The Label Test – Master Bathroom Closet
I’ve been following a lot of organizing blogs, Instagrammers and shows (hello, Home Edit!), and one common theme I’ve found for maintaining a functional, organized space is labels. I decided to put this theory to the test.
Based on my research, the professionals recommend you start your organizing journey small – something that is easy to accomplish, like a drawer, under the kitchen sink, etc. But because I’m hard-headed, I decided to start with our master bathroom closet.
Now before I dive into the steps I followed, let me just state this: I am not a professional organizer. I am just someone who appreciates organization and wants to implement it into my life. Therefore, I am certain that I haven’t done everything “correctly.” However, I think that’s okay. Organizing is all about finding a way to manage your life in a way that works for you and your family. It will, and should, look different for everyone.
There is one main thing to consider before you start: what do you want out of this process?
Is it simplicity and minimalism? Is it making your space feel warm and inviting? Is it simply to be able to find the keys when you’re rushing out the door because you’re running late? (Yep, been there.) Whatever it is for you, functionality should be at the core.
Where does your family naturally place things when coming home? What is your daily routine? What are the things that you constantly find yourself reaching for? These are the questions to consider when implementing your organization process.
For this particular project, I knew that I needed clearly defined places for all of our categories (or groups, if you prefer). Because my husband and I both utilize the space, I wanted it to be easy for us to find things and put things back, so they were in their appropriate spot, ready for the next use. Cue the labeling!
These are the steps I followed, but feel free to adapt them as you see fit. (A word of caution: give yourself more time than you think you’ll need because, well, you’ll need it.)
Step One: Clean
Take everything out. And yes, I mean EVERYTHING.
This will be overwhelming. But you will be okay – I promise. Just take a deep breath and begin. Keep going until the space you are organizing is completely empty.
Take advantage of the emptiness and clean the area. You will thank yourself for this later. Vacuum/sweep the floor. Wipe down the surfaces. Even clean the baseboards.
Step Two: Embrace
Once you are finished cleaning, force yourself to face the massive pile of stuff. Have a small panic attack because, how did all of that EVER fit into that closet??? And then continue.
Step Three: Group
Look over your items. Begin grouping things into like categories. Got a water pick, a lot of dental floss and teeth whitener? You might want to consider a dental category. (Just a note – you may find things that you no longer want in this space. Set these items aside. You can work these into another area later.)
These were my categories:
Dental, Cold/Flu, Stomach/Pain Relief, First Aid, Sunscreen, Heating Pad/Prescriptions, Backstock, Self-Care, Wash Cloths/Hand Towels, Towels and Pets
Step Four: Shop
Now I am a mega-fan of The Container Store, but I’m also a realist when it comes to money. PSA – storage containers are not cheap! I am always looking for a good deal at TJ Maxx (shoutout to my fellow Maxinistas out there) and Walmart. So off to the store I went! (Also note – before you start shopping, I recommend having at least a vague idea of how you want your space to look. I drew my idea out on a piece of paper that I kept with me while shopping. When designing and when choosing containers, remember your categories!)
When thinking of storage options, consider practicality, size and, of course, aesthetics. Most professionals recommend that you measure your space so you don’t purchase items that won’t fit. Once again, because I’m hard-headed, I just took pictures of my empty space to take with me to the store. I did have a pretty good idea of the sizes I would need before I left, but I didn’t measure.
- I purchased four of these cute baskets for about $10 each. I liked that these were lined and were a neutral color.
- I found a good deal on some plastic containers at TJ Maxx and decided to purchase five. See a similar option here. These containers are actually plastic and not acrylic. I love acrylic containers, but they can get expensive. I opted for the plastic ones instead because they half the price but provide similar benefits: durable, transparent, easy to clean and they look great too!
- Because we keep our pets’ food in this same closet, I knew I needed a container for their food, treats and other items. I couldn’t find what I was looking for at the store, so I ended up ordering these from Chewy. Although they advertise to be airtight, I’ve found that that’s not exactly the case. The clasps are too loose for the containers to be airtight, but I still love them. They worked perfectly in the space. The larger containers hold a 10 lb. bag of food.
Step Five: Organize
At this point, you are ready to head back home and start putting things in place (yay!). Ideally, the containers you have will correspond with your design idea (from above), but this isn’t always the case. If you had to adjust your storage containers, this is the part where you’ll have to get a little creative with how things will fit into your space. Thankfully, the items I purchased fit perfectly, so I was able to utilize everything.
Step Six: Label
Once everything had a place, it was now time for the challenge: labeling.
I had seen this video on Instagram and wanted to give it a try. I tried the sticker option first. I was skeptical that it would work, and I was right. It was a major fail. The ink did not stick to the tape. Since option one didn’t work, I printed out the category labels and grabbed a black sharpie. I cut and taped the paper to inside of the plastic containers and traced the words onto the outside of the bins. I had to go over it a couple of times, but I’m really pleased with the outcome!
After looking at some basket clips and deciding I couldn’t justify spending $10 on three clips, I began brainstorming. I flashbacked to my days in retail and thought about the item labels we used for price tags and figured why not give a try! Since you can find anything on Amazon, I decided to start there, and I found these! A pack of 50 for $10.59 – not too shabby. I typed and printed my labels, cut them to the right size and slid them into the label holder. Ta-da!
Step Seven: Admire Your Masterpiece!
Although time-consuming, this ended up being a really fun project for me! It’s been over a month since I finished the bathroom closet, and it still looks just as neat as it did on day one. I think the labels really do have a lot do with organization maintenance. Regardless of who uses a space, labels give everyone direction on where things should go. Yes, it will take some investment on the front-end, but it is so worth it later!
I hope this has inspired you and will assist you in your organizing endeavors!
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