Get Your Closet Back In Shape

As the weather changes and the super sales continue through the holiday season, it is quite possible to max out your credit card and your closet space. iTaggit will always be here to help you inventory and organize your collection of clothes, but for the everyday real world, I found these little tips that might help you manage through the muddle.

(as originally written by Nancy Redd at AOL)

Closet Crisis: Not having enough hangers has created piles of clothing on the floor.

Storage Solution: Stock up on good, solid hangers that will keep your clothing in line. Hate hanging clothes? Perhaps you can make it fun with wooden hangers with your favorite sport's team logo or scented hangers for your nicer outfits.

Closet Crisis: Shoes sprawled all around the closet are making it hard to match pairs and are unnecessarily taking up a lot of space.

Storage Solution: Take advantage of an underused space for your shoe storage with a shoe rack over your closet door. You won't believe how much extra room you'll create!

Closet Crisis: Hanging up sweaters stretches them out, but piling them on the floor looks sloppy and is taking up too much space.

Storage Solution: Keep your sweaters organized and in shape with a sweater shelf hanging organizer.

Closet Crisis: Your belts are all over the place and your ties are wrinkled and creased.

Storage Solution: Keep them neat and organized with a motorized tie rack.

Closet Crisis: Bulky coats are taking up too much closet space, and your closet isn't a good place to store your wet umbrellas.

Storage Solution: Bring these items out of your closet, but keep them close by in an attractive wood coat rack and umbrella stand.

Closet Crisis: You've got a really tall closet, and a lot of airspace is being wasted.

Storage Solution: Make the most of your closet height with an add-a-rod, which will give you extra rows to hang up your items.

Closet Crisis: Your extensive hat collection is extending out of your closet and into other spaces.

Storage Solution: A cap rack will keep your hats in pristine condition and out of the way.

Closet Crisis: There just isn't enough room for your out-of-season clothing to stay closeted.

Storage Solution: Keep your unneeded clothing safely stored under your bed or in other locations besides your closet with air-tight space bags.

Closet Crisis: You've got your clothing under control, but you're still misplacing your jewelry.

Storage Solution: A jewelry organizer acts as a mini-closet for all of your jewelry when you're at home or traveling.

Closet Crisis: Your closet just isn't big enough, no matter how much organizing you do.

Storage Solution: Never fear, an extendable-portable garment rack is here to create more space for your storage needs.

Need help getting through your piles of collectibles? Let iTaggit help! We help manage collectibles for those who need it most. Organize collectibles by creating new collections on iTaggit to group them in. Show them off in our Gallery and send them to your friends to check out or add to. Research collectibles like your own through our search option and add to your collection or wish list. Whatever it is that you seek for your collectibles, iTaggit will help you out.

DIY: Jewelry Screen Project

This Wednesday's project is super easy, and super useful! How many of us gals have piles of earrings laying around - in a drawer or on a dresser, all tangled up? I wanted to make something pretty to hang my earrings on, and this Jewelry Screen is what I came up with!

Difficulty Level: 3 out of 5

Estimated Cost: $20 - assuming you have some of the basics on hand

Materials:

• Picture Mat that fits frame
• Wire Screen (usually sold as repair item for a screen window or door)
• Foam Core
• Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
  
• Craft Scissors and X-acto Knife or Rotary Cutter
  
• Ruler
• Optional: Paint and Brushes to decorate Picture Mat
• Optional: Paper for background
  

Step One: Preparing the Frame

Take the frame back off and set aside, make sure to attach the hanging wire, if necessary. Discard or reuse the glass for the frame. Now you can decide if you want to paint or decorate the mat - you can buy them in colors, but many frames will come with a plain mat. I chose to paint mine a pretty coral color with acrylic paint - you could decoupage it, stamp it, glue fabric on it - the sky is the limit!

Step Two: Preparing the Screen

Roll the screen out, and hold it flat with some heavy objects. Place the back of the frame on top, and cut the screen to the same size with your craft scissors. The screen's edges can get sharp, so be careful.

Step Three: Preparing the Foam Core

(get your pet to help!)

You will need 4 pieces of foam core. Use your ruler to measure the width and length of the long side of the mat - cut 2 of this size. Then, lay those two pieces on the mat, and you will have a space left for a top and bottom piece. Measure and cut these 2 pieces. The best way to cut Foam Core is with an X-acto Knife or Rotary Cutter, using a ruler as a straight edge. *The pieces of foam core are more clearly shown in the next photo...

Step Four: Assemble the Mat, Screen, and Foam Core

First, plug in the hot glue gun! Lay the mat decorated side down, then lay the screen on top and hold it in place with a heavy object in the middle. Squirt hot glue onto one of the long sides of the mat, and press the foam core on top. Repeat for the other long side, then do the top and the bottom. This will hold the screen in place, and give you necessary space between the screen and the frame back to hang your earrings.

Step Five: Finish the Project!

Place the Mat, Screen and Foam Core "unit" face down into your frame. This is where you decide whether you need a background color or pattern. If you do - place it down first, and then put the back of the frame on. Close it all up, and hang it!

I am new at writing these tutorials - so please send me your feedback! Was this easy to follow? Was my "level rating" on target? Send me pictures if you create one!