9 Easy Ways to Organize Your Kid’s Winter Clothes

Mittens, mittens everywhere. Your kiddo’s winter clothes are on the family room floor, under their dresser, falling out of the closet, and half stuffed into all the most accessible pockets on your purse. Before the winter-wear completely takes over your house, you need to make a change. Fortunately, we have you covered when it comes to painless organization ideas for your tot’s winter gear.

1. Buy a bench. Do your kids toss their boots off into… Well, you’re not really sure where they go, once they walk through the door. Give the littles a place to sit down and take off their winter footwear with a near-the-door bench. To make use of the vertical space, instead of a regular bench, choose a combo style that incorporates a storage shelf. Try: ClosetMaid Cubeicals 3-Cube Storage Bench ($62).

2. Create a clothesline space. Hang clothes along a laundry room or mud room wall. String up hats, mittens, wool socks, and other winter items with clothespins. Not only will you know where everything is, but soaking-wet snowy gear can dry while it’s hanging up! Try: Honey Can Do Retractable Clothesline ($11)

3. Install kid-height hooks. There’s no major mystery behind your child’s inability to hang up their coat: Your tiny tot simply can’t reach the adult-height hooks and hangers. The better able your child is to hang up their gear, the more likely they are to do it. Before adding coat hooks (which you can also use for mittens, scarves, and hats), measure your child’s reach. Try: AmazonBasics-Wall Mounted Coat Rack ($20)

4. Use shoe holders. Over-the-door clear plastic shoe holders are an ideal organization option for gloves, mittens, winter socks, and hats. Fold an item, stash it in a pocket, and pull it out when your child is ready to wear it again. The clear cover lets you see everything without having to guess what’s in where. Try: Whitmore 24-Pocket Over the Door Shoe Organizer ($13).

5. Stash snowy stuff in buckets. Label a plastic bucket with each item category (such as gloves, hats, or socks). Play a fun little matching game and ask your child to find the bin that goes with their gear. Along with holding the items, the bucket will catch and keep any melting snow. Try: Sterilite 10-Quart Bucket ($5)

6. Keep gear in cubbies. Daycare centers get it. Those completely cute bins that they use to stash the kids’ stuff in neat rows are genius. Create your own at-home cubby system, labeling one for each family member to keep your toddler’s mittens separate from your preschooler’s hat. Try: SimpleHouseware Foldable Cube Storage Bin ($17 for 6)

7. Put kitchen clips to good use. Use those oversized chip clips for something other than snacks. Clip together pairs of mittens or socks to efficiently organize them. You can also clip together hat and glove sets or pairs of boots. Try: OXO Good Grips Magnetic All-Purpose Clips ($7 for 4)

8. Hang everything together. Your toddler’s coat, hat, and mittens can all go on the same hanger. Designate one hanger for each family member, keeping all of their gear in one place. And, bonus, this is the perfect way to drip-dry your winter-wear. Just move the hanger over the tub or into the shower, letting the water go down the drain. Try: Neaties Heavy Duty White Plastic Hangers ($24 for 24)

9. Try swivel hooks. These multi-hook gizmos have arms that move in and out, allowing you to hang multiple items in one space. Add each family member’s items to one swivel hook set, or designate hooks for each type of gear. Try: Kes Metal Swivel Hook ($11)

How do you keep track of your child’s winter wear? Tweet us tips @BritandCo.

(Photos via Getty)

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