Build Your Own Closet Organizer

You’ve finally got that walk-in closet you’ve always wanted. Now that you can buy all the clothes and shoes you want (or at least some of them), don’t spend all your money on the installation of a closet organizer. Build it yourself.

Seeing my own closet in disarray, I got online and looked at the possibilities of what is out there. The price range was anywhere from $200 to $500. What I saw was not elaborate or difficult. Seeing the boards on my office floor that I had discontinued plans for building some bookshelves with, I decided that I might just as easily put together a closet organizer for under $125. The boards’ cost just around $100, and then there was sandpaper, screws, stain (honey gold to match the main bathroom cabinets, which I didn’t choose), a drip cloth, and a paintbrush to buy. I had an arm saw, a hammer, a screwdriver, and a drill already. I got online again and combined some ideas of what I had seen in other closet organizers. Pictured is what I came up with for my closet space, given the amount of wood I had for the job.

Then I got to work. How hard could it be? Well, the poplar boards had laid around long enough to warp some and the saw didn’t quite cut through the entire board widths, making for some unevenness. Weak screws required pre-drilling to keep from breaking off in the stiff boards. Staining the wood over a drip cloth in my garage while listening to the radio went smoothly enough though. With some effort the closet did come together. The neighbors only had to put up with the noise for one Saturday morning and a couple nights after work. All and all it was not too bad and I love the results.

The closet looks nice with its new dimensions. Plus, nicer clothes now have a place, not to mention my unmentionables having a closed in cabinet. And it is kind of fun to see the socks and shoes in their cubbyholes. The changes have definitely expanded my usable area of the closet and made it more orderly; it is both a functional and aesthetic design that fits my needs well.

Next up, my food storage pantry area needs some shelving. One more project before I take on any fine woodworking would probably be worthwhile anyway. I like the final result of the closet organizer, but I did learn that a finer finish would have required more sanding, a more even coat of stain, more notching to conceal screws, better screws (pre-drilling and using a basic hand screwdriver instead of a power drill when working the screws into the wood sometimes was the best way to go), and a better saw to ensure good square cuts and fits. Can’t wait to build one of those laptop/food trays, or maybe a bedside table. Slowly working my way up, a little woodworking could really enhance my living standard, but I also learned my limits and will probably just opt to buy that office desk and hutch.