If your drawers are in constant disarray and you can never seem to find the items you're looking for, it might be time to change up your storage habits. Dreams of the perfect dresser where you can identify and access your clothes with ease are not that far off. If you'd like to learn how to organize a dresser like a pro, whether that entails folding shirts for drawers or discovering how to organize clothes drawers, we've got you covered.

Start With the Dresser

To begin your dresser organizing journey, you may need to learn how to organize clothes drawers, which means getting disorganized first. In order to start with a blank slate, remove everything from your drawers (even those items crammed right at the back) so you can take inventory of what you have. Sell, donate, or give away anything you haven't worn in over a year. It's not practical to hold onto duplicate items or items that don't fit anymore. Once you've pared down your wardrobe, you can play with different clothes organization ideas.

Step 1: Clean your drawers. Now that your drawers are empty, you can begin your dresser organizing project. Start by cleaning the drawers themselves. Remove those dust balls and insert new drawer liners. For something durable, peel-and-stick wallpaper comes in a large array of colors and designs and will last a long time.

Step 2: Organize your clothes. While you declutter, split your clothes up according to the number of drawers in your dresser. Pair like items and assign a drawer to each category. Choose a method that is convenient for you, but it's a good idea to store the most frequently used clothing items at the top and less frequently used, or out of season clothes at the bottom. Once you've decided where each item will live, you can make things easier for yourself by installing different drawer knobs on each drawer, that way you will always know what goes where.

Step 3: If necessary, buy a new dresser. If your dresser is dated or looking a little worse for wear, consider starting from scratch and investing in a new one. Our extensive range of dressers can offer more drawers or larger storage space, or simply make your dresser organizing a little easier. Find out more on how to pick dressers with our Dresser Dimensions: How to Choose the Right One guide. Once you are ready to purchase your dresser, read our Guide to the Different Types of Dressers & Chests to make purchasing a little easier.

Folding Tips

Once you have grouped and categorized your clothing, you can begin folding. There are various means and methods of folding, so you should choose what is best for you.

• Keep socks, tights, and undergarments together.
• Use a drawer divider to store these smaller items so they are easily accessible.
• Alternatively you can simply toss all of your socks in one drawer as they do not need to be folded neatly as other items do.
• Store shirts and pants in different drawers in one of three ways.
  * A simple arm-over-arm fold as you would find in stores, which you would then stack on top of each other.
  * Folding Marie Kondo-style in order to attain a rectangle fold that can be stacked next to one another.
  * Roll them into an oblong shape and store side-by-side.
• You can also store these items in rectangular baskets or boxes to keep their folds for longer.
• Bulky items can be folded neatly and stored on top of one another. If the pile gets too tall, you can keep them folded the same way, but stagger them so they lay flatter.
• If you have any additional space in your drawer, you can use it for other items such as accessories and jewelry.

Get Organizing

1. Try Storage Bins & Baskets

An organizational system that is easy to maintain will help you keep your dresser drawers in order for longer. Sometimes keeping your items neatly folded can be difficult. Storage baskets and bins offer a simple way to organize a dresser to keep things tidy.Think of baskets and bins as storage inside of storage. Hang any bulky clothes in your closet, and begin to create logical categories for those you plan to store in your dresser. Folding is a vital part of dresser organizing, and sometimes a basket or a bin helps make that task a little easier.

2. Consider Additional Storage

It's entirely possible that you won't be able to fit all of your clothing in your dresser, even more so if you store both your winter and summer clothes together. Consider splitting your clothing seasonally with underbed storage bins, or opt for totes that can be placed in the attic. Organizing a dresser often means that you need to work in conjunction with other open spaces that you have available.

3. Use Drawer Organizers

If storage baskets and bins don't fit in your dresser drawers or if you just need something smaller, drawer organizers are a great solution. They are the perfect product to optimize your drawer space and keep all your items visible and accessible. There are different types of drawer organizers to choose from, all of which are simply inserted into your drawers. Some are simple boxes that you can stack your folder items within. Others are divided into different compartments to allow you to store individual articles. It is even possible to find undergarment specific organizers which helps with more complicated folding. Group smaller items like undergarments and socks together so you can have a better view of the drawer interior. The compartments will help you maintain order with minimal effort. Figuring out how to organize clothes drawers is a lot easier when you have a place for everything and everything in its place.

4. Keep the Top Clear

To maintain a tidy appearance, keep from storing jewelry and makeup on the top of your dresser. Instead, choose stylish trays and stands to keep jewelry in order. Display your perfume in an orderly fashion and make sure your makeup is nicely packed away. If you want to find out more about how to store and organize your makeup, read our Best Makeup Organizers to Streamline Your Vanity guide.

Now that you know how to organize a dresser, you can say goodbye to messy drawers and hello to a brand new system of organization.