12 Budget-Friendly Space Saving Hacks To Make More Room In Your Closet

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Decluttering is the best way to make the most of a small closet — having fewer things to store naturally gives you more space within the closet. But sometimes, you've already donated, repurposed, and tossed as many items as possible and still need more room. Whether your home lacks closet space or you have a penchant for fashion, resulting in a large wardrobe, there are ways to maximize closet space to give yourself more storage space. And, no, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars on a custom closet or take over one of the bedrooms to create a massive walk-in closet. Budget-friendly products, DIYs, and organizational changes often do the trick.

Start by assessing what's in your closet and doing a good wardrobe decluttering. You might find this process liberating while learning to prioritize what's in your closet (and what you want to add on future shopping trips). It can also help to find a new home for items that don't really belong in your closet — that tub of your child's artwork can go into your attic storage area, and the plethora of outwear could find a home in the coat closet or garage, for example. With what's left, take advantage of vertical space with shelving, over-the-door organizers, an extra closet rod, or a dresser in the closet. Use dead space with additions like hooks on the wall or a tension rod shoe rack near the floor. It's also helpful to use shelf dividers, bins, and other storage solutions to keep similar items together.

Looking for brilliant ways to use hangers to organize and double your closet storage space? A simple option is to connect multiple hangers vertically to save space along the closet rod. By positioning the hangers in a staggered arrangement, with each one a little lower, you're spreading out the clothes vertically instead of crowding everything side-by-side. You can often fit at least five clothing items on a cascading hanger in roughly the same horizontal space as a single hanger. Gadgets like this House Day space-saving hanger system offer a simple way to achieve this. However, a trip to Dollar Tree for Jot metal book rings or Garden Collection planter pot chains allows you to make your own vertical hangers.

To use the book rings, hook several of them together to create a chain. One of the end rings goes over the hook of the first hanger. Then, you can slip additional hangers into the lower loops. The planter chains work similarly — disconnect them to have three individual chains, attach a chain to the first hanger, and put additional hangers through links on the chain. You can also use a piece of chain you already have at home. Then, hang the top hanger over the rod with the rest of the items hanging below, or place the curtain on a hook on the wall or closet door.

Adding a second closet rod is one of several ways to maximize your bedroom closet's vertical storage spaces. It effectively doubles the hanging space in that area for little more than the cost of a closet rod, which you can buy for $20 or less, depending on the materials. This is ideal if you have shorter clothing items, like pants, jackets, and shirts. Using a single rod for those types of clothing items leaves lots of wasted space below them. Double rods also work well in kids' closets since their clothes are typically smaller anyway. 

If you want a double rod across the full length of the closet, consider installing one with brackets secured to the walls. Another option is a hanging option, like the Supforce stainless steel hanging closet rod, which is under $20. These types of rods have hooks on the top of the bracket, which simply slide over the existing rod like a hanger. You can often adjust the height of the lower bar to fit your wardrobe perfectly. Plus, the smaller length of these rods means you don't have to double up the rod across the entire closet — choose a shorter hanging rod to leave space at the end for dresses, longer coats, and other items that need more vertical space. 

The door could be one area of your closet that you're underusing for organizing — it's often unused space that you can reclaim without eating up any closet floor space. With so many options for over-the-door organizers, you're missing out if you don't choose at least one to place in your closet. The organizers typically have hooks on top that fit over your closet door to stay securely in place and come in different configurations, like shoe holders, shelves, baskets, rods, and hooks. Since they're relatively inexpensive, these organizers increase storage space without a large investment. And because they aren't permanently anchored, they're ideal for renters and can be moved to different areas if you decide to reorganize.

Dollar Tree offers affordable over-the-door options, like an Essentials six-hook hanger and an Essentials over-the-door hook with vertical hooks. If your budget is a little higher, check stores like Walmart, Target, and Amazon for additional options. Flexible shoe holders are available for under $10 in many cases. If you prefer shelf-style storage, consider this SpaceHacks over-the-door organizer, which holds up to 40 pounds and costs less than $15.

Shelf dividers are one of many items you can use to organize your bedroom closet. Even a builder-grade closet typically includes at least one shelf above the rod — some may even have lower shelves at the bottom of the closet. And while shelves do give you more storage space, they can quickly become disorganized. Clothes often fall over or don't stay organized in neat piles. Keeping folded clothes stacked makes them easier to find and makes better use of the space. Dividers create cubby-like spaces for different types of clothing to keep them in piles without the expense of building actual cubbies.

Amazon sells a six-pack of OMGelic acrylic shelf dividers for under $16. They have simple clips that slide onto the front of the shelf, allowing you to position them wherever you want without any permanent hardware. The Essentials wire dish drying rack from Dollar Tree is a cost-effective way to organize thin purses and handbags or folded or rolled clothing items vertically on a closet shelf. Without these types of organizers, items on your closet shelves often migrate and take over the space, creating a chaotic mess that takes up more room than necessary. 

A hook here and a hook there might not seem like much, but installing sturdy metal hooks on unused wall spaces throughout your closet can create some significant storage space. Without the hooks, you're letting that valuable wall space go unused. While rods and shelves usually take up the longest wall in a closet, the shorter walls often have unused visible space where hooks could be attached. Simple metal hooks are cost effective — this four pack of MVZAWNO wall hooks is about $3 and gives you plenty of individual hooks to mount wherever you need a little extra hanging storage. If you have a longer stretch of space, consider a hook rack, like the Pickpiff coat rack, which has multiple hooks attached to a single bar and is under $10. You can even reuse hooks you already have.

Before installing anything, measure the available space and determine how many hooks you want, as well as how you plan to use them. Hooks work well for hats, belts, robes, coats, and other accessories. You can also attach a basket or wire bin to a hook if you want to store several small items together. Command hooks offer an option with no drilling required, perfect for rentals or for people who don't like to mess with drills. 

Bins and baskets are similar to closet dividers — they help keep smaller items organized within the closet. That keeps them from spilling all over the place and taking up more space than necessary. Bins with lids offer the advantage of being stackable. That means they help you make use of the vertical space on the upper shelves in the closet or even on the floor. Fill and label the bins, and stack them up to use up as much space as possible. Without the proper containers, you can only stack items so high before they'll tip. 

Storage containers don't have to cost a lot. Start by looking around the house to see if you have any unused bins or totes that you can claim for the closet. Thrift stores often have various bins and boxes that you can get at a major discount. Even new, you can find options like these Lifewit zippered storage bins at a reasonable price. Use them for the clothes and outerwear that you don't need for the current season. In linen closets, they work well to hold extra bedding and linens. 

If you're trying to decide between a closet and dresser for where to put your clothes, why not combine the two? Placing a dresser inside your closet makes use of the space from the floor to the bottom of your hanging clothes. That's space that often goes unused. Even if you put some low shoe racks on the floor, you're probably not utilizing the full space. In a small bedroom, moving your dresser into your closet opens up more space in the room without sacrificing clothing storage space. Plus, adding drawer storage space is a good way to keep the smaller items in your closet contained while leaving more hanging space for other items. 

Before making the move, measure the depth of the closet and the width of the opening to make sure the dresser will fit. You'll need enough space to open the dresser drawers fully to access the items inside. A lower dresser typically works better than a tall, upright dresser to make sure there's enough hanging space above the dresser to accommodate your hanging clothes. If you don't have an extra dresser that will fit and can't find one at the thrift store, sets of plastic drawers, like this Gonice storage organizer, also work. Consider buying drawer dividers or making some from foam board to divide larger drawers into sections for different types of items.

Shelving gives you alternative to hanging space in your closet. It's often preferred to put bulky items on a shelf folded rather than taking up lots of real estate on the curtain rod. A floor-to-ceiling shelving unit can result in a lot more space than a single rod for putting folded clothing or bins of smaller items, but even a smaller shelving system maximizes vertical space in the closet. You can spend as much as you want on installing fancy custom shelving into your closet. However, there are several budget-friendly options that incorporate storage shelves without breaking the bank.

You can use bookshelves to create extra closet storage, depending on the setup. If you have an old, narrow bookshelf that you no longer use, see if it will fit sideways on one of the shorter end walls in the closet. The ends of a reach-in closet often go unused, so this helps you reclaim that area. Or, build simple custom shelves to fit the available areas in your closet — plywood is an inexpensive shelving material you can use in your closet. An even easier option is to buy a hanging shelf closet organizer, like this Boomiboo closet organizer. It hooks over the rod and offers lightweight shelving that hangs vertically to capture more space.

Instead of leaving all of your clothes in your closet year-round, only leave the current season's items front and center. The rest can go into storage tubs under your bed (or in another spot that safe to store clothing). Under-the-bed storage containers can be relatively inexpensive, and they could cut the amount of clothing in the closet in half, which leaves you with lots more room to spread out what's currently in season. Plus, the space under your bed should be cool and away from direct sunlight, which helps protect the clothes that are in storage.

As the seasons change, move clothing between the under-bed storage bins and your closet. Consider the clothing you for sure won't need — thick sweaters aren't necessary in summer, so they can go under the bed, for example. The best way to utilize the space under your bed for storage is by using plastic bins to protect your items — plastic protects the clothes from moisture and pests. If you opt for clear plastic, you can see what's inside the bins easily. Some regular storage containers might work, but it's often necessary to buy bins made to go under the bed, which are short enough to slide under the frames of most beds. Some bins also have wheels on them, allowing them to move over the floor easily. 

One of the best smart tension rod hacks for closet storage and organization is to use them to create a shoe rack. Tension rods are inexpensive and adjustable, which means you can create sturdy yet removable storage for your shoes. This solution is often less expensive than shoe racks that hold a similar number of shoes on them. You just need two tension rods for each shelf on the rack, so you could easily create multiple rows for your shoes simply by adding more tension rods.

To start, choose the location for your shoe rack. The short wall of the closet or a little nook might be ideal — both ends of the tension rod need a sturdy wall to press against. Measure the space and buy tension rods that will fit firmly. For each rack, place one rod a few inches behind and slightly higher than the front rod. This allows the shoes to be slightly slanted. If you have a shelf where you keep your tall boots, use vertical tension rods to help keep the boots upright. 

A full-length mirror is a natural match for a closet space, and an over-the-door hanging option keeps the floor space free. However, a regular hanging mirror takes up a lot of surface area and only serves one purpose. Instead, swap it out for a hanging storage mirror, like the Songmics mirror jewelry armoire. This type of mirror opens up to reveal hidden storage behind the glass surface, often tailored to hold various types of jewelry and accessories. This option is slightly more expensive than other options, but it eliminates the need for a separate jewelry box and mirror. Plus, it's less expensive than custom closet built-ins made to hold jewelry.

When choosing a storage mirror, note the type of storage inside to make sure it will work with the accessories you own. If you don't have a spot to hang a mirror, you can also find freestanding storage mirrors — this Charmaid jewelry cabinet is under $70 and has an extra shelf at the bottom. For people who don't have a lot of jewelry or accessories, building a custom storage mirror is an option. Build a simple wooden frame with shelves inside. Then, attach an inexpensive full-length framed mirror to the front using hinges to make the storage easily accessible.

Choosing the right hanger types for every item of clothing in your closet can help streamline the organizational space and maximize the closet rod space. That starts with the type of general hanger you use. Plastic hangers are inexpensive to buy in bulk, but they're often chunkier than other types of hangers, like velvet-covered wire hangers. It can also be helpful to choose specialty hangers to hold specific articles of clothing efficiently.

If you don't want to replace all of your bulky plastic hangers right away, gradually swap them out as the plastic ones break or you run out of hangers. It might not seem like much, but even a small amount of saved space helps you fit in more articles of clothing or allows more space between them so they're not jammed together tightly. If you own a lot of pants or skirts, you might prefer clip hangers — options like Lumigens six-tier pants hangers let you fit several items on one hanger. Or, grab specialty hangers, like this Topia belt or tie hanger or this Deco Brothers scarf hanger. These easy and inexpensive specialty storage solutions keep multiple accessories in one spot.