Tuesday Thriftovers - Closet Reorganization

We have limited storage options in our apartment. Ryan has a closet, I have a closet, and there's a closet in the living room. Mine is the biggest (surprise, surprise) but it works like quadruple duty. It acts as clothes closet, craft closet, hobby storage, and guest bed storage. Things just tended to get shoved in with no rhyme or reason. My crazy got a hold recently and that disorganization needed to change. Here's a disappointing before picture of the closet.

Basically, it was a disaster. I could get to my clothes easily enough but crafting supplies, wrapping supplies, workout gear, etc...was pure hell. So naturally when you start any good project you start with a blank slate. This involved pulling EVERYTHING out.

Didn't know all that stuff could fit in there could you? I was shocked too. 

Now I loathe my closet system. It's heavy duty but it's free standing and not anchored. (The back wall is brick which makes it difficult to get any useful closet system in there.) I do like the brass color though. But it's all "stackable" shelves. So unless you want to deconstruct the entire thing, you're stuck with how you initially put that sucker together. I didn't want to put the plastic drawers I had back in so I "relieved" my parents of this old french country style dresser. 

I started with a trip to the dollar store to pick up some baskets for colored pencils, markers, sharpies, etc. For about $5 I picked up everything I needed. Then I went to work going through all my craft supplies. I weeded out all the dried up markers, all the crusty paint brushes, and all the random momentos I don't need. Then I organized my clothes, getting rid of things I don't wear and folding up t-shirts to put in an empty drawer.

Here's what my closet looks like now.

My hobby and craft stuff is all organized to the right of the closet. The clothes on the top rack and left tower. I love it. It might not be the best closet set up but it works for now. Someday I'll have a professionally designed closet that has plenty of storage for clothes, exercise crap, and craft items. 

Next week I should have a good one. I went shopping in my parents basement for some upcycling ideas and came back with a few old drawers and crates. I can't wait to dive into those projects. 

I'm thinking about taking more pictures of the steps of the projects. I know when I pinterest I like to see the process steps. Is that something you would like to see? What are you working on this week?