in the velvet hanger. These hangers are slim, strong, and have a soft, non-slip surface. They look nice, last long, and help you clothes to hang in a way that they don’t take up much space, but they also don’t get smashed together or crossed up on the bar.

Saving space with closet accessories and space saving hangers, like the velvet hangers, in your closet will help you make room for all of those things that you need to store without investing a lot in the endeavor.

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