Closet Dividers Tutorial

I am in no way a really crafty person.  I want to be.  But I really stink at it.  Most of the ideas that I get are totally stolen from someone else.  So I’ve been redoing my sewing area (it’s not right to call it my sewing room since 3/4 of the room is Caroline’s playroom and I really get one long wall, but I digress) and my awesome mother-in-law just happened to have a round clothing rack from department store that closed.  She dug around in an old shed and found it and gifted it to me!  It was like Christmastime! 

Sorry for the pic quality…phone camera!

My shirts have been a source of discontent for a while.  Everytime I think I have a brilliant idea about how to store my shirt inventory, something about it doesn’t work out like I plan.  I tried a large cabinet with cubby holes that my super handy hubby built me, but once stacked it was impossible to see what I was running out of.  I tried the rubbermaid tub drawers, but I had so many shirts that I needed 4 gabillion tubs…and let’s face it…those things aren’t cheap!  Then the shirts just stayed in the bags and sat on the desk until I could figure something out.  Hooray for the clothing rack!

Well obviously I needed something to divide (if you will) the shirts on the rack.  Now, I live in a pretty small place.  The nearest Hobby Lobby is 2.5hrs away in either direction.  The only place around to shop for things of that nature within my actual town (that is actually 15minutes away…ha) is Walmart.  Unfortunately, Walmart around here isn’t really crafty-friendly.  Don’t get me wrong, I find lots of things to waste money on in Walmart…but for things like awesome ribbon, fabric, etc. I have to travel well out of the confines of my town.  SO…since I am entirely too impatient to order them online and have to wait for 5-7 days for something to arrive because I cannot bear to pay a crazy amount of money for someone to ship something to me quicker, I come up with alternate ways of doing things.  Get on with it, Kacie.  Sorry.

I scoured the internet for closet divider tutorials.  All of which turned up pretty blank.  You either needed the plastic dividers already or you needed to use the “door hanger” version, which wasn’t what I was going for. 

If you are impatient and have few to no crafting stores around you…or you’re just really cheap…these are for you.  Because they are super cheap.  I’m talking, I spent $1.88 on these, and really didn’t even need to spend that much.

What you need:

1 cardboard box  (Size depends on how many you want to make.)

1 pair of sharp scissors or a box cutter (I already had this.)

1 marker (Obviously, already had this.)

Some pretty scrapbook paper or fabric if you prefer (I already had this.)

Spray adhesive or a glue stick (I already had this.)

Label Maker (I put this because it’s what I used, but you can totally just write it with the above marker I mentioned.)

Two round things, different sizes…one large, one small.

Straight edge.

Time.

That last one might be your hardest thing to come by.  They really don’t take too long.

First, take your two round things (I used a pot lid from Caroline’s play kitchen and half of a plastic easter egg.  Get creative, folks.) and trace around them on the cardboard, putting the larger thing on the outside and the smaller on the inside.  Don’t fully join the circle.  Make a “C” shape.  If you’re a good freehander, just do that instead…I am not.

 

Using your box cutter or your scissors, cut the “C” shape out. Use this one as your template for the rest. 

Spread them out over the cardboard box.

Stack them up nice and neat…or don’t, it doesn’t matter.

Using a marker or pencil or whatever, place your cardboard “C” on the backside of some cute scrapbook paper or fabric and trace your shape.  You need to do this twice, once for the front and once for the back.  Since you’re doing this on cheapo cardboard, I suggest you flip your “C” shape over and keep the correct side with the same tracing so it matches better.

Cut out your scrapbook paper “C”

Using your spray adhesive or your glue stick or whatever you chose, spray the “C” cardboard piece and place the paper (or fabric) down on top of it and press it firmly.

Do the other side the same way.  Trim up the edges if your paper didn’t fit just perfectly. 

Make a pile.

Take your label maker or your marker (if you don’t have a label maker…go get one…it’s so fun to label everything in your house.  Oh, that’s not fun to you?  Well you’re missing out my friend.)  and put your sizes on your divider.  Since the cardboard gives a little bit, just give it a slight bend and stick it on your rack.

Since you’re being cheap and using cardboard, know that the cardboard edges will show between the two pieces of paper.  But let’s be honest, this is going in your closet only to be seen by your children, your husband, and yourself – so don’t beat yourself up over it.  Your husband will thank you for spending less than a Sonic large Diet Coke on the entire project.  Mine did!

These are great, especially for new baby closets.  Their stuff is so tiny and it’s hard to tell one size from another…not to mention they grow out of their clothes so quickly!

So all of you cheapos with no Joann or Hobby Lobby near you…you’re welcome!

As a sidenote, Squiggle Stitch is going to have a giveaway when our FB page reaches 300 fans!  Invite your friends, please!