Hangers: Can they change the way you FEEL??

Okay, I have to admit that I have not organized, or even purged, my own closet in the last two years! Well, maybe an item removed here or there but nothing big. I have walked into it several times ready to do some purging but stood there unsure where to start and decided I didn't have enough time, felt overwhelmed and turned around and walked out. Can you relate to that? I had these images in my mind of a complete closet restructure/makeover but when reality hits the closet is the last thing to get done.

The other day I was out returning something at Kohl's when I saw these hangers - the ones in all the pictures, sleek black velvet to keep clothes hung up, thin to create more room in your closet. I was inspired to once again organize my closet and since the hangers were on sale (and I had a coupon) I purchased them!

If you have stood at the door of your messy closet and felt overwhelmed and stuck here is the one, magical tip that helped me get started and keep going AND it can help you, too:

Organize and purge by color.

This makes it EASY to do a little at a time. It is EASY to get started. It is NOT overwhelming. Here is my step by step...

1. I grabbed all my white clothes - shirts, sweater, jackets, etc (I did pants/skirts separate). I placed the white pile on my bed and went through one piece at a time. Do I wear this? Is it in good shape? Does it fit good? Will I wear it next season? Answering those questions directed the piece to the donate pile OR I switched hangers and put it in my "keep" pile.

2. When I finished the white pile I grabbed the white "keep" pile off my bed, hung it at the front of my closet, arranged it in the order I wanted - I like short sleeve, sweater, jackets...

3. Then, grab the next color. It is easy to pick another color because color stands out. Choose a color you have less of. That way it is not overwhelming to go through a pile of five items verses 75.

4. Decide if it goes in the donate pile or "keep" pile, switch hangers and move to the next piece. Once that color is finished take the keep pile with nice, new hangers and place it next to the white clothes in the closet. Arrange in the order you like. Choose another color and repeat.

5. You may find an item that needs mending. Make a hard decision here. Are you going to take it to the seamstress right away or will it sit in a pile for a year cluttering your space. If you won't likely deal with it then donate it and move on.

6. I finished the process with black because I had a lot more black items.

7. Then move to pants and skirts. I fold some pants and shorts so once I finished with my hanging items I started on my shelves. The hangers were so beautiful to look at AND my clothes were color coordinated...I gained momentum and inspiration to keep going.

The great thing is that if time is running out and you need to move on to another activity you can easily come back to this project and just start in on another color!

Here is a section of my closet before (yes, a little embarrassing):

And, here is the same section after:

The hangers DO change the way I feel...EVERY time I walk into my closet!!