January In Jeneral Week 1 Recap: Closets
Can you even believe it? Week 1 of January In Jeneral has officially come to a close. As a reminder, January In Jeneral is our annual 30-day challenge for the LIJ community to help prepare and organize for the year ahead! I provide simple day-by-day tasks to organize different spaces in your home. Now that our first week has concluded, let’s provide a little recap to our first week’s focus, closets.
Day 1
At the start of the week, we put our focus on tackling clothes and shoes. The first step to providing structure to your closet is to take all your shoes and clothes out. From there, I like to categorize all like-items . This is the easiest way to catch duplicate items (potentially owning two black tank tops that look the exact same) and store everything aesthetically and efficiently. This step should also make it easy to decipher which items you are keeping, and which you are ready to sell/donate. If you are having a hard time deciding what you are ready to let go of, make sure to take a peek at my recent reel for my two cents, and our blog on 6 Tips For Purging.
Day 2
By day 2, you have made it to one of my favorite steps: hanging and color-coding. As you begin to rehang the items you have chosen to keep, it’s important to start by color coding. Go through each category (pants, dresses, tops, etc.) and sort them from light to dark and left to right. This might change based on the layout of your closet, so I encourage you to play with the zone you choose for each item. It’s important to find something that fits you, fits your space, and is sustainable for you to maintain. Once you’ve chosen a layout that fits your space, it’s time to exchange your hangers for uniform slim hangers. This can be an instant game-changer for elevating your closet. If you are looking for a few more tips and products to take your closet to the next level, make sure to take a peek at our blog on Primary Closet Organization 101.
Day 3
Now that we completed the hanging items in our closet in the first two days, the third day is all about the perfect fold. Fortunately, drawers in your closet work the same way as hanging items. Remove everything from your drawers, categorize like-items, then donate/get rid of any items that no longer serve you. Once you are down to your edited and sorted items, it’s time to fold. If you’ve been following along for awhile, you know how I swear by the file fold. It’s the perfect way to keep your items clear to see, accessible and aesthetic. For details on how to fold literally everything, take a peek at my folding video for a step-by-step tutorial. To keep everything secure, separated, and in place, dividers are a must (Walmart has some affordable bamboo drawer dividers)!
Day 4
Day 4 is all about the jewels (and purses). Let’s get your jewelry in a place where you will never have to untangle a bracelet or necklace again. Just like hanging items and drawers, this step will start the same. Remove all contents. From here, group jewelry by category (ex.rings, bracelets, necklaces). Depending on the items and/or where you are storing it, you can even sub-categorize (stud vs dangly earrings, choker vs. long necklaces). For purses, I recommend the same color coding technique you used with your hanging clothes. For storing jewelry, you are likely keeping everything in a drawer or on a countertop. If you are working with a drawer, I love velvet organizers. They come in a variety of sizes, and keep everything separated and protected. If you choose to keep your jewelry on a countertop, I suggest taking advantage of the vertical space. I love the look of acrylic stackers. It’s such an easy and fun way to customize your jewelry box, based on your space and product count. I also love items like a necklace stand or small tray for your daily/regular pieces. As for purses, evaluate if you have the space to hang them or display them (neither option wrong or right, it’s just important to choose the option that supports you best). If you hang your purses, I am obsessed with using these Chrome Metal Purse Hangers. If you prefer the option of displaying your purses on a dresser or shelf, you will want to use something like acrylic organizers or purse shapers to keep everything stable and up-right.
Day 5
Just like that, we have made it to our day 5 recap, where we will tackle our night stands. Most night stands are a unique collection of items like books, essential oils, supplements, reading glasses, and lip balm. It’s important to cater your process of organization based on your inventory, but the general process will stay the same! I think we can all guess what step 1 is, remove all contents. Categorizing and sorting might not be as much of a variable with your nightstand, since most of the items are likely random (just depends on your inventory). From here, edit out any items that no longer support you. The remaining items can be sorted in acrylic modular containers.
Now that we have reviewed all the details to this last week, let’s go over some of the questions you had for me on closet organization:
“Best way to hang silky slip skirts without leaving marks?”
Great questions! In my opinion, you have quite a few options! You can use padded hangers: padded hangers can help prevent the slip from getting creases or marks. Use clips or pins: Clips or pins can be used to hang the slip without placing any pressure on the fabric. you can also turn your skirt inside out to help with the marks! Use a wooden hanger: Wooden hangers are less likely to leave marks on delicate fabrics than plastic or wire hangers. Use a hanger with a smooth surface: Hangers with a smooth surface, like those made of velvet or silicone, can help prevent the slip from getting marked.
“Dividers for small drawers?”
When it comes to small drawers, these dividers from Walmart are some of my favorites!
“Best way to store chunky knit sweaters?”
“It really depends on the space you have but I almost never suggest hanging sweaters. They will likely stretch and lose their shape if hung. If you do hang them, I recommend investing in thick, padded hangers to preserve the shape of the shoulder. If you can though, I highly recommend folding sweaters! My favorite way to store them is fold and store them on a shelf or in a drawer! Always use shelf dividers to keep them separated and secure!”
I am so grateful to be on this January In Jeneral journey with you all! Make sure to keep an eye on Instagram, Tik Tok, and Pinterest for updates and motivation. Remember, it’s never too late to start!
xx Jen