Banish Hat Clutter With A Budget-Friendly Closet Storage Hack

Hats complete our outfits, keep us warm, and help us show allegiance to our favorite sports teams. Unfortunately, they can also be a bit inconvenient to store neatly. Most of us probably default to storing hats and caps stacked one atop the other. Yet dangling wearables can be easier to see and find than stacked ones. They often look neater as well. Take advantage of unused vertical space in your closet to create the perfect storage spot for your headgear.

Instead of piling hats upon hats, try clipping them to rings that glide smoothly along a lightweight tension rod.  HILLHOME 2-Pack Small Tension Rods and AMZSEVEN 40-Pack Curtain Rings with Clips are perfect for this. Clip the rings to brims, chin cords, or the adjustable backs of your hats and caps, depending on the style. For under $25, you can free up shelf and drawer space with this brilliant system. Even better, it isn't limited to just hanging hats.

There are plenty of eligible spots for tension or wall-mounted curtain rods in your closets. Do you have a closet shelf hovering over a shoe rack, leaving at least a foot of empty air between them? How about the upper part of the wall at the back of your closet? Both of these spots are ideal for small-scale hanging like this.

Take this same idea, and with a minor tweak you can utilize every inch of storage space in your closets. Instead of going for a tension rod, opt for a thin curtain rod hung from two wall-mounted hooks. This slight modification works for any wall, no matter its length. If what you plan on storing is light enough, renter-friendly removable adhesive hooks can even hold up the rod.

Not everyone wants to take a chance on removable adhesive tabs to hold a rack. For a more durable and display-worthy take on this trick, try a short length of black metal or copper pipe mounted to the wall with matching 90-degree joints and flanges. Since the rack won't be easily removable, trade out the curtain rings for shower curtain hooks. These Splash Home S-Shaped Decorative Shower Curtain Hooks in copper or black nickel finishes are perfect for creating an elegant and polished look. If bohemian aesthetics are more your style, consider trying out a beautiful macrame hat storage solution.

Curtain rods and rings have uses well beyond organizing your hat collection. They can change the way you organize bags, accessories, even lightweight shoes like flip flops or Crocs. If you have a puppy with an affinity for shoes, this could be the perfect way to keep your slippers safe. Many tie and belt racks, as well as scarf hangers, consist of short horizontal hooks that don't hold the accessories in place very well. Grab one tie or belt, and three more fall to the floor. Use your shower ring solution to clip them in place, and this problem is a thing of the past.

You may be lucky enough to have closets dedicated to coats or outdoor and athletic gear. They could likely use a dose of organization, as well. You can even borrow this hack for the garage or garden shed. Pairs of mittens, dog leashes, work gloves, and reusable shopping bags all stand to benefit from this clever hanging system.