So we’ve got this Clutter Challenge Group working their way through 10 weeks of summer organizing projects, and we’re about half way there. Last week we worked on bedrooms. This week we’re either working on a different bedroom, or getting more specific by organizing a closet, dresser, or shoe stash. I recently organized a dresser, and thought I’d take you through the steps.

Since my daughter got a whole new Paris-inspired bedroom earlier this year, I commandeered her old dresser. While I spent time on her space, these drawers were randomly stuffed to the gills, and the top of the dresser started to accumulate randomness, too. See, it happens everywhere, even here.

I love this kind of a project, because you can usually complete it in less than an hour or two using the S-P-A-C-E organizing approach. In my case, it took a bit longer because I changed out the knobs and touched up the paint while I was at it. That was all I had time for. Have you been paying attention to my summer schedule? Geesh!

Anywho, here are the before and afters, from the top down. The top drawer used to have my biking gear, but I swapped it for my jewelry, nicely organized in a little velvet tray from Homegoods. Yes, it may not be the most space efficient, and the drawer is a tad deeper than it needs to be for jewelry, but I’m not short on space, so it works for me.

The second drawer had a lot of open space once I got rid of the old baby blankets, so I moved my socks up to this drawer, which is a better height for me.

The third drawer used to hold the socks, but since I moved them up, this drawer became my workout gear drawer. I store one full workout outfit (shirt, sports bra, shorts, and socks) in each of the cubes on the right. That way I can just grab and go when I’m headed out, always rushing to get to the gym. I pretty much never work out more than 4 times per week or between laundry loads, so that’s all I need.

I kind of love the 4th drawer. It had mostly empty space to start (score!), but now it holds my swimsuits on the left, swim coverups in the middle, and winter jammies, on the right. With strategic folding, I can readily see what I have.

The last drawer, closest to the floor, is now where my cycling gear is, including the shoes. You might think it’s strange to put the shoes in the dresser, but these shoes always go with these clothes, and they are only worn for cycling, so it totally makes sense to me. I batched together a cycling jersey with a pair of shorts, and folded them on the left, to ensure I can grab a complete outfit all at once.

For drawer dividers, I used both the Ikea zipper bins and recycled tissue boxes. This Amazon link shows a drawer divider set that is similar to the ones from Ikea. Yes, I actually buy tissue boxes for the pretty designs on the outside, so I can repurpose them as drawer dividers.

Helpful tips in addition to using the SPACE method:

• Ensure that the things you use most often are at the most comfortable height for you. Move high-frequency use items to the top.
• Place the things you use infrequently in the bottom drawer.
• Sort through a dresser every year to 3 years. Purge items hiding in the back that you aren’t using.
• Use drawer dividers to tuck things into the drawer in categories.
• Bundle outfits together, like my workout clothes, so you always have the right number of tops to bottoms.
• Changing dresser knobs is a quick, easy update. I picked up a full set of knobs at Target for about $12.

I’m sure there are things here I am forgetting to mention. What do you want to know about this quick and easy organizing project?

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