culled from:hgtv.com
1. Opt for Storage Under the Bed
Get more mileage out of the horizontal space in your bedroom with
sliding or rolling under bed storage bins. It's a great extension of
your closet, allowing you to rotate your seasonal items or even store
bigger, bulkier items like backpacks, purses and blankets. Plus, the
storage hidden if you have a bedskirt. Stick a label on the outside of
each container so when you peek under the bed you'll know exactly what
you're looking at. Short on linen closet space? Another idea is to keep
extra sheets for your bed here.
2. Tame the Shoe Pile
One of the quickest fixes to a bedroom closet overrun with shoes is
to invest in a shoe rack. "I recommend a rack over a hanging shoe [bag]
any day," says Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing from the Inside Out.
Bags tend to sag and take up valuable hanging space, which most people
can't afford to give up, says Morgenstern. Plus, an expanding tiered
shoe rack below your clothes keeps them accessible and away from
dirtying or staining materials. If you have a mountain of shoes,
Morgenstern actually says: "Don't throw anything out! Get all 20 pairs
of identical black heels lined up nicely." If you enjoy abundance, often
in about a year you'll give in to those 20 pairs and be ready to let
some go, she says.
3. Get Your Jewelry in Order
If your necklace collection has outgrown its jewelry box, but you
don't have enough for a jewelry armoire, try a hanging organizer. These
organizers usually come with or snap onto a hanger and have plenty of
clear pockets so nothing gets tangled. Earrings, rings, bracelets and
even watches will all have a home here. Added bonus: Having it in your
bedroom closet encourages you to wear jewelry more often.
4. Create a Reading Nook
Rescue your reading chair from clothes and magazines by adding proper
organization to a bedroom's reading nook. Next to a comfortable chair,
place a side table with drawers and/or shelves to keep piles of books
off the floor. Keep one shelf for library books and another for your
permanent collections. Magazines are best grouped in a magazine rack. To
promote an uncluttered feeling, make sure you have fewer books than fit
the space. If you read in bed, Julie Morgenstern recommends having a
small bookcase as your bedside table.
5. Make Your Bed Every Day
Remember when Mom used to force you to make your bed each morning?
She was practicing the basic tenet of staying organized. According to
Julie Morgenstern, "Don't think of [organization] as 'putting things
away,' but think of it as positioning [something] for its next use."
Treat your bed as the sanctuary it is by positioning it for use every
day. If you spend three minutes each morning to tuck and fold, you'll
develop a habit of keeping order in the room, which may translate into
motivation for picking up the pile of clothes on the floor.
6. Take Proper Care of Specialty Garments
If your closet is a haven for vintage clothing or your wedding dress,
take steps to organize them by making sure they're cared for. Get
everything professionally cleaned, then choose hanger or box storage. If
hung, get a quality hanger and wrap the dress or garment in muslin. If
boxed, make sure the cardboard is acid-free and wrap each fold or crease
in the clothing with acid-free tissue paper. Be sure to hang or store
out of the way of your regular wardrobe, and check every year for
damage.
7. Toy-Proof a Child's Bedroom
To tidy up toys, purchase some canvas clothes hampers or crunch
baskets, like those from the Container Store. They're soft for your
child and great for concealing clutter. Use different sizes for toys,
like a smaller one for books and art supplies and a larger one for balls
or stuffed animals. Involve your child in the organizing process — you
can even turn it into a game — so he or she will be more likely to tidy
up after playtime.
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