Get organized! See our favorites in the shop

Remodelaholic

DIY tutorials, Woodworking plans and more.

FREE BONUS: Kitchen Organization Boot Camp
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About US
    • Contributors
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Disclosure and Advertising
    • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Project Ideas
    • Our Houses
      • Birch House (current projects)
      • Canyon House
      • Park House
      • Downing House
      • Logan House
    • DIY Project Plans
    • All projects
    • Barn Door Baby Gate
    • Dutch Door
    • Framing A Wall Mounted TV
    • Indoor Playhouse
    • Beach Themed Living Room Design
    • Chicken Coop Building!
    • Computer Desk
    • Computer Desk Plans
    • Custom Newel Posts and Stair Remodel
    • Family Room Sneak Peek
    • Headboard Tutorial
    • Living Room Progress
    • Mood Boards
    • Scrabbled Family Names
    • Pets
  • Design By Room
    • Bathrooms
    • Landscape
    • Kids Bedrooms
    • Kitchen
    • Living Rooms
    • Laundry Rooms
    • Master Bedrooms
    • Mood Boards
    • Office
  • Holiday
    • Christmas
    • Halloween
    • Patriotic
    • Easter
    • Fall
    • Saint Patrick’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Spring
    • Valentines Day
    • Winter
  • Crafts
    • Printable
    • Art
    • Paper Crafts
    • Kids
    • Fabric Crafts
    • Decorate
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beef
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Chicken
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Healthy
    • Holiday
    • Lunch
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces
    • Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Vegetables
  • Videos

DIY Closet Organizer for a Builder Basic Closet

Written by Cass

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

What is better than a functional and organized closet? Nothing!  Come see how to build a custom DIY closet organizer all from scratch! 

When you finish your DIY closet organizer, go the extra mile with these ideas: How to make bypass closet doors into sliding barn doors, How to add a stacked washer and dryer to a walk-in closet, and How to use molding to update closet doors.

Custom DIY Closet Organizer by Pink Little Notebook Featured On Remodelaholic

 

 DIY Closet Organizer

by Sabrina from Pink Little Notebook

Ever wonder why you feel like you have a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear? This has been my situation since moving into our home, four years ago!

I’m Sabrina from the DIY and home improvement blog, Pink Little Notebook and welcome to my cluttered mess of a closet.

DIY Custom Walk In Closet Before And After, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

No matter how many times I try to tidy up, get rid of clothes, or buy pretty hanger, it doesn’t take long before I’m completely fed up with my walk-in closet. I’ve always dreamed about re-doing my closet that would utilize my small space but there were always so many challenges. I didn’t know where to start.

After living with this space for many years, I decided to jump right in. I actually ripped down my closet before I had a plan, you can see all the behind the scenes right here. I knew this would give me the push to just go for it and I’m so glad I did.

 

Custom Walk In Closet Organizer DIY, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

We built our DIY closet organizer completely from scratch.

Here’s how I did it.

DIY Closet Organizer, Step 1: Draw up a plan

Be sure to take into account depth of hangers for hanging spaces and special circumstances like windows, heating/ac vents, electrical outlets, doors, etc.

Custom Walk In Closet Organizer DIY Renovation Layout, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

DIY Closet Organizer, Step 2: Start building boxes at the back of your closet

How To Build A DIY Custom Closet Organizer For A Walk In Closet 01, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

Using 1/2” finished plywood for this project (I find it much easier to handle than MDF), we began with the back wall as our starting point. This section is designed for long garments and seasonal jackets. It’s also the only place that has a 20” depth. Hangers need to be able to sit completely inside the modular unit as the right corner will be a covered section. The rest of the built-ins have a 15” depth, which is the max we can go in the space (because of our oversized window).

To create the DIY closet organizer, we basically created “boxes.” We used two panels on either side which were secured to the horizontal cleats running across the back wall. Please note, the cleats need to be screwed into the wall joist (stud) to hold the weight.

DIY Closet Organizer, Step 3: Move forward one box at a time

How To Build A DIY Custom Closet Organizer For A Walk In Closet 02, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

The above photo shows the DIY closet organizer section made for our double hanging rods. We secured the two new vertical panels against the existing panel and base (marked as #1 in the above image). Then we put the horizontal cleats running across the back wall, one at the base (we removed the baseboards) and one just below the ceiling (see #2). Again, make sure the cleats are secured into the joist. The middle cleat is added to create a shelf, we use it as support since it’s there but not needed otherwise.

To create the box shape, you’ll want to grab your other vertical panel (#3) and place it against the cleats on the opposite side where you will fasten them together. To finish off the box, grab another two horizontal cleats and attach it to the front side of the top and bottom (mimicking the back wall).

How To Build A DIY Custom Closet Organizer For A Walk In Closet 03, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

At this point in building your custom DIY closet organizer, the structure will feel kind of flimsy. However, as you move along and continue connecting each “box” you will see how sturdy everything becomes.

Since we had a few challenges in our space like the window and vent. I had to adjust the design to compensate for it. Since we had no choice but to build in front of the window, we left a 4” gap from the window to the start of the vertical panel. This allows us to put in drapes right behind the structure camouflaging where the window begins and ends.

As for the vent, we simply extended the duct work up which will vent out from the top of the platform.

 

DIY Closet Organizer, Step 5: Add edging to the shelf faces

How To Build A DIY Custom Closet Organizer For A Walk In Closet 04, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

Once our framing was up, we added the edging. Using our plywood sheets, we cut everything to size and fastened it with a nail gun.

DIY Closet Organizer, Step 6: Fill holes, shellac and paint

Next came the painting. After filling in all the holes, I primed the wood with a shellac primer. This fills in all the wood grains and gives the wood a nice smooth finish.

Once the primer dried, I gave it a light sanding and applied my finishing coats of white paint to the entire DIY closet organizer.

Diy Custom Walk In Closet Organizer From Plywood, With Gold Accent Hanging Rods, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

DIY Closet Organizer, Step 7: Add hardware

The gold hanging rods were a perfect finishing touch. To avoid sagging in the middle, support brackets should be used if your rods are 40” or longer . I only had one rod over 40” but I still put support brackets everywhere—I’m building this closet to stand the test of time!

Matching identical hangers add to the cohesiveness of the space, but are definitely optional!

Beautiful Custom Walk In Closet Organizer, DIY From Plywood, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

I can’t even tell you how this DIY closet organizer has changed my daily life. My biggest hope is that now you can create an organized and functional closet that gives you life!

 

Thanks for sharing your gorgeous closet with us, Sabrina!

Sabrina has a great knack for taking a small, basic space and making it both beautiful and on-trend with just the right glamorous accents — be sure to see her other guest features where she shared  her dramatic small bathroom renovation with DIY vanity, and her tiled fireplace makeover that gorgeously answers the question of “what should I do with the huge mirror above the fireplace?!” plus more of her beautiful projects over at Pink Little Notebook. (I’ve been crushing on her gorgeous home office for YEARS since she posted it! 🙂

Come find more remodeling, decorating, and building tutorials from Remodelaholic on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

We’ve been working on the closets here in our home as well:

  • Small Coat Closet Makeover  (helped along with the added storage of our KALLAX hack for our entry)
  • PAX wardrobe built-in closet hack for our shared girls’ room (now office space).
  • Maximizing Storage in a Hall Closet
  • Organizing a Linen Closet

How To Design And Built Your Own Custom Closet Organizer From Plywood In A Basic Walk In Closet, Pink Little Notebook Featured On #Remodelaholic

Originally published 02.20.2019 // Updated 04.20.2020

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Remodelaholic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Please see our full disclosure here.
We love hearing from fellow Remodelaholics, so let us know what you like about this and leave any questions below in the comments. If you've followed a tutorial or been inspired by something you've seen here, we'd love to see pictures! Submit pictures here or by messaging us over on Facebook.

Published: April 30, 2020Filed Under: Before and After, Build, DIY, Furniture Building Projects and Plans, Guest Bloggers, How To, Organizing, Remodel Inspiration By Room, Shelves, Wood and Plywoods Etc. Tagged: Clean' n Organized, closet, closet makeover, closet organization, Closets, DIY closet organizer, DIY organizer, Get Organized, Guest Bloggers, organized spaces

About Cass

Cassity started Remodelaholic with her husband, Justin, to share their love for knocking out walls together. Since then, Remodelaholic has become a great community and resource for all those wanting to know how to make their builder-grade home BEAUTIFUL on a budget!


free email bonus

Kitchen Organization Boot Camp

Is your kitchen a zen paradise? It can be. I'll show you how.

Previous Post
20+ Beautiful DIY Shelves for Your Home
Next Post
35+ Garden Arbors and Trellises to Buy or Build

Comments

  1. Hira says

    February 21, 2019 at 7:05 am

    Looks amazing!

    Reply
  2. Virginia Hansbury says

    June 27, 2019 at 8:26 am

    Please let me know where you got your gold rods! Or if you painted other rods, how did the paint survive hangers? LOVE your project!!!

    Reply
  3. Claudia says

    July 12, 2019 at 1:07 pm

    What type of paint did you use? I used water based paint and it peeled horribly. I’m in the process of cleaning it all up and sanding it all down.

    Reply
  4. Yesenia says

    August 6, 2020 at 6:50 am

    Love the gold and white! Did you paint the rods gold?

    Reply
    • Cass says

      August 26, 2020 at 9:04 am

      Hi Yesenia,
      Sabrina purchased the rods in gold. Thanks for asking!

      Reply
  5. Cathie says

    August 12, 2020 at 4:46 pm

    Just for those reading this. If you use those heavy steel round rods, you do not need support in the middle. Ive had them at 50” + without support. Theyre heavy duty, like what you see in stores.

    Reply
    • Cass says

      August 26, 2020 at 8:53 am

      Thanks for the tip, Cathie!

      Reply
  6. CIndy kelsey says

    September 30, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    Can you tell me where you purchased the gold rods?

    Reply
    • Cass says

      October 23, 2020 at 5:37 am

      Sabrina says she purchased them from Richelieu Hardware.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

We love hearing from fellow Remodelaholics, so let us know what you like about this and leave any questions below in the comments. If you have followed a tutorial or been inspired by something you have seen here, we would love to see pictures! Submit pictures here or by messaging us over on Facebook.
Recipe Rating




Hey there, I am Cassity! Nice to virtually meet you!

This blog is about DIY at its finest. We are obsessed with it and so are you, so while we're working and have nothing to show you of our own projects we show off yours. So submit your projects! More About Us…

Categories

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Meet The Team

Privacy Policy

Remodelaholic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Please see our full disclosure here.

© 2005-2016 Remodelaholic LLC, All Rights Reserved

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 · Remodelaholic

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter