There’s no need to deprive yourself of pie. The nursery rhyme fate of the three little kittens, who lost their mittens, doesn’t need to be yours with a bit of organization. In case you are a bit rusty on old-school rhymes, the naughty kittens were not allowed to have dessert once they lost those mittens.

 

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Organizing mittens, scarves, boots and other winter necessities can make life easier. At the very least, it can make the mad dash out the door in the morning easier. You can give yourself a hand in organizing with just a few simple tricks and organizers.

 

Organizing your coat closet will help you keep track of mittens and more:

• Don’t be afraid. Open the closet and dig in. Remove anything from the closet that doesn’t have to do with your rush out the door in the mornings. Coat closets are typically small spaces so you need every inch to work for you. Find other homes for things stored there, such as photo albums, outdated electronics, board games and the like.

• Next, give the hanging bar a good purge. Regular garments should be in your bedroom closet. In the coat closet, limit it to outerwear. If you haven’t worn it in years, let it go. Ask yourself if you love it, use it or need it.

• Group garments by owner so that it is easy for family members to find things. If you have children, you might want to add a lower hanging bar so they can reach their coats and put them away too!

• Add storage for accessories such as mittens and hats. If your closet door swings out, make good use of the inside of the door. Add a hanging, clear-pocket shoe organizer but use the clear pockets to hold gloves, scarves and knit hats. If your closet has a sliding door, add an accessory keeper. This organizer hangs from the closet bar and has shelves to hold items. Label one shelf for each family member.

• Purchase a few clip hangers, the type you’d usually use to hold skirts. Use the clips to hang pashminas so they are not wrinkled. Clip hangers are also good for ponchos or shawls, whose wider necks may slip off hangers.
  

• Invest in sturdy hangers. Either buy some or steal them from other closets in the house. If you have hangers that bend or break under the weight of a big coat, you’ll just have a mess later. If you have more hanging bar space than coats, backpacks and purses can be looped over sturdy hangers and hung.

• Use the floor to store boots. Measure the space and then add rimmed-baking sheets or trays to the floor for storing wet or muddied boots. Simply take the tray to the sink when it is time to clean up. If you have quite a bit of floor space beyond the need for boots, you could add some shoe storage shelves or use the space for luggage.

• On the inside wall of your coat closet, add a few inexpensive coat hooks. These can hold umbrellas as well as extra backpacks. 

• Make use of the top shelf for hats that can’t be folded or won’t fit into organizers. Other items that you might like to find in this space include small coolers, picnic hamper, folding chairs in their pouches, portable DVD player and any other items used on-the-go.

• Add a small folding stool that can be stored to one side, so you can access upper shelves.
  

 

About Lea Schneider

Professional Organizer Lea Schneider’s organizing advice has appeared in Woman’s Day, Natural Health and Better Homes and Gardens Kids’ Rooms magazines. She is the Grand Prize Winner of the Rolodex Office Makeover Challenge. Her team of professional organizers, at Organize Right Now, provides organizing assistance through her Organize Online program. She is the author of Growing Up Organized: A Mom-to-Mom Guide. Learn more at www.organizerightnow.com.