The Kids' Closet Makeover

By Leslie Garisto Pfaff

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If you want to see chaos theory in action, you probably don't need to look further than your child's closet. In homes across the country, it's an all too familiar sight: clothes hung willy-nilly, a top shelf jammed with who knows what, and shoes, hats, and toys strewn across the floor with no place to call home. But don't be too quick to blame your child; the real culprit could be the closet itself. "If it's hard for kids to put things away, they'll be reluctant to try," says organizing expert Ilene Drexler.

With that in mind, we enlisted Drexler and two other tidy-up queens to help us design a kid-friendly makeover that can be adapted to any closet (no expensive construction required). Before you begin your makeover, work with your child to clear out anything that can be tossed, stored elsewhere, or given away. Then use the ideas on the next page to transform the remaining chaos into a thing of beauty.

Our Clean Team

Ilene Drexler specializes in quelling clutter for families and kids and is the wiz behind The Organizing Wiz.
Crystal Sabalaske, a frequent guest on HGTV's "Mission: Organization," is the founder of Cluttershrink.
Deniece Schofield is the author of "Confessions of a Happily Organized Family" (Betterway Books) and other related books.

6 Steps to a Neater Kid's Closet

Divide and conquer It's simple to find clothes -- and put them away -- when everything has its own special place, and our closet dividers are here to help. To create yours, punch holes in craft foam shapes, then thread a pipe cleaner through each hole and twist it back on itself. Use a permanent marker to add a clothing category and arrow to each divider. Then twist the end of each pipe cleaner around the closet rod.
Tame shoe clutter "Kids are tossers, not stuffers," says Deniece Schofield, explaining her choice of a basket to hold shoes over a traditional shoe bag or rack (we also added a basket for socks). "It takes too much effort to stick each shoe onto a form or into a pocket," Schofield says. "In the basket, shoes may be slightly jumbled, but at least they'll be penned up." To protect dressy shoes, stash them in individual see-through plastic boxes. (Baskets, about $8 to $14 each at department, discount, and craft stores.)
End hanger hang-ups "It's easier for kids to put clothes away on hangers made for their smaller hands and garments," says Ilene Drexler. To color-code garments, or just brighten the closet, choose kids' hangers in various colors (available at national discount stores; ours were $1 for 5 regular hangers and $1.50 for 2 skirt/pant hangers with clips).
Go vertical To increase our hanging area, Ilene Drexler had us install a closet rod doubler. We also added a hanging storage bag with open compartments for easy access to sweaters, leggings, even toys. And the interlocking hanging hooks keep hats organized and off the floor.
Liberate the top shelf "Get better use out of high shelves and closet rods by providing your child with a small stepstool," says Crystal Sabalaske. That upper shelf is the best place for items your child doesn't use every day--dress-up clothes, second-tier toys, out-of-season clothing--stored in clear, labeled bins. To handle hand-me-downs that are still too big, Deniece Schofield suggests a "grow into" box (i); if you can, store this box in plain sight (so you won't forget it exists) and go through it twice a year to see what fits.
Grab 'em and go "For quick hang-ups--like bathrobes or purses--install hooks or pegs on the side walls or door of the closet," says Ilene Drexler. Hang them within your child's reach and make sure they're kid-friendly, with rounded ends (available at national discount stores; prices vary).