12 DIY Closet Organizer Ideas

Keeping a closet tidy and organized is the best way to maximize space in a small closet and also save you time and energy every day. An organized closet makes it easier to access and choose your clothes, keep them clean and in good condition, and speed up putting away laundry.

Organization also maximizes storage space for memorabilia, Christmas decorations, or other items stored in a closet. These DIY closet organizer ideas will give you fast, easy ways to get your closets organized and keep them that way.

DIY Closet Organizer Ideas

DIY Closet Organizing Shelving

Building custom shelving in a closet is a fast and easy project if you have basic woodworking tools. Simply attach 2×4 boards to the wall to support your shelves, and then place shelves on top of the panels.

Consider hanging your shelves on shelf brackets with a built-in rood holder for custom closet shelves on a budget to save wood.

DIY Closet Organizer Track System

Installing shelves is a great way to keep a closet organized, but it doesn’t allow you the flexibility to change your storage needs over time. Investing in a track-and-bracket system lets you configure your closet in a wide variety of ways but also gives you the flexibility to move, add, or change things over time.

They are also incredibly easy to install and can transform a closet in just a few hours.

DIY Closet Organizer from a Bookshelf

If you have a tall, sturdy bookshelf, it can be a great addition to a closet. Not only will it give you more shelf space for storage, but it’s a great way to divide a shared closet in half. Bookshelves can easily be secured to the wall with brackets, and then they are stable enough to support rods for hanging clothes.

Add closet pole sockets to support a hanging rod between a wall and the bookshelf, or use tension rods for more flexibility over time. Hang one closet pole below the other to hang shorter items like shirts on the bottom pole and maximize your closet space.

DIY Closet Organizer Shoe Rack

Shoes can take up a surprising amount of space in a small closet. Hanging shoes on the wall keeps them clean, organized, and easy to find. To make a DIY closet organizing shoe rack, simply trim a piece of 1×2 or 2×4 wood to fit your closet wall.

Attach wooden pegs to the board, and paint them—hang shoes from the pegs to keep them organized.

DIY Closet Organizer from PVC Pipe

PVC pipe is a great closet organizing system for renters since you can build a sturdy structure with minimal impact on your closet walls. PVC pipe is also an efficient choice because the pipes double as clothes hanging rods, so there’s nothing additional to buy.

To make a closet organizer from PVC pipe, you will need PVC pipe, PVC glue, and various fittings and connectors. When designing your PVC closet system, consider building supports for shelving, clothes hanging rods, and creating a surface of PVC pipes spaced 3-4 inches apart makes storage for shoes, boxes, or other items.

You may want to use pipe clips to attach the structure to the wall.

DIY Closet Organizer from Wood Crates

Naturally, stacked wood crates are an excellent storage and organization solution for any space, but they are also a fast and easy alternative to building drawers. Instead, secure a board to a wall or bookshelf, and then attach drawer slides to the wall and the crates.

The drawer slides allow you to use wooden crates as drawers, providing simple and compact storage in small spaces.

DIY Closet Organization with Cinderblocks

Cinderblocks and boards are a fast and easy way to build custom shelving in any room. In a closet, the openings in a cinder block also allow a convenient way to add closet poles, store flat shoes and small items, and have a modern, industrial style.

If you’re concerned about rough cinderblocks catching on your clothing, you can finish cinder blocks with a thin coat of cement to create a smooth finish.

For smaller jobs, a concrete patch will help you smooth cinderblocks. To paint them, make sure you use a high adhesion masonry primer first.

DIY Closet Organization Cardboard Storage

Almost nothing is more affordable and easier to work with than cardboard. It’s a great way to build custom storage and shelving. The easiest way to build strong, stable structures from cardboard is to measure the boards you want and then glue layers of cardboard together to build the boards.

Lay books on the cardboard to keep it flat as it dries, and keep adding layers until your cardboard is an inch thick or more. Then use your cardboard “boards” like you would plywood: cut shorter pieces to work as shelf supports or brackets, longer pieces as shelves and surfaces, and medium-length pieces to divide shelf segments and add more structural support.

Finish your cardboard closet system with self-adhesive paper to protect it from moisture and make it easier to clean.

DIY Closet Organization from a Ladder

Ladders are an increasingly popular way to create fast and easy shelving and storage, and they offer so many ways to help efficiently organize a closet. To make a ladder into a DIY closet organizer, consider removing a standard closet pole and replacing it with a horizontal ladder, trimmed to fit and secured with pole sockets.

Instead of a single hanging rod, you then have several rows of shorter hanging rods, ideal for sorting and organizing your clothes. If you are low on closet space or need to create a freestanding clothing rack, take two ladders and use pipe straps to attach a closet pole between them.

For every rung on the ladders, you can add an additional closet pole or a board to create a shelf between the ladders. You can also use shelf brackets to hang a ladder high on a closet wall and then use long S hooks to hang handbags, hats, tall boots, and other hard-to-store items.

DIY Back-of-Closet-Door Organizing Shelves

The back of a closet door is an often-overlooked storage space, but there’s so much more you can do with a door than add a shoe rack.

A hanging shelving rack can store shoes and so much more. To dress up a closet while adding storage, consider using decorative brackets for floating shelves or hanging baskets. On the back of a door, it’s always a good idea to choose floating shelves with a lip or picture ledges to help keep items in place as the door is opened and closed.

DIY Pegboard Closet Organizer

We usually think of pegboard as an organizer for tool shops and workspaces, but it’s also a great way to organize a closet. Pegboards have a vast range of accessories that can be used to store and organize neckties, jewelry, accessories, hats, scarves, handbags, and other items.

Pegboards keep small closet items organized, visible, and convenient without taking up a lot of excess space.

You can make a pegboard more compatible with your décor by painting it, covering it with paper or fabric, or placing it inside a decorative frame. This is an excellent project for repurposing a thrifted frame or old window.

DIY Closet Organizing Shelf Dividers

Shelf dividers help a closet look and work better. They keep stacks of folded clothes organized and prevent piles from spilling over and keep items where they belong. The most attractive way to divide shelves and keep them organized is to use decorative brackets and install them upright for use as dividers.

But you can also DIY this approach by drawing or printing out the bracket pattern you like, tracing it onto cardboard, and making your own cardboard shelf divider brackets. Once you have built the brackets with 2-3 layers of cardboard, cover them with glued-down strips of craft paper for stability.

Finish the brackets with paint, or consider using a metallic finish to make your brackets look more polished.

Conclusion

Practically everyone wishes for more closet space, but these closet organization DIY ideas will help you make the most of the space you have. When your closet is organized, it saves you time and energy and may save you money by reducing damage or losing your items.

Keeping your closet clean and organized also helps you feel better and reduces stress in your life because you can find what you need when you need it.

These DIY closet organization projects are simple, versatile, and fun, so feel free to experiment and find the closet organization system that works best for you.