Organizing is one thing, but creating a beautiful space that you enjoy looking at is another. Many cultures believe that you should be surrounded by things that make your life easier and things that you believe are beautiful. Looking at things that make you happy or inspire your creative spirit can work wonders on your attitude and mentality. Make a point of looking at the things that you like about your home and relax as you’re gazing at them. This could be your Grandmother’s lamp, a painting, a family picture, a flower arrangement, or just about anything that makes you happy and calm.

Beginning with your closet is a good idea because it gets the ball rolling in the right direction. Keeping up with laundry is a difficult task on its own. Add in the frustration of not being able to find what you need when you need it and you’ve got a constant source of stress. If we are constantly being made late or being put into a bad mood by our disorganized closets, then we will always view them with a stressful attitude. It’s not a good idea to get up every morning and “face the monster” first thing. It can set the tone for the whole day, giving you a base of underlying stress that can affect the way that you deal with other stressors as they come along.

When you organize your closet, get rid of the clutter. Giving things that you no longer use or need to a local charity will give you a good feeling about yourself. When you narrow down what you own to what you use and what you consider beautiful, then your closet will start to take shape. As you decide how you are going to arrange your closet, take your time. Make decisions that allow space for new items that may eventually come into the closet. Make room for the out-of-season clothes. Add a high shelf for storing things that you won’t use very often. Use clothes hangers that make your happy. Cedar hangers or other high quality wood hangers will give you a sense of being grounded while making your closet a beautiful site to behold every morning.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

1) Arrange things so that what you use most is at eye level and in the center of the closet. It makes sense to put the things that you use in the most easily accessible location. By doing so, you rarely will disturb the top, bottom and sides of your closet. This will help you to keep the majority of the closet organized for longer and longer periods of time. It will also help you to know when to get rid of those things that work their way to the back and never get worn.

2) If you need a shelf, just build it. It’s easy to adjust the length of a hanging bar. You can most likely build some shelves or shoe rack yourself, saving a bundle on pricey closet organization systems. Some systems are really inexpensive, too, if you are willing to install them yourself. Wire rack systems are cheap, and you can add to them as time goes on. Installing something like this will give you time to determine what works, what you can do without, and what else you might need. They sell attractive drawers, bins and sliding baskets that work with the system, so it’s easy to spread out the cost and add on later.

3) Come up with a design that is pleasing to the eye. You don’t want your closet to look like a mess even when it’s organized, so avoid putting shelves far apart or making them too deep. Clothing will end up thrown in or stacks of folded clothes will be too high to manage. Creating little cubby areas or using dividers can help you to keep it organized once it’s done.

4) Baskets and bins are all the rage and for good reason. There is nothing quite as useful and versatile that you can use in your closet. They’re even better than drawers for a few reasons. For instance, when you’re folding laundry, you can bring the sock baskets with you. Toss in the socks as you go and they’re essentially already put away. Just toss the basket back on the shelf when you’re done.

5) Use clothes hangers that suit your needs. This can be more important than you think. Hangers can serve a lot of purposes, from making space, to supporting heavier garments. Cedar hangers deodorize your closet while absorbing moisture and repelling pests. When your closet is done, it’ll be easier to maintain than you ever imagined.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

1) Cedar’s benefits include pest repellant. Moths and other pests love to lay their eggs on your clothes. The larvae hatch and eat holes through your wardrobe, causing irreversible damage. Control pests by using cedar.

2) Cedar also has antimicrobial properties that helps keep down germs and spores in your closet. The natural deodorizing effect of cedar is one of its most popular features. As cedar ages, it may begin to lose that wonderful smell. If it does, simply rub fine-grit sandpaper gently over the surface and it’ll be as good as new again.

3) Cedar absorbs moisture and humidity in your closet. This helps keep your clothes from getting musty. When clothes are in storage, they get that distinct musty smell, causing you to have to wash and launder them again, every time you take them out of storage. That smell is actually mildew and mold growing in the fibers of the clothes. By absorbing moisture, cedar prevents the molds and mildews from growing, keeping your clothes fresh year-round.

4) Of course, many people love cedar simply for its timeless beauty. Cedar has a distinctly beautiful wood grain pattern with rose and yellow undertones. It is one of the only woods that does not require stain or varnish to bring out its beauty.

5) One way to enjoy cedar in your closet is to install cedar lining for your closet. You can use prefabricated liners, or install cedar planks for a high-end closet that you will love for years to come. Another way to use cedar is to purchase cedar clothes hangers. Cedar hangers look gorgeous in your closet and are sturdy enough to hold your heaviest coats and suits for years to come. Cedar hangers are extremely popular and can go with any type of décor.

6) Cedar accessories, such as cedar balls, wood blocks, hanging blocks, and shoe inserts are also popular. Combine these with cedar clothes hangers and you can keep your closet fresh and beautiful all year long.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Living with a disorganized mess can make you chronically late for everything. Even when your laundry is all done you can’t find anything to wear. Most cluttered closets are full of shoes that you’ll never wear again, suits that are outdated or the wrong size, and even old bridesmaid dresses that you will certainly never use again.

One thing you can do is consign your usable clothes to make some money. Lots of people do this, or have a garage sale, to raise some money that they will put toward organizing their closet. Closet organization accessories are very helpful in making a place for everything. Hooks, baskets, bins and boxes can help you to conceal clutter and get organized.

Once you’ve thinned the herd and determined what you want to keep, decide how you want to display it. You may decide to install some shelves to make more flat surfaces in the closet. In general, you want the things that you use the most to be the most accessible. Hanging and storing these things in the front center of the closet will make them easy to find and access. Keeping things that you use most in the center will also naturally push things that you don’t wear as much towards the back.

As things migrate toward the back of the closet, you know that you should get rid of them. Another popular trick is to hang everything backwards on the bar. Then, as you wear them, wash them, and hang them again, hang them the correct way. At the end of the season or after a year, see which hangers are still facing backwards. These are the items that you can get rid of without missing.

Nothing looks sloppier than a lot of mismatched hangers. All different colors, sizes, and types of hangers get tangled easily, cause your clothes to disappear into the abyss of junk towards the back of your closet, and can actually deform your most precious garments. Making the closet look more uniform is easy with the right clothes hangers.

Wood hangers, especially cedar hangers, are the ultimate closet accessory. They make your closet look fantastic, they smell great, and they actually protect your clothes from musty odors and pests. Once you get your closet organized and looking nice, you’ll be on time more often and enjoy the benefits of an organized life.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Sometimes closet organization is an ongoing process. You may get everything done and then realize that your winter clothes don’t fit. You need a system that works for your summer and winter wardrobes. It can be hard to do it in one fail swoop, so you may actually need to test your design on both wardrobes before you settle on a final arrangement.

This is another reason that incorporating versatile accessories will help you to stay organized year round. It can help if your closet adjusts to the seasons like you do. One thing to start with is hooks. Hooks are very useful for summer and winter items. You can hang tote bags, beach bags, beach towels, robes, and more. You may want to install a couple of extra hooks even if you don’t need them now, because eventually you might, and it will be nice to already have them in place.

Retractable valet bars are great closet additions for summer or winter. In the summer, you can hang your beach towel or swimwear on the rod to dry. You can hang wool coats, sweaters and suits to be steamed or brushed. You can use them to set out your clothes that you plan on wearing the next day, or to have an extra hanging place while you’re organizing and rearranging.

If you have drawers in your closet, you can use a drawer organizer to divide your drawer into different sections. You can have sections for mittens, scarves, hats and wool socks during the winter, and then rearrange it to hold swim wear, running socks, and other summer items when the weather turns warm.

One of the most versatile things you can have in your closet is your clothes hangers. Some clothes hangers have cascading hooks, allowing you to pair tops and bottoms. Some hangers have clamps, notches, hanging bars, or shoulders with grips to give you lots of hanger options. You can choose hangers that save space, specialty hangers designed for coats, skirts or pants, and even cedar hangers for keeping your closet fresh and attractive.

Once your closet is outfitted with versatile accessories, it will be so much easier to get it organized and keep it that way.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

1) Do some research and pick out closet systems that you like. Be practical. You don’t want to pick one that would fill a room if you have a small closet. However, you can take bits and pieces of closets that you like and draw up your own plans for a closet system that will fit in your space.

2) Analyze what you own and figure out if the system you designed will accommodate all of your belongings. If you’re looking to make more storage space, you may want to leave large areas at the top clear for storage boxes that can hold your out of season wardrobes. If you have a lot of hats, you might consider installing a hat rack. You can use an over the door hat rack, or for a more sophisticated look, use small hooks inside on the closet wall. Consider the front wall that is out of sight so that the hats don’t make your organized closet look cluttered.

3) Figure out what other small items you will need a lot of storage for. If you own a lot of shoes, you may want to concentrate on a shoe rack that works for you. You don’t have to keep shoes down on the floor underneath your clothes. You might want to reserve that area for a laundry bin or cabinetry. Shoes can be put on shelves that go up one side of the closet, taking up little space and staying easily accessible.

4) Shop for cabinets that are prefabricated or unfinished. You can use these as a starting point for building a custom system. They can be built from scratch, but are more likely to be sturdy and nice if you buy them already built. Make sure that you properly anchor them to the studs inside of your closet.

5) For shelving, you can use cabinet grade wood. Make sure that you give your shelves plenty of support. You can stain and varnish them to match your cabinets, giving the closet that high end look that you’re going for.

6) When you have all of the cabinets, racks, and bars that you want installed, finish out the look with special hardware. Knob pulls, hooks, and specialty clothes hangers can turn a boring closet into a beautiful one. Your hangers should be sturdy and preferably wood. Cedar hangers are the ultimate in closet accessories. When you you’re done, you closet will be one that you are proud to show off!

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

1) Functionality is very important. If the closet isn’t useful, then you or your heirs will eventually have the need to take it apart and start from scratch. Think of all of the little things that you and future generations may need to keep in your closet. Many people keep more than just clothes. You may decide to include places for books and photo albums, jewelry, even family board games. The more usable space you can create, the better.

2) Use the space that you have to create the most efficient system possible. Don’t neglect room that you may have near the ceiling or at the front corners of the closet. If you have a walk-in closet, then the possibilities are truly endless. You may decide to build custom cabinets or install drawers that can be used in many different capacities. Come up with an interesting arrangement of the hanging bars to allow room for more shelving. This will also make the closet unique, easily organized, and beautiful at the same time.

3) Use quality materials that will last. You will probably want to invest in cabinet grade woods as opposed to press board or wire shelving with plastic hardware. Cedar is a great option as it will keep the closet fresh and free of mildew and odors for many, many years. If the cedar loses its deodorizing properties over the years, you simply need to rub a fine-grit sandpaper over the surfaces to bring it back to its original state. Stock the closet with sturdy, commercial grade cedar hangers to finish it out. After all, the hangers can be passed down as well.

4) Paint the walls inside of the closet with a long lasting paint. Once you install shelving, it can be very difficult to paint again. Make sure that you put at least two coats of paint and use a color that future owners will not find too bright or too bold. Neutrals are great and light colors will make the closet seem bigger and brighter.

5) Use a hard coat lacquer on the wood shelves that will make them last without getting dirty. Cedar does not need to be coated with anything. It will stay beautiful and fragrant without the use of any chemicals or varnishes.

6) Stock the closet with plenty of industrial strength hooks and clothes hangers. These little details will make the closet a treasure that your heirs are sure to enjoy. Hangers that are made of solid wood and quality materials will give the closet that finished look that you are looking for. When you’re done, you’ll have a closet that you are proud to pass down.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

When trying to get your home organized, start with daily problems and work your way up to more long-term problems. For example, if your wallet, keys, purse, cell phone and change are constantly cluttering up your kitchen table or countertop, start there. Come up with a solution to help each area of your house stay clean.

Make a mental note or list of what happens when family members enter the home. Do the kids throw their backpacks in the middle of the room? Does everyone toss their jackets on a chair instead of hanging them in a closet? Do you throw stacks of mail down on the end table instead of having a specific place for the mail to go? Just keeping track of what everyone does in one day will help you to realize just how quickly things can get out of hand.

Organize an area at the entrance of your home where everyone has a specific place to put things. A good rule of thumb is to make shoes inside the house off limits. This may sound harsh or crazy to some, but if you enforce this one rule, it will make everyone have to sit down and take off their shoes at the door. If the backpack hooks, mail bin, trash container, cell phone chargers, key holders, and coat hangers are all in this area, it will be so much easier to make your family slow down for a moment and use them.

Dishes are another problem in many homes. If people are leaving dirty dishes all over the house, then it can be quite the task when it comes time to do them. Set up a reward system for kids (and grown-ups too!) so that whoever neatly stacks rinsed dishes in the sink or (shock!) actually puts them into the dishwasher will be rewarded.

Laundry is often a terrible task and really needs to be kept in order. Laundry baskets are more likely to be used than hampers, and closets that are organized will help your family to keep their laundry straight. Make it a point to come up with a closet system that will work for each individual family member. Install shelves, drawers, cubbies and hooks so that everything each person owns has a place. Utilize specialty clothes hangers to keep kids interested and to save space. Your hangers can double as deodorizers if you choose cedar hangers.

When your home is organized and you have a few tricks in place to keep it that way, life will be so much easier!

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Cedar shoe inserts are popular for a few reasons. Cedar smells great, which covers up the odor of keeping sneakers and boots in your closet, but it does more than cover up. Cedar actually deodorizes, killing germs and bacteria that cause odor in your shoes. Shoe inserts also help you shoes to keep their shape and make your closet look nice.

Boutique hotels and high end homes are building in cedar lined closets. These closets have planks of cedar lining the walls. It looks beautiful and can be enjoyed for many, many years. Cedar keeps moths and other pests away from your clothes, so the benefits go beyond beauty and the fresh scent. You can install planks in your closet by nailing in the first board around the floor. Then simply apply each board above that with wood glue. Finish out the corners and ceiling with quarter round and you’re done!

You can also add cedar to inconspicuous places around your closet. Cedar sachets can be hung or placed in drawers. There are also cedar tie hangers and belt hangers. You can buy cedar balls, blocks or chips to put into your drawers or baskets as well.

If you like the look of cedar, then you can get the ultimate closet accessory, the cedar hanger. This coat hanger is thick, sturdy and beautiful. If you need to save space, consider adding metal hangers in with the wooden ones. The wood grain of each hanger is unique and has that reddish color that really makes your closet look nice. These hangers are curved in a way that keeps the shape of your coats and suits without stretching or crumpling the shoulders. Cedar hangers are thick enough and have the curve that you need to keep all of your clothes slightly separated on the bar.

Caring for cedar is so easy. It keeps its fragrance, color, and deodorizing properties for years without any additional care. If they do start to lose their scent or if you would like a stronger scent after a few years, you can simply rub a piece of fine-grit sandpaper lightly over the surface. This will refresh and rejuvenate the wood so that you can continue to enjoy the benefits of cedar for years to come.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

1) Empty the closet. You can use your bed as a staging area. A rolling garment rack is also useful for temporarily holding your items that you don’t want wrinkled during the organization process. You can later use the rolling garment rack to store out of season clothing or big coats that won’t fit in your bedroom or coat closet.

2) Categorize like items. Pile up t-shirts in one stack, work-out clothes in another, dress shoes in one pile, casual wear in another, you get the picture. Separate everything as much as possible so that you can get an idea of where you’ll be headed when you start to figure out what you want to do with your closet. Putting things into piles gives you a good visual to go by so that you can accurately estimate how much room you will need for each item. You may not have realized that you had so many of one thing until you group them together.

3) Get rid of what you can. Bring some garbage bags or boxes into the room and designate them for storage, yard sale, give away, or charity. Only keep out what you really use all of the time. Try not to let your closet become cluttered with storage items. You can store things like clothes that don’t fit right now or that are out of season underneath beds, on garment racks, in other closets, or in dressers. Set limits as to what you will allow to be kept in your everyday use closet.

4) If you don’t have space for what you have left, consider investing a little money in some shelving or a closet organization system. Sometimes you can get away with some small shelves, a few baskets or bins, and a shoe organization rack. Make use of the vertical space in the closet by using the left and right front corners of the closet for shelves and the back of the door for shoes.

5) You may be able to move the top shelf and bar up higher so that you can add a second bar. This makes a great use of a small space and only costs a few dollars. It’s easy to do and only takes a few minutes.

6) Now that you have the room, take a look at your clothes hangers. Do they get bent up or cross over each other in the closet? Cheap hangers can be a bigger problem than you think. Invest a little in some nice cedar hangers or clothes hangers that will last you for a long time. Sturdy hangers will keep your clothes from falling on the floor and also make the closet look great. Once you’ve updated your hangers, hang your clothes however you would like.

About the Author: Ellen Hamm is on the staff of Everything Hangers, a leading online resource for the highest quality clothes hangers, including sturdy metal hangers and cedar hangers. Learn more about our high end hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.