I lived in a small place where closet space was limited. Outside the closet, I installed a plant hanger hook in the ceiling. Put a decorative chain on the hook and let it hang down. Clothing can be hung on both sides of the chain. To remove a hanger, simply slip your hand under the article above, lift out, and remove the hanger you want. Organize what you put on each side.
By Dixie from Newark, OH
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I need cheap, frugal ideas on how to create space like the hat holder idea I have in my house. It is just plain string and it is knotted with loops all the way down and then secured to the wall with a nail. I hang all my Velcro baseball and racing hats from the loops.
This is an older house, before closets were invented with no halls. It is cottage style with one living room and dining room in a square with other rooms all around it in a circle. I am surprised there are even doors. There are no closets. We have nails on the wall to hang stuff, when we can get a nail to penetrate the incredibly hard walls. Does anyone have any other storage ideas for a small place that will not break the bank? We already use plastic tubs and dressers for most of the clothes. Thanks.
By Robyn Fed from Hampton, TN
You could try getting an inexpensive wardrobe from a second hand shop or op shop or garage sale and put shelves in yourselves. We just used shelving brackets and some chipboard and the shelves are removable if you want to turn it back into a wardrobe. My mother made it years ago and we still have it - it moves when we move just in case the next house has no linen press.
Back in the day, we used orange crates for cheap but efficient decor and storage. Try your local dollar store or big lots for plastic crates. If you stack them on their sides just make sure they are secured to each other. Good place for clothes, shoes, books, whatever.
Even though my house has closets it is a small house with small rooms. The closets we found to be narrow and coat hangers about just make it to let doors close so we lost the space in back of clothes we always had before. We had to come up with new ideas on how to store things.
If you have not already filled under your bed then get some under the bed storage containers (the plastic ones). Depending on how deep the space is you might be able to stack one on top of the other. One of our beds does, one doesn't. In them you put things that are seasonal, not used everyday. Also good for bedding, pillows. Or get the space bags (the ones you fill and then use vacuum to remove air). It really freed up space with bedding that took up too much space.
If you have exhausted the under bed spaces already and still need space for shoes get the over the door hanging shoe organizers and put them on backs of bedroom doors. Mine holds 16 pair of shoes. Some doors are so tight at the top that you might have to cut grooves in the top of the door to let the door close. That is better option than nailing it to the door because if you ever wanted to paint it or replace it then it is easier to remove.
Have you toyed with the idea of taking a few feet across a wall of the rooms and making a closet? A friend of mine told me she had little closet space and complained to her husband so much that he finally took a hanger and added a few inches to know how deep an area to make. He put up a "wall" on one end and used the existing wall on the other end. He measured the longest thing that was on a hanger which was pants and put a rod up just clearing few inches from floor at bottom so you could put flat boxes or shoes on the floor under them.
Above both rods (leaving area for hangers to go on and off the rod easily) he put in cubby holes above the rods for purses, scarves, underwear, t-shirts or shirts not on hangers, sweats, socks, etc. Some items were put in plastic containers like shoe box size for easier going through and made it easier to utilize all the space from top to bottom. Once this is done and painted the stuff was moved into it. In time he found the folding doors for one room, the other room he put bi-fold doors for that room was a bit larger. In your case and you already have some dressers they could be put in the bottom of closet with all the cubby holes above them and do the rods all on one side. It made the rooms smaller, but they gained storage beyond belief. As a one-up, avoid using sliding doors because they make it hard to get to things in the middle. And don't dismay if you can't afford doors right off.
Get a sheet that matches your room, make a pocket in the top to thread a good sized cord or smaller size clothesline and attach to hooks for covering the area. Are walls are hard too. We had to get a heavy duty drill to drill starting holes and use the things I think are called wall anchors to put the screws or nails in. We also here and there have had to use an electric stapler to help get something up to stay up. Hope his helps you.
I have a friend who saw this in a magazine and reproduced it. You make an entire wall shelves and curtain it off completely. In the magazine the shelves were built of inexpensive boards and attached to a channel system that ran from ceiling to floor(top shelves were used for seasonal clothes and childhood memorabilia). The shelves only take up about 12" and the curtains are floor to ceiling and hide everything. She has done this in 2 rooms. In one room she even has a couch in front of the storage unit, the wall adds texture and depth to the room.
Another idea is to buy inexpensive bookshelves and add doors or curtains to them or even a straw type shade will work. Instant storage! Good luck.
Hi Robyn,
I picked up a couple old 2 Drawer file cabinets at yard sales, covered with a round piece of wood, or pressed wood and covered with very pretty table cloths to match my decor. I use them as my end table. Very pretty, inexpensive and holds what ever you want. Also, no one knows what lurks beneath. Love Old houses but they do have some drawbacks. Good luck.
A large trash can with a round board as a bedside table and a topper will store blankets and sheets.
Cloth shoe holders, on the backs of doors I have little storage in my bathroom, but have used a shoe holder to store all those must have products in my bathroom. I also use them in my only closet as my underthings drawer. I found all of them at a local dollar store.
For a bathroom you could store towels in a wicker lined hamper, or a medium sized wicker basket. If you hang u pa sturdy shelf with molly bolts (hardware store) you can buy those canvas or wicker typed baskets to hold things in and if you buy several of the same it looks uniform and good. sometimes you can find really sturdy baskets at walmart inexpensive or look at yard sales.You can use a an old low dresser in dining room for linens-table cloths buy a really nice runner for top and put a nice bowl or something there it will look like a buffet-side table. You would be amazed at what paint can do change the whole look of something. I love watching those design shows where the budget is tight and they are forced to use imaginations. Good luck :)
I know it as been a while since this post and I have the exact same problem, that still is not completely solved.
What I did was look around the house to try and find unused space, like over doors and windows and built cabinets and painted them the same color as the wall. We also used the attic and built small closets up there, before that we had clothing racks in the attic.
I still have a problem, it isn't really enough because my house is small and I can't really stack milk crates or anything because space is limited. Eventually I'm going to have to build and extension or move. I hope my small tips help at least a little. Good luck (and good luck to me too!).
I need ideals for storage for hanging clothes. My mobile home came with no closets and money is tight
By Barb
I use big huge trash receptacles and then sometimes put a topper on them and then a table cloth. More often than not, just trash receptacles, the plastic kitchen size ones....they hold shoes or clothes, and they are great. There are little rolling holders for hangers at the Dollar General where I am, and they are about 15 dollars or so. I have one of those! I have lots of hooks in the house everywhere for coats, etc. It is a challenge but it can be fun.
Had the same problem you are having about 20 years ago - I put a chest of drawers, a tension rod to use by placing it up against a bedroom wall. Lets see IF I can explain this...put the chest of drawers either with its side facing the wall or its back facing the wall depending on how you have the room arranged -any way the same width away from the wall that your tension rod is long. The tension rod is held up by the dresser with two small nails in it to hold the tension rod itself and braced up agianst the wall itself. I know this worked for us and did so for several years. Good Luck at what you are trying to accomplish.
Take large plastic bags from a dry cleaners (you can ask them for a few) or large trash bags. Hang your clothes on wire hangers and close the top as tightly as you can around the hangers Tape off. Then close all but a small opening in the other end and use your vacuum to pull the air out - seal with duct tape or other wide tape right above the opening where your vacuum hose is - This is especially good for coats and other large items. Might take a little practice but you can do it.
Also...do you have a separate shower/tub? If you do, you can use the shower for storage or if you use the shower more - use milk crates to build storage cubes (again - a local grocery will usually give you a couple if you ask).
I checked the Internet for small freestanding clothes closets. Nothing under $350. Ouch!
Most homes now have built in closets. I'm sure there must be plenty of wardrobes tucked away in outbuildings and garages. If your mobile home will accomodate one, you might want to place a request with your local freecycle.org chapter.
Good luck
