Best Baby Closet Organization Ideas

*Disclaimer – This post does not contain affiliate links. I don’t get paid whether you buy stuff or not*

When you bought or received your first item of baby clothing you probably marveled at how small and adorable it was. 

You could be forgiven for thinking your baby’s clothes wouldn’t take up much storage space.

Fast forward to the arrival of your new baby and suddenly those few small items have become an alarming pile. 

Bibs, burp cloths, blankets, baby socks. How can one tiny human have so much STUFF?

One Of My Many Piles Of Clutter

You know you have cute outfits and matching tops in there somewhere, but always end up reaching for the same few onesies.

I’ve been there. It’s time to get that baby’s closet organized!

Download my free baby clothes checklist here to make sure you’re not missing anything when you plan your nursery.

Let’s get to it

1) Sort Your Baby’s Clothes Into Sizes

The simpler and smaller your wardrobe options are the easier it will be to maintain on a daily basis.

I recommend sorting all your baby’s clothes into 3-month size brackets and keeping only the clothes your baby currently fits into in the wardrobe.

This will take a bit of time initially but it’s worth it in the long run. As your baby grows out of clothes, get them out of the closet.

Even if you intend to keep them for a second child, store them away so they aren’t contributing to clutter.

Vacuum pack bags are a great way to store future (and past) clothes.

If you have multiple bags then you can store them size-labeled, ready to open and use. 

2) Think About Your Changing Station

If you have yet to buy nursery furniture consider purchasing dresser drawers with a built-in changing table.

A Chest Of Drawers With Built In Changing Photo

This will save you a lot of space by reducing the amount of furniture you need.  

The top of the drawers is designed to fit a changing pad.

This has two benefits, firstly your baby is raised which reduces the amount of bending you will do.

Secondly, as the drawers are immediately below you can place all the changing materials you need in easy reach.

This will be invaluable when you are dealing with a poo-splosion!

As your baby gets older and starts to roll over you will not be able to use the changing table, but it makes a great place to store visually appealing things like baby toys or bath equipment.

Due to the raised edges stuff is not easily knocked off (important when you are always carrying a baby around)

3) Optimise Your Baby’s Closet For Baby Clothes

An organized baby closet
  • Use a double rod

Baby clothes are so small that one pole will leave lots of wasted closet space.

Using a second closet rod will double the hanging space.

Some closets can be purchased with 2 poles already, but they are fairly easy to fit if you have some DIY skills.

If you’re hopeless as DIY, never fear! Baby clothes are so light you can use a tension rod to increase your use of vertical space.

  • Organize your hanging clothes

Whichever baby closet organization you choose you will need to prioritize easy access.

Closet dividers will make it easier to quickly grab what you need.

You can make these yourself by sticking colored cardboard onto the arch of the first hanger.

  • Can you add storage?

Closet shelves can create lots of extra space. Consider adding shelving if possible.

Use the back of the baby closet door to take advantage of vertical hanging space.

  • Don’t forget the bottom of the closet.

If you have space here pop a small shoe organizer at the bottom of the closet. Use this either as shelves or as a frame to add small baskets.

4) Other Ideas To Keep Everything Organised

  • Storage bins and pull-out wire baskets are a great option for baby gear.

They come in various different sizes, so you shouldn’t have to look too far to find one in the size you need.

Consider using them to store surplus baby supplies on top of the closet as well.

  • Drawer organizers are a great way to make the best use of the space you have.

If you have closet drawers repurpose small delivery boxes or make dividers by interlocking pieces of cardboard.

Use colored paper or thin wallpaper to hide the brown cardboard.

The Final Steps

Still with me? By now you have only the size of clothes your baby needs and storage systems set up to maximize space and ease of use.

If you enjoy organizing and sorting you can skip this next part. Download my free baby clothes checklist and get started!

If you want some help deciding what goes where this is how my nursery is set up.

My Nursery

  1. Dresser Drawers – Draw 1

    Everything for a diaper change. I have a grey nappy caddy in the drawer, to keep all the small things (cream, wipes, liners etc) tidy.

    My cloth nappies and diaper covers are also in this drawer so that during a change I have everything I need close by

  2. Dresser Drawers – Draw 2

    Vests and baby grows. I keep vests to the left and grow’s to the right.

    They are each sorted into two piles based on if they are long or short-sleeved. As all 4 piles are folded I do not use dividers for this drawer

  3. Dresser Drawers – Draw 3

    To the left, I have tops and bibs. The tops are in 2 piles based on whether they are long or short-sleeved. The bibs are one pile.

    To the right I have bottoms. These are sorted into 3 piles; trousers, shorts, tights and leggings

  4. Wardrobe – Pole 1

    Outfits and full-length clothes are hung up here.

    This prevents me from scrambling around trying to find the right trousers and bib in the dresser drawers. Clothes pegs are a great way to attach matching trousers to a hanger.

    Full-length clothes include dresses, playsuits and dungarees.

  5. Wardrobe – Pole 2

    Jumpers and coats. As these tend to be bulky and can take up a lot of drawer space, they are better stored on a hanger.

  6. Wardrobe – Floor Space

    To the left, I have 3 baskets. One contains socks and slippers, one contains outdoor shoes and the other hats and gloves.

    To the right of the wardrobe, I keep blankets and muslins folded in two piles.

  7. Wardrobe – Top Shelf (Could also be top of the wardrobe but mine is fitted)

    To the left, I keep miscellaneous baby items in a basket (e.g. babywearing slings, Changing bag).

    To the right, I keep a large bag for life. As I find items of clothing that Christina has outgrown I put them in this bag, ready to be vacuum-packed when she has outgrown the majority of that size range.

You might be interested in my other Baby Clothes related posts:

How To Fold Baby Clothes

When To Start Buying Baby Stuff

How To Get The Motivation To Declutter Quickly

I hope you’ve found this useful! Let me know in the comments what’s worked well for you.