All areas of my pantry renovation has been finished for a few weeks, except for one spot.  The closet.  It’s a space that I seriously had to ignore because I was so overwhelmed.  Each time I opened the door, I wanted to close it again!  Want to see what I am talking about?  Here you go:

I hope this photo makes some of you feel better! It was a hot mess. This week was time to get it organized, and I had to build myself up for it.  I worked with Extra Space Storage to come up with a simple DIY project to organize a closet and was able to take over their stories – it was so much fun.  Now it’s time to show you, too!

I decided to take the same idea that I used in building my pantry shelves and make a smaller version of them. If you would like to see a recap of the other projects I have done in completing this room, you can check them out here:

• Wallpaper
• Farmhouse Window
• Chalkboard Wall
• Pantry Shelves

Step One – Clean It Out

With the help of Extra Space Storage, I finally had the guts to start.  First things first – CLEAN IT OUT.  This took some time because I had to figure out what to keep and what had to go.  I ended up giving a few bags to our local thrift store and that felt great.

Step Two – Assessment

I needed to figure out what I needed stored in this area.  My pantry is a mudroom, homework room, craft room and storage room.  It wears a lot of hats for sure!

The closet needed to house snow clothes, crafts, sewing machines, purses and food.  How on earth was I going to get it all in there?  Since it’s my only optional space, I had to make it work.

Step Three – Build Shelving

For the top shelf in the closet, I decided to build shelving to make it more effective use of space.  This area would house all my crafts. I used the 2×4 stud format from the original pantry design.  This is what it looked like on a larger scale:

I wanted just one small shelf and took my height and length measurements.  I ended up needing 2×4 boards cut at:

• 2 boards at 11 inches long (photo below)
• 4 boards at 36 inches long (photo below)
• 2 boards 51 inches long

I measured where I wanted my storage solutions before I attached the 11 inch board to the 36 inch boards.  I then mounted this to the wall on the top shelf.  I did the same for the other side, then mounted the 51 inch boards with screws to make the shelf.  I ended up using three 2×4 boards which cost under $10.

This was super easy and very inexpensive shelving.

Secondly I added small 1×6 boards to the back wall with hooks to house my purses.  They were hung above the door so they can’t be seen when you look into the closet.

For the next shelf I used shelving from Ikea called IVAR.  It is very inexpensive and easy to put together on your own. This would house my extra groceries.  If you aren’t interested in building something on your own, this is a really great option for you.  Their buckets and bins are also a great price point.

Step Four – Sewing Station

I needed a roll away cart to house my sewing machine and supplies. I found a cart also from Ikea that we were able to put together in an hour.  It’s call the FORHOJA Kitchen Cart and was $109.  The wheels make it super easy to move in and out of the closet.

Step Five – Organization

I loved being able to throw away things I wasn’t using – yah Marie Kondo! I cleaned out clothes and crafts, then put the rest of the items I was going to keep in organized bins.  It was like a breath of fresh air!

I loved connecting with Extra Space for this mini renovation.  The pantry closet is complete which make the entire pantry finally finished.  Yah!

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