Organizing A Linen Closet With $3 Bins


One of my goals throughout my maternity leave is to get our house more organized. None of our spaces are completely out of control (anymore) but most of our closets, drawers, or cabinets haven’t gotten the attention they deserve since moving in.

Now that the construction is behind us, I wanted to start addressing these spaces so that all of our “stuff” finds a permanent and organized home. We still have a long ways to go, but first on the to-do list — organizing our linen closet. Today I’m doing just that and also proving that organizing a linen closet doesn’t have to be expensive.

Checking This Linen Closet Off My To-Do List

Can you believe the difference?! The best part is that this transformation only took me about an hour and cost me about $35, which includes the hamper! Here are the steps I took to bring a lot more function and style to this hardworking space.

Empty EVERYTHING From The Closet

Organizing a linen closet before

Before I started this project, this space wasn’t completely awful but it wasn’t working as well as it should on an everyday basis. We moved into ourย house in October and have been showering/getting ready in our downstairs bathroom until recently. We slowly made our wayย upstairs but didn’t take enough time to make the linen closet as hardworking as it needed to be. There was no room for our towels and so many of the items in there we didn’t need or we couldn’t find because there was no “system of organizing” in place. My goal was to create a system so we could find everything, get rid of anything we didn’t need, and make room for our towels.
Organizing a linen closet by emptying it

So to get started, I took EVERYTHING out of the closet. No matter what I’m organizing I always start with a blank slate.

Take Inventory
Organizing a linen closet by emptying it

I took everything out of the closet and put it on the dining room table. Then I started taking inventory.
Organizing by downsizingAnything we didn’t use (or need) immediately went in the garbage. Everything left over was sorted using the following categories:

  • Matt’s Stuff
  • Bridget’s Stuff
  • Ben’s Stuff
  • Medicine
  • Dental

Organizing The Bins

$3 bins for organizing

That’s where these amazing $2.99 bins come in. I found these at Menards and could NOT believe they were only $3!! I chose the charcoal gray color, but they come in almost every color. For such an affordable price, Matt and I stocked up so we could use them in almost every closet in our home.Organizing a linen closet with bins

I put each “category” into its own bin so I know where to find items in the future. Some of the bigger stuff I put directly into the bins, but the little items needed to be a bit more organized before throwing these things into its bin.

Extra Containers to Corral the ClutterOrganizing a linen closet with medicine container

Our medicine, for example, needed to go in a smaller container before adding it to the big bin. I had this small gray bin laying around the house and added all of our medicine bottles into it. Then I added that whole container to the bin to keep the inside of the big bin a bit more organized for the long haul.Organizing a linen closet with containers

I did the same for smaller items like band-aids. I had 4 boxes of band-aids and was able to consolidate all of those boxes into one container, which I was able to add right into that same medicine bin.

I used this same method for Ben’s little “gadgets”. I knew I wouldn’t be able to easily find his nail clippers in the big bin, but I knew keeping them in a container would help simplify that process, and keep the bins organized for far longer!bins for Organizing a linen closet

This is how the medicine bin looks with two smaller containers inside. A small upgrade that makes this bin far more effective.

Organizing a Linen Closet

Organizing a linen closet with gray bins

Once all of the bins were full, I added them to the shelves and I was done! I can’t believe what a difference these $3 bins made in both the function and style of our linen closet. Best deal ever!!simple ways to Organize a linen closet

Plus the bins helped make room for our towels, which was a welcome upgrade. But the final (and possibly my favorite) linen closet upgrade is that hamper.
black and white hamper

I bought this dreamy piece from HomeGoods for $19 and LOVE it. Not only is it adorable, but it keeps our laundry nice and organized all week long. But if I’m being honest, we actually don’t use the lights and darks right now. Instead, we put Ben’s clothes in the lights and everything else in the darks. I’m sure that will change once we launder everything together, but for now, this hamper keeps the separation nice and easy.

Organizing a linen closet doesn’t have to be a daunting or expensive task. I was able to check this off my to-do list within an hours time and with a $35 investment. Tips and tricks for organizing a linen closet in your homeAnd the best part is that now I’m officially motivated to keep this organizing train rolling. God knows that the organizing train has lots of stops left in the Matkovich household!

Bridget


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.