Clothing Archives - Graceful Order

How to Fold T-shirts

September 26, 2013 · by Maria · 6 Comments

We are continuing the “how-to-fold” series and today we are folding t-shirts.

I fold all of our t-shirts in the way I am about to show you. Today we will be focusing on men’s t-shirts.

Do drawers like this look familiar to you?

I used to fold t-shirts this way and when my husband needed a shirt from the middle or bottom of the stack…the drawer looked like a category 5 storm had paid a visit.

The solution (and it really was a solution because its been years since I started the new folding method) was folding the t-shirts in fourths so that they all stand up in the drawer.

Here is how I fold a t-shirt. I picked the most wrinkled one for the pictures. I am smart like that.

Then the other side.

Then the bottom half.

Up to this point we all pretty much fold the same.

The next step is what made all the difference. Fold ONE more time.

In this case we are folding a white t-shirt with no design. If there were a design it would usually be visible after this last fold. This helps if you have a lot of t-shirts and end up pulling out the wrong one.

Now here is a folding tool that I started using this year. I.LOVE.IT.

The one that I have is from the Container Store so you can find it there as well. Right after I purchased it I found it for half the price on Amazon. Apparently, I am smart like that too.

You can find it HERE.

It’s basically the same steps but the tool makes it go much faster and the lines are cleaner. It helps to create a crisp fold like in the stores. Minus the wrinkles. No tool can help the wrinkles on this shirt. Except an iron. And I avoid those.

Next side.

Bottom.

Not quite done.

And then the last fold by hand so that you end up with fourths.

And then do it another 127 times and fill up your drawers!

Do the same for the under-shirts.

I use the dividers above for some of my drawers. You can find them HERE.

Some drawers I use no dividers at all like in the picture below. My son benefits from the dividers but my husbands drawers do fine without them.

This is one of my favorite organizing tips because it made such a difference in my home! I also find that I can fit more shirts per drawer.

Just make sure that the shirts are not jammed in the drawer. They should come out without much hassle.

Please share with me if you already do this or will you be re-doing some drawers this weekend?

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Master Closet Organization

September 9, 2013 · by Maria · 33 Comments

Getting shelving installed in the master closets has been on the “honey-do-list” since we moved in 9 years ago.

In the meantime, I had a mix-matched “system” of shelves that were on clearance at some point and I tried to do the best with what I had.

Earlier this month, we finally gave ourselves the green light to move forward with my closet. My husbands closet will wait a bit.

Here is a before picture.

The shelves were dark and made the space look smaller and as you can see I didn’t have enough shelves for my things. It was organized chaos. Nothing “Graceful” going on in there!

I got everything out of the closet. The perfect opportunity to get rid of items that needed to be tossed or donated. Needless to say my room was a mess for days.

I knew I wanted to paint the closet walls since I had chosen white cabinetry. My husband tried to “sell” me on the idea that we should leave it white. He is smart and avoids having to pull out the big ladder.

I told him not to worry for one minute. I would paint the closet all by myself. ALL. BY. MYSELF.

So he helped me by patching up the holes in the closet, which were many.

As soon as that dried, I happily embarked on my painting project!

The color that I chose was Behr’s Graceful Gray. It really was my favorite gray and the name was a total coincidence!

I have painted walls on my own before so I wasn’t at all intimidated. I painted the bottom of the wall and then pulled out the ladder and started on the trim.

And then…I ran out of steam with two walls left.

So I did what any sensible woman with a good amount of self-respect does. I walked into the kitchen and sighed (really loudly) for my husband to hear and he immediately turned around and said “are you done already?!”

And that’s when I whined…ALOT. I am not above whining.

And it worked. He loves me. That man loves me.

I kept doing the trim but he helped me with the roller which was great because my arms were hurting so much! So we were done in no time.

We just waited until the next morning when the cabinetry was scheduled to be installed. I couldn’t wait!

I was so happy to see it come together!

I left a big space on top of the small dresser (from IKEA that we had previously to the install) so that I could add a big mirror and bring a little charm to the closet!

The dresser looked like part of the cabinetry that had just been installed. I was so happy that it was a perfect match!

I found this little tray for rings and I thought it was perfect.

And it looked great alongside the little plant from IKEA.

Time to add the clothing!

I added them in a color coordinated manner which is how I had the closet before. It takes a while to do initially but it makes the closet look so much better and its easier to find what you need.

All my hangers are from Crate and Barrel. I am not a fan of felt hangers. I prefer smooth hangers so that clothing slides off easily. These are slim, plastic and really inexpensive.

Shoes that were rarely worn I placed in these boxes from Target. They are from the Threshold line.

The rest of my shoes are in the very center of the closet.

I did have to get rid of some of my shoes in order for them to fit but it pushed me to purge items that had been taking up space in my closet for years!

Am I the only one whose feet have grown after having kids? I used to be a size 7 and now I am a 7 1/2.

I wanted a chair or a bench to sit on while I put on my shoes and this one was large and small enough for the space. Also, it is extremely light-weight and easy to move about.

In the top I have a couple of bins. I labeled the shelf instead of the bin.

One has belts.

Small scarves or fabric belts.

My purses also have their own spot.

I folded over some of them in order to fit more per shelf.

I now have a belt rack attached to the cabinet.

This frame was definitely the finishing touch. I had it for years tucked away behind a couch and I spray painted the frame to match the rest of the closet.

The quote says “One shoe can change your life” by Cinderella. Shakespeare didn’t have any shoe quotes.

In the other end of the closet, I put away boots, chunky scarves…and other things that Miamians buy just for looks. 🙂

That’s the closet! I am so happy with it! I waited to have it for so long and now I am that much more appreciative for it!

My husbands closet is next.

I think he should leave it white.

So what do you all think? Share with me your thoughts on the master closet…

Happy Organizing,

Maria

Toddler Room Organization

August 10, 2013 · by Maria · 10 Comments

Toddlers. We fear them with good reason. They are bundles of never-ending cuteness and never-ending energy. Their little smiles make them get away with almost anything. It’s like a spell. I am convinced!

As I was working on the blog yesterday there was a pause…silence. All mothers know that toddlers and silence equal trouble. I quickly went to check on my toddler and he was standing on a swivel chair in his brother’s room while feeding the fish in the tank….a WHOLE bottle of fish food. He just smiled at me as I walked in. Help me Jesus!

So we have now established that toddlers are not easy to keep in line and neither are their rooms. We also know that despite the magical “Clean-up” song…we end up doing most of the work. Cleanup needs to be easy for both parent and child.

Here is my toddlers room. All the furniture was his brothers and that means that the furniture is 9 years old. Math is my thing.

This is the smallest room in the house so we built out his closet before anyone else’s to help with storing all his items. Here is his closet.

There is so much in this closet but it usually stays organized since everything has its place. His room does get messy fast but it is quickly picked up thanks to all the systems in the closet.

You will notice a hamper in the bottom left; it is full of stuffed animals. The hamper makes it easy to just throw them in there. Above it is a basket that is full of balls. Open baskets and containers are great for quickly putting away large items.

The closet is fully adjustable so as he grows I will adjust the shelves and rods. I am a believer in having all hangers look the same because it instantly makes closets look so much neater. Ours are inexpensive Wal-Mart hangers.

Legos. We also fear them with good reason. You don’t know pain until you have stepped on one of those colorful blocks. Ouch!

I keep all his legos and small toys in these green containers. In order to have my toddler help with the clean-up I added labels with pictures. I suggest that you laminate the labels so that they last longer.

I store his DVD’s in the closet (most of them were also my 9 year olds). I keep them up high because otherwise, they would all be all over the floor EVERY DAY and no one has time fo dat!

I have these little ceramic containers in this closet as well. I keep little notes for the boys and sometimes I write down funny things that they might say. I probably write down .001% of the funny things they say because I end up forgetting to write it down but I still hope they appreciate it when they are older. I am so sappy…

I love hats on little boys and I am blessed with a son that keeps them on! I put all his hats and caps in this flexible bin. I also use these bins to store his swim trunks and water shoes.

I keep all his small books inside a bin because it is the only way to contain them in one spot. I nest that bin next to his larger books.

On the floor I keep these three bins. The bottom two are the next 2 sizes that he will be wearing. Any size larger than that is stored at the very top of the closet. The top bin (without a lid) is where I place clothing that no longer fits him. It fills up fast!

So that’s the closet! We purchased a toddler bed (at Wal-Mart) that has two thin drawers at the bottom. In one drawer I place his small stuffed animals and in the other the small toys that would otherwise fall into the bottom of a toy chest.

Done! That’s how I organize my toddlers room.

Just in case you were wondering, the fish lived. They are now full. They love my toddler. And so do I!

Please share with me your ideas to keep your toddlers organized and out of trouble!

Happy Organizing!

Maria