How to free up space in a cramped closet: 9 ingenious life hacks for organising your wardrobe

Lack of wardrobe space is an unpleasant situation, especially if you have nowhere else to store your belongings in the house. Moreover, when you have hats, trousers, shoes and much more in your wardrobe, it can be very difficult to keep things tidy in such a small area.

"That's why," writes First for Woman, "we turned to experts to give us smart solutions for organising our wardrobe. Here are 9 tips that will help you make the most of the limited space and make it as comfortable as possible for you."

How to make your own wardrobe organiser

Before you get started, take stock of what you already have in your closet and get rid of unnecessary items. This will free up space and make it easier to keep things organized. And only then start reorganising.

For clothes: use thinner hangers

One of the most frustrating things is not having enough space in your closet to hang your clothes. If your clothes are packed in a limited space, ordinary plastic hangers won't do. They are too big, and clothes often slip off them and make a mess on the wardrobe floor. The best alternative is narrow, velvet hangers, which are less likely to fall off and take up less space.

For shoes: Use plastic boxes and notes

Few things make a closet feel more cluttered than piles of shoes.

Free up space by placing your shoes in clear, uniform boxes, which are best stacked on the top shelf or on the floor of the closet. It is also recommended that you sort your shoes by type and label each box with the appropriate inscription.

For trousers and jeans: use curtain hooks in the shower

A great space-saving alternative to hangers are shower curtain hooks. They are ideal for hanging anything with a drawstring, from jeans to shorts. Simply pass the hook through the belt loop and hang it on such a hanger.

For bags and ties: use the inside of doors and the top of cabinets

To increase storage space, simply attach a few hooks or a hanging organiser pocket to the door for scarves, belts and even jewellery. It would also be wise to hide rarely used items on the top shelf (sweaters, hats and anything that is seasonal).

For high boots: free up floor space by hanging them up

Many people like tall boots, but they quickly turn into a messy pile at the bottom of the closet. Not only that, but these shoes can break, which leads to wrinkles in the fabric.

A great hack for storing boots is to use hanger clips for skirts. They help them keep their shape and save space on the floor.

For jewellery: get rid of tangles with a cork board

Necklaces and bracelets stacked in boxes and drawers tend to get a bit messy. In addition, you may simply not have enough space to store your jewellery in a box on a shelf.

So, if you have some free space in your closet, do this - use a bulletin board or corkboard to hang your jewellery. You can conveniently hang jewellery on it with pins.

For scarves: use a towel bar

Towel racks attached to a wardrobe door or wall can almost double the wardrobe space.

On such a hanger, you can store scarves by wrapping them around it, fasten necklaces on it, and hang high-heeled shoes.

For coats: Colour-coded hangers

The wardrobe near the front door is the main location for organising the order of the hallway, so it is important to make this area as comfortable as possible.

To do this: use the space on the door by hanging baskets and a small mirror. It will also be good to highlight the colour of the coat rack for each family member using paint or sticky tape.

For sweaters, socks and more: store them in cubes

To make even small wardrobes look spacious without having to spend money on expensive organisation systems, try adding inexpensive cube shelves above and below your clothes rack. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be mixed, matched, rotated and stacked to suit any wardrobe.

Simply stash shoes, socks, folded sweaters, accessories and other essentials in the baskets on the shelves of the lower unit, and place items that are not used as often but still need to remain accessible in the upper unit.