Simple and helpful tips for organizing a messy coat closet.
Our coat closet has been a mess since we moved in (almost four years ago) but I haven't made the time to address this spot until now.
It felt right tackling it now with school starting and our normal schedule beginning again. I always crave structure and the ease of organized spaces at this time of year, don't you?
I was thrilled when Big Lots asked me to work with them this year! I was so thankful to be able to utilize a few of their organizational items to get this coat closet functioning well and looking good.
This spot feels like the final frontier as far as organized closets go in our house. Our linen closet looks great and the mud room cat litter and cleaning closet is my favorite ever. ? This one has been a pain for years and I was excited to get it looking good.
Behind this door was a disaster that I've been stuffing things into for the past few months:
It looks so innocent, until you open it!
OK, it's not HORRIBLE. Well...maybe:
I'll admit, the linen closet was way more of a "Monica" closet than this one.
This hall closet doesn't even include most of our winter gear like gloves and hats -- those live above the built in cubbies in our mud room.
We do keep coats, jackets, boots, beach towels, pool stuff, extra bags, all that jazz, in here. See how nice it looks stuffed onto the top shelf?:
When I start decluttering and organizing a space, my first step is to remove as much as I can so I can see what I'm dealing with:
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I sit on the floor and start sorting out items by category, and then decide what to keep and what to donate.
The first items to tackle were the beach towels. I wanted to keep them up on top for easy access, so I used these awesome stacking sweater units for the top shelf:
They come with a bracket so you can stack them, but we only needed the two.
I LOVE these things and can't wait to use them in my closet someday soon. They would be great for sweaters or sweatshirts!:
Notice how bright it is up there? Ahhh these motion sensor LED lights are the answer to a huge frustration for me. I so wish we would have added some kind of lighting in our closets!
I stuck the sensor on the door frame and then ran the LED strip (it's sticky on the back) on the walls around the trim inside:
It works so well -- you can set how long you want it to stay on. I have ours set to 20 seconds. I got another strip to put in our linen closet as well.
The rest of the random stuff was sorted into winter boots and gear, rain stuff like ponchos for when we travel and umbrellas, and then all the beach/pool items like sunscreen, beach toys and water gear.
Once I got everything sorted, I realized we wouldn't need a ton of storage to get everything organized. Funny how when you're throwing stuff into the top of the closet it looks like a TON.
I found these white cubby storage units and wanted to stack them on the side of the closet in the back. When I got them assembled and slid one in, I realized there wasn't enough room to pull the cubbies out with them on the side.
SO I had an even better idea -- I wanted to stack them right in the middle instead. But this wire shelf bracket was in the way:
This was a super easy fix! I picked up a new bracket for a few bucks and then installed them both closer to the walls instead of in the middle, so that spot was now clear.
Perfect!:
You can see that I didn't install the wood feet on the bottom of the top unit so I could stack them.
I plan to replace the wire shelving with wood someday...but for now I'm working with it. :)
I drilled two holes into the bottom of the top cubby so I could attach the two together:
They are made of melamine, which looks great and is super easy to clean, but they are slick! The top one would not have been secure without connecting them.
The cubby units come with brackets you'll want to secure into the wall behind so they don't topple over -- especially if you choose to stack them like I did!
I grabbed two sets of these storage bins for the units:
I really like the neutral color and they are HUGE! I had to double check that they would fit inside the cubbies because they are so large.
Colby loved the new storage, of course:
We went through our coats (I feel like we had a TON) and got rid of enough that the storage shelves fit perfectly in the middle without the coats feeling smushed.
Our coats are hanging in the mud room all winter anyway -- we rarely need to grab them from here. The great part is we now have some space for additional coats when people come over!
I don't think we've ever been able to hang our visitor's coats in our coat closets. ;)
I LOVE all of the storage, but we needed to know what was in each bin. It would've taken four months of me pulling out three of the four before I'd remember what was in each one.
I had some oval wood shapes from the craft store in my stash (I was going to make ornaments with them last year), so I drilled a hole on each end and then painted them with chalkboard spray paint:
Instead of words like "winter" and "summer," I did a little seasonal art instead.
After I drew all over them with chalk, I realized I didn't want them to wipe off, so I sprayed a clear coat on top of each one. And the chalk drawings disappeared right before my eyes.
COOL.
Thankfully I could still see a shadow of what I drew when the clear coat dried, so I was able to do it again, this time with a white Sharpie marker.
I held them up and drilled into the cubbies:
And then attached them with long brads that went through the wood label and the cubby:
It worked great!
Now we can see what seasonal gear we're reaching for -- winter boots or pool goggles?:
As my niece would say...adoyable! I love them. :)
The cubbies hold a TON so that was all the storage we needed.
Other than a few coats we donated, almost everything that we started with stayed. I moved a back pack up to our son's closet and the large umbrellas out to our garage where we can let them dry after using them.
We also had some reusable bags that I moved to the mud room cabinet drawers so we can grab them on the way out.
Now this closet is SO wonderfully organized and functional...you know how happy this makes me! I love that we still have plenty of floor space if needed:
Occasionally I open the door just to see the lights and great organization. ;)
You know this is the best part -- the before and after:
Ohhh yes...the best!
Any coat closet organization tips you use and love? See the organization hacks I used for the winter gloves, hats and scarves in the coat closet at our old house!
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I only work with companies and products I know, love and would recommend to you.
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TONS of beautifully organized closet makeovers with clothing, jewelry and shoe storage.I've got major closet organization on the brain lately! I have most of our smaller closets under control, but I didn't want to tackle anything permanent in our clothes closets until we lived with them for awhile. I find it helps to see how we use the spaces before doing anything too drastic.
My husband and I are lucky to have our own closets -- neither one is HUGE, but they are plenty big for what we need! The key is to make the most of the spaces we have and make them super functional.
I've shared my jewelry and shoe storage, and it's been working well:
Not much else in there functions well, but hey...I have that at least! ;)
I'm sure many of you won't be surprised that I used kitchen cabinets for our closet makeover at our old house:
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I'm not sure if I would use cabinets again or not...just because the base cabinets are so deep and take up a lot of floor space. If I did, I'd want to install fully extending drawer slides so we could access ALL of the cabinet drawers.
I have a bunch of ideas rolling around in my head for when I decide to tackle my closet, but for now let's take a look at these awesome DIY closet makeovers from some very talented bloggers!
Build it from scratch
If you have the know-how, a custom closet build will give you all of the functionality and storage you're dreaming of.
Ashley built her closet from the ground up and it is a stunner:
All of those drawers are what dreams are made of! :)
If you aren't a high level DIYer but can do the basics, this "box system" closet organization is also a brilliant idea!:
If you can build wood boxes, you can make custom shelving for your exact needs.
I love the natural wood in that closet and this one as well -- it's a coat closet but you could create the same segmented organization for hanging and folded clothes:
Carrie used $75 of MDF to build a tower in the middle of her closet with shoe storage on the bottom:
This "floating" shelf version is even simpler and won't break the bank:
Oh my, look at those lovely solid shelves. I can't wait to lose all of our wire shelves!
Vineta shares how to create custom closet drawers with French cleats and plastic tubs:
You'll save a ton of money if you create built in closet units like these!
IKEA Pax closet builds
Of course no closet round up would be complete without the IKEA options! There are so many ways to customize these for your specific needs.
This IKEA Pax closet has to be the most organized closet I've ever seen!:
SO awesome! Her husband's side is just as beautiful!
I LOVE the IKEA lighting options for their closet units:
Soft task lighting makes everything look better!
Heather took her time and gathered secondhand Pax units to create this beautiful closet:
I love the mirrored front panels! Those would be perfect for a smaller closet where there isn't room for a full length mirror.
Jaime used an IKEA dresser and built it in so it looked like a custom unit:
This is definitely an option I'm considering for my closet!
Organized kid's closets
Even though the kid stuff is smaller, there always seems to be more of it. :)
Jen used an IKEA unit to create a lovely closet for her daughter:
This teen closet was built from scratch and I love the pretty gold details!:
I adore this sweet boy's closet -- how cool is that book shelf on the back of the closet door?:
I love the blue and gold wallpaper accent as well. ?
The husband's side of the closet
We can't forget the spouses!
Maria shared how they made one large closet into a "his and hers" that meets both of their needs:
Jenna Kate used closet storage that attaches to wall brackets to create this custom closet for her husband:
I love the pull out pant hangers -- brilliant.
I'm planning to start with my closet and then I'll tackle my husband's... you know, when I work out the kinks. That's what I always say anyway. ;)
Organizing the small stuff
Whenever I see a closet great makeover, the little details are always my favorite part. I love seeing how people organize the small stuff like shoes, jewelry and purses.
Melissa's wall of small handbag and purse storage makes me happy:
I also loved these simple hooks to hang purses:
If you have extra hanging space this is a great way to keep everything out where you can see it.
Christina's wall of DIY jewelry organizers makes my heart happy:
So simple but so smart!
THIS one is brilliant! Carli used square cubby organizers to create tons of sneaker organization for her son:
How smart is that! They are perfect for bigger shoes like these -- it would also make great storage for sweaters and sweatshirts.
And finally...another smart idea for shoe storage. I use these see through bins for our shoe storage as well, but it can still be difficult to see what's inside sometimes.
These shoe photos on the front are the perfect solution:
How smart! You'll quickly be able to find exactly what you need.
I love all of these closet organization projects! They are giving me so many ideas for our closets...hmmmm.
Have you used any of these closet ideas? Any you use and love?
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Via https://www.thriftydecorchick.com/2021/08/20-DIY-custom-closet-organization.html This delicious homemade Crock-Pot applesauce recipe is only three ingredients!My friend Cristina shared this easy Crock-Pot recipe with me years ago. When I asked how she made it, she was all, "Oh I just throw the apples in a pot with some cinnamon, it’s totally easy" and my mind was BLOWN. I had no idea! So I did a little research and found she was totally right. (Not that I didn’t believe her of course.) You can make it even easier than I did -- check out some of my tips later in the post.
Here’s the recipe I use in my Crock-Pot – I throw it all in and come home to applesauce.
You can’t beat that.
Three ingredient homemade crockpot applesauce
Ten to 12 apples -- peeled*, sliced, cored
1/2 cup sugar*
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The first step is the only one that takes time – peeling, coring and cutting up the apples.
Thankfully I have an apple peeler/corer/slicer:
This one is called the Peelota. Ha! I don't think they're made anymore, but this apple peeler is beautiful and will hold up even better than my plastic one.
The apples looked like this when I was done peeling and slicing:
I just cut the apples in half from the top. If you don’t have a peeler, you’ll want to slice them up or cut into large chunks.
This slicer/corer is super handy for cutting apples into easy pieces:
What apples are best for applesauce?
Almost any apple is fine! It depends on your preference -- sweet or tart?
Red Delicious apples don't heat well and will not turn out as well in applesauce.
All you do is dump the apples in the crockpot and sprinkle on as much cinnamon as you like:
I add a couple dashes of nutmeg too -- YUM!
The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar, but I find you can use less and it's just as delicious. You may not even want to add it -- taste test the applesauce a couple hours in to see if you want to add some sweetness.
No need to stir while cooking -- just pile them in, put the lid on and set the Crock-Pot to cook on high for four hours.
The smell while these cook is AMAZING! Who needs candles? Just make applesauce every day!
We like it chunky (name that movie) so I call it done after about four hours. Watch yours to see when to take it off of the heat:
It is especially delicious warm right out of the slow cooker. It's like a dessert really -- have you ever heated up your applesauce?
|
Sources for items in this room |
City Farmhouse |
Lemon and Bloom |
Our Fifth House |
Unexpected Elegance |
Girl, Just DIY |
Heathered Nest |
You can use this paper bag trick over a DRY painted surface as well!
Check wood boards from all sides, as the wood can bow all kinds of ways.
You don't ever want to force your wood where it won't fit, so if it's way too long cut it down.
Yes, these apple dumplings have odd ingredient that made me pause the first time I made them. Soda? Won't they get all mushy and gross and taste like...soda?
But I went with it and I'm so glad I did! How can something so simple and easy taste so good?
SO. GOOD.
These sweet dumplings take about ten minutes to prepare and 40 or so minutes to bake.
I rarely make that many dumplings (mostly because I know I'd eat them all).
So I prefer to half the recipe as follows:
To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice your apple(s).
I peel first and then slice using this apple slicer/corer that makes cutting the apple into sections super easy:
Lay out your crescent rolls and wrap your apple slices:
I close up the ends of the dumplings so the apples are completely covered.
I think that little change makes these extra AMAZING.
Spoon your applesauce sugar mixture over the dumplings:
Did I mention these aren't the most appetizing before baking? Push on my friends.
Finally, pour the Mountain Dew into the pan around the apples:
Bake the dumplings in a 350 degree oven for 35-50 minutes. I know that's a wide window, but it will all depend on your oven and how crispy you want them to be.
I bake them closer to 50 minutes. If you want them extra crispy on top, I recommend doing the same:
I doubted these when I first saw them out of the oven -- they looked like they would be total mush all the way through.
But I persevered.
And added some ice cream:
Vanilla ice cream really should be an additional ingredient. It's almost mandatory. :)
They are SO GOOD. I cannot express the deliciousness of these easy apple dumplings.
The best of both worlds...the bottom is mushy, the apple is tender:
You will not be disappointed! YUM.
I may have eaten a couple for lunch today.
Go get some apples and brown sugar and make them immediately. You can thank me by sending a few our way. ?
Have you tried these easy apple dumplings yet? Any other easy dessert recipes I can’t live one more day without?
Pin this one for later with this image!:
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