Standard closets are notorious for their inefficient use of space — that's even more painfully obvious when planning for a baby's closet. Widely spaced shelves and closet rods leave a lot of wasted space when storing newborn clothing, baby gear and accessories. Follow these ideas and smart tips to create an easy to use baby closet.
There's no doubt that you've either purchased or have been given baby clothes sized through the baby's first year and beyond. To ensure that you don't misplace larger clothes only to find them in the back of the closet just as they've gotten too small, clearly divide clothes by their size/age.
Maximizing vertical hanging space is easy to do when managing small baby clothes. Use a rod doubler or a custom closet system like elfa to take advantage of that often wasted space. Elfa Drawers make it easy to separate clothing by type and are easy to label. They can also hold nursery supplies or toys! Stacking drawers are another option that offer flexibility — as your child gets bigger, you'll need to get that extra vertical space back.
Maximize vertical space on existing closet shelves by adding organizers to divide the space. These are ideal for storing shoes and clothing that your little one hasn't quite grown into yet. Be sure to label the organizers.
Create more nursery storage by utilizing the space on the back of the baby closet door to store and organize hats, hair accessories and other small items. An elfa utility Door & Wall Rack is a great option for holding everything from diapers and wipes to toys. An over-the-door organizer with clear pockets is another great way to make use of the space on your door and allows items to be found quickly when needed.
Place a pre-labeled box for each age category and clothing size at the bottom of the closet. This makes it easy to place outgrown clothes in the appropriate box for quick identification for a future child or when donating or having a garage sale. It can also help prevent clothing of different sizes from getting mixed together.