organized bedding

after living in 2 very spacious southern homes, adjusting to smaller storage spaces has been a challenge. both of my homes in arkansas had large walk-in closets in each room and ample closet space for storing linens and towels. this isn't a complaint, don't get me wrong. you know me, i'll adapt and make due when necessary. and i'm always up for a good organization challenge!

so when it came to organizing the bedding in this new/old house, i rolled up my sleeves and got serious. for a small investment, i made the tiniest of linen closets work hard for us.

the bedding in this place was becoming an issue. in particular, the kids bedding. the storage space for their bedding is at the end of their bedroom hall (sorry if the photos look yellow - hard to get good light down here for photos)...

see, not exactly working for me! it wasn't hard to figure out the issues either...

1. it was time to purge old bedding sets. we have a lot of bedding because between the 3 bedrooms there is 4 beds and 2 trundle beds. when we moved i purchased a few new sets on sale, but never went through the existing bedding to sort out donations.

2. bedding, especially fitted sheets, are difficult to fold neatly. anyone out there nodding in agreement? if you could only fold it nicely, you could maximize your space.

3. all but 1 of the beds mentioned are twin size. we have 1 full size bed. when i find a great bedding set i tend to buy the same pattern in both a twin and full. when it's time to change sheets, i tear apart the bedding to find out which set is twin or full. this causes the cabinet to become a mess. writing on the bed sheet tags wouldn't work because i would still be tearing the bedding apart to find that tiny tag! ;-)

time for a simple, easy solution!

first thing - empty the cabinets...

once everything was out, i sorted the sets into twin and full...

also made a pile of pillow cases...

keeping in mind what was currently on each of the beds, i sorted through our collection to create a donation pile...

with the sets sorted out, it was time to put it all away. a few weeks ago i found these great shelf dividers at The Container Store...

the dividers come 2 to a set and are minimal cost. i had a 10% off coupon, which helped reduce the price a bit more. the tall size is $9.99 and the short size is $6.99. i added the shelf dividers to the shelves...

then i taught myself exactly how to fold those elusive fitted sheets. a quick google search brought up my girl Martha and her tips for folding fitted sheets. score!...

folding a fitted sheet could make anyone throw their hands in the air and yell "i surrender!". i feel so much wiser after learning how to do this simple household chore. who knew how easy it was all this time!?

now that i had the folding technique down, it was time to put away the bedding...

looking much better, right? this new system saved so much room that i was able to add a few more items to the cabinets...

looking good, but there was one remaining issue to solve. how would we know which sets were twin and which were full? using some washi tape and my label maker...

i added a simple label to the shelves...

super easy and cute, too!...

needless to say, am very pleased with the new kid's bedding cabinets...

with the kid's bedding done, it was time to tackle the master bedroom. i haven't used this dresser for clothing in more than 7 years! what has it been doing in the master bedroom during that time? holding bedding, of course...

with the new master closet system, i created so much new space that the bedding is now located - neatly - on a few shelves...

i followed the same system - went through all of the bedding, sorted into keeps and donate, folded neatly and put away. and now the master bedroom bedding is organized too!

this girl is in bedding organization heaven over here, peeps!

and guess what, that empty dresser? oh does it have something to look forward to. i can't wait to get on that project and share it in here!

again, the shelf dividers weren't a big investment but they make a huge impact with the limited space. if you have a closet full of bedding that is a jumbled mess, i hope this easy solution will work for you!

have a great day!

(i linked up with iheart organizing)

organized master closet

guess what? i officially have a closet. and it's not just a closet. it's beautiful, organized and has clothing hanging inside it. on new, pretty, matching hangers. and i can see everything!

did i mention this closet's a beauty?

sorry, i simply can't get enough of this new organized space in the house. i also can't get over the fact i started here...

then lived out of wardrobe boxes for 5-6 weeks...

and now? now. NOW!....

now i have more room than i know what to do with. so much room those drawers are practically empty.

the closet system itself was a big splurge. a splurge but, you will agree, a necessity. although i wanted to call this closet budget a wrap, i did break down and upgrade a couple items in this space. one being the hangers.

i had been using those old white plastic hangers. i know, ladies....*cringe* honestly, i was ok using them again. but with this new pretty closet, i thought it was time for an upgrade. a 10% off container store coupon helped me make that decision too! i went with the non-slip, slim-line, huggable hangers...

if you aren't sure these make a big difference, have a look...

i was skeptical myself, but i love how streamlined the closet appears. the hangers allow me to hang more to maximize the space. 

here's a closer look at how my side of the closet is organized. in this section...

dressy tanks, short sleeves, and 3/4 length sleeves...

jeans, capris and long pants...

shorts, skirts and long sleeve tops...

on the top shelf i have a few shoe boxes (empty and being used for future organization projects) and hats...

in the corner, to the left of the window, my dresses. i love to wear dresses...

on the shelf above it, some special memory boxes and one travel tote...

under the window, shoes. as you can tell, i'm not a big shoe girl. i'm all about flip flops and ugg boots. that's just how i roll. but i am coming around and will definitely add a few more to this group...

in this section, to the right of the window...

i folded cold weather sweaters, various t-shirts, short sleeved and long-sleeved casual tops...

in the middle i created an organized jewelry area...

as you can tell, i'm also not a big jewelry gal. i love to dress up from time to time, however, so i do have a little something. the other new splurge in this space was the standing acrylic jewelry organizer. i even bought it on sale! was found in the clearance section. it has one broken necklace hook, otherwise it's in perfect condition. you can't even tell it has a broken hook because it's clear. i thought it would work well for my small collection and it looks great in this space...

under the jewelry shelf, i have tank tops, heavy sweaters and vests...

down at the bottom, i raised the shelves to make room for boots...

on the final wall...

there's a lot of extra room here. not to say my wardrobe will expand that much (i keep it simple over here), but it's nice to know the space exists. maybe i'll fill in the remaining shelves with extra bedding. or use it as a means to organize something i don't want the kids getting ahold of. we'll see....

otherwise, in this section i have long sweaters and scarves...

and my collection of sweatsuits...a.k.a. my mommy uniform...

although there is plenty of space in this closet, i did spend quite a bit of time thoroughly inspecting each and every article of clothing before hanging. if i didn't love it, it was donated. if i hadn't worn it within the last year, it was donated. if it didn't fit me, right now, it was donated. if it had stains or holes that couldn't be repaired, it was donated. my goal was to only put away clothing, shoes and other items i would actually wear / use. i was brutal about it too. 

didn't allow myself to think "oh, i'll lose those 10 pounds and get back into those jeans.".

didn't allow myself to think "oh, but i wore this the entire time i was pregnant with my first child.". 

i didn't allow myself to get caught up in the what if's over clothing. i asked myself "do i love this?" and "do i wear this?". if both were answered with a "yes!", it received a "huggable hanger award".

i am so so sooooo thrilled to have this closet organized. over time i'll add a few touches and will make sure to update in here when i do. 

hope you're having a great week!

(i linked up with savvy southern style, tatertots & jello, iheart organizing, thrifty decor chick)