HOW TO ORGANIZE A SMALL LINEN CLOSET

Our current linen closet is fairly small. In our previous 2 houses I had large linen closets with more than enough storage and I didn't think that downsizing a closet would be a big deal. After some trial & error and getting rid of things I just didn't need, I finally am happy with the closet...just in time to move! (Story of my life, lol!) I've put together a few tips on how to organize your small linen closet.

STEP ONE: Pull everything out and question "Do I need this?" or "When was the last time I used this?" I realized that I was storing and moving table cloths for a dining room table I no longer own and multiple seasonal table cloths from the days where we would host 20+ people for dinner. Linen closets also tend to be a catch all place so if it's not linen find a new place for it! (This means you fabric remnants and valentine's)

STEP TWO: Make a plan! Once you know how much you will be putting back in the closet, group everything together. Make a pile for quilts and another for sheet sets. Separate the towels by size and visualize how much space you will need for everything. I have 3 shelves so I needed to find a way to maximize this space to hold everything! If you have a large walk in closet in the bedroom it may help to store extra bedding/quilts or keep a few extra towels in the bathroom.

Use the top shelf to organize extra quilts and blankets

STEP THREE: Keep the sheet sets together! I saw this tip over 10 years ago on a talk show and haven't looked back since. Fold your fitted sheet and flat sheet then put them both in your pillow case. Voila! It makes the closet so clean and keeps everything together. I like to use the top shelf for extra quilts and sheet sets because they aren't needed on a daily basis.

Keep the sheet sets together by storing the sheets inside the pillowcase

STEP FOUR: The towels! I like to keep the towels in the easiest to reach shelf because they are used every day. I find that folding the towels all in the same way keeps the stack looking neat and tidy. I started replacing any worn out towels with new white towels and love the ease of doing laundry when everything is the same colour! After we move I plan on picking up a few new ones because nothing is better than fluffy towels!

Use the same coloured towels and fold them the same to keep a clean looking closet

STEP FIVE: Baskets! I use baskets everywhere! I picked up these small baskets from Michaels when we bought our first house 11 years ago and I still love them. They are the perfect size for holding hand towels and cleaning cloths. In the kitchen I use them for sorting dish cloths and dish towels. Invest in good baskets, they will stay with you for a very long time! On this shelf I also keep extra rolls of toilet paper, a spare mirror and small sewing kit (hidden behind the basket, because I only sew when it's absolutely necessary, LOL).

Baskets are great for keeping together hand towels and washcloths

STEP SIX: Finally it's time to find room for those last few hard to store things. In my case its the extra pillows. I stuffed them in the bottom of the closet because I have no where else to put them along with a bag of on the go craft projects (doesn't everyone have one of those?). In our next house I am planning a guest room and can't wait to design it and use the closet to store the extra quilts and pillows!