First, find the clutter. Even if you’re surrounded by it, chances are there are some areas that are harder to control than others. Most people end up creating clutter by putting their things down when they come in the door. If you don’t have a good plan, your keys, wallet, cell phone, laptop, backpack, mail, and other daily use items can end up in a heap.

Digging through heaps of things is not the way to start out your day. The stress that comes from living in clutter can be a very real health hazard. Starting off your organization process with the front area of your apartment will get you off on the right foot. Use an end table, a trunk, a locker style organization shelf, or whatever you can think of to hold your daily use items. Use hooks for bags, cubbies for shoes, a wall mount hanging bar for coats, and a small table for charging phones while organizing wallets and keys. Make sure that you make a place for other things that commonly pile up, like mail.

If you’re lucky, you have a coat closet in your apartment. This can be a great place, not only to hang coats and stow shoes, but also to hold shelves, bins, buckets, and other small items. Things like scarves, hats and gloves can get scattered if they have nowhere to go. Use door organizers to keep these things organized and out of sight.

Now that the living area is organized, spend some time on your bedroom. The bedroom closet can be extremely useful, even if it leaves something to be desired. Creating space for bulky storage items may seem like an impossibility. However, you can make the most of the space that you have by using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers.

Velvet hangers are flat and hang close together, much like wire hangers. But, they are much sturdier and won’t bend under the weight of the clothes. The velvet coating keeps clothes from slipping off while the curvature of the hanger is perfectly shaped for specific sizes and types of clothing. Cascading hooks and specialty styles can help you keep your closet organized while revealing more space than you may have imagined.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Your attitude matters more than you think. If you’re totally stressed and sad that you have to live in a place so small, then you won’t get much done for a while. A negative attitude can cloud your judgment and keep you from using your creativity to make the space work. You need to adopt a minimalist attitude. You don’t need a million possessions to be happy. Possessions don’t make you who you are. Society dictates that we consume more and more each day. However, you have the power to rise above and live your life more efficiently.

2) Now that you’ve adopted your “can do” attitude, it’s time to get to work. You are probably surrounded by boxes and furniture. Go through and categorize everything. Rate your belongings on a scale of 1-10. If you really need it to live and eat, rate it as number one. These things will be the highest priority. Scale everything down to ten. Now, decide how much room you have by putting away everything rated as number one, then two, three, and so forth. When you run out of room, everything else should go.

3) Be picky about what you keep. You don’t want piles of junk all around you or you’ll always feel cramped and stressed. Try to get a few functional pieces of furniture that have storage inside. Install shelving above your doors, in the corners, and under the windows. Invest a little in closet organizers and a pantry organizer. Put large drawers under your bed and couch. Create storage wherever you can if you need to store more than your small living space will allow.

4) Bulky furniture is often unnecessary. You can make room for a large capacity armoire by getting rid of a dresser. Dressers are very inefficient. Clothes are stacked inside where you can’t see them or get them out without unfolding half of the stack. We end up hiding miscellaneous items in the drawers and soon they become crowded with junk. Using an armoire for blankets and other bulky household items saves you closet space. With some space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, some baskets, shelves, and storage bins, you can put every piece of clothing you own inside of the closet. When you store something, ask yourself if this is the most efficient way to store before you decide that the item is in its permanent spot.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Reuse containers that your food comes in if you are able to wash it. Butter tubs can be used for craft supplies, two liter soda bottles can be used for dispensing yarn, oatmeal canisters can be used for toys. The possibilities are endless and you can make space by organizing all of those little things that can make an area turn into a heap of junk.

2) Make space under the bed and furniture. Risers are readily available and are so useful when it comes to making space. Risers are plastic stands that go under the legs and feet of your beds, couches, end tables and more. You can raise up an end table, cover it with a table cloth or sheet, and have instant living room storage underneath. By raising up your couch, you can store things under it. You can store toys, large shallow containers filled with winter coats, art supplies, or even your broom. You can do the same thing with your beds, making instant space for storing out of season clothes, books, files, shoes, or anything else.

3) Installing small shelves in the kitchen can double your pantry space. Start by cutting and staining boards that are 6” wide. Install them about 8” apart on a side wall of your kitchen. These are perfect for storing all of your canned goods, freeing up cabinet space. You can install doors on the front, a sheer curtain, or just leave it open to give your kitchen that charming country feel.

4) Use bags that you can suck the air out of with your vacuum for storing bulky clothes and linens. These space saving bags can save up to 80% of the little space that you have available. You can stack thick comforters, sweaters, sheets and more in a fraction of the space that they took up in the linen closet. Another benefit of this is that they come out smelling as nice as when you put them in!

5) Get rid of whatever junk you can. We tend to hoard things that we think we can use later. Donate extra office supplies to your local school or church. Clothing can be donated to help clear out space in your closet. Once you get it cleared out, you can still save more closet space by using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers to maximize the space that you have left.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

The first thing to do is to identify your problem areas. Tackle one thing at a time. If you end up using a chair, counter top, end table, or a desk as the holding area for your keys, wallet, mail, jackets and lap top, then you probably need to start there.

This little area of clutter can make you feel weighed down. That is because you have to dig through it every time you are leaving the house. Starting off your morning by having to deal with a disorganized situation is not going to contribute to a sunny disposition! This problem is relatively easy to fix. You may only need to install a couple of hooks, a shelf, or a shelf with coat hooks beneath. If you have a small desk, it will work great for keeping your phone, MP3 and camera chargers handy. Just make sure that you designate a special area for these things. Don’t let it invade your computer desk or kitchen.

A coat closet is extremely useful for saving space. If you are in a tiny apartment, you probably have a tiny coat closet or no coat closet at all! If you don’t have one, invest a little in a shelf with a hanging rod. These are relatively inexpensive and can hold a lot of weight. You can hang it wherever you have a little wall space.

Whether you use a wall mounted hanging rod or a coat closet, you need to make the most of the space. Use space saving hangers that are sturdy enough to hold your heavy winter coats. Slim, velvet hangers are a good choice. They come in an array of colors that you can match up with your décor. The non-slip surface helps keep your coats and jackets neatly hung without having to zip them up or fasten the buttons.

The next biggest place that usually needs organization is the bedroom. The bedroom is where we tend to hide junk that we want out of sight. Of course, you should get rid of as much as possible out of your bedroom. Next, create some space for bulky items. The easiest way to do this is to buy a bed with big drawers underneath, or place your bed on risers.

Store your blankets, out of season clothes, luggage, and bulky sweaters, underneath the bed. This should free up some space in your closet. Utilize door space for hanging shoes or other small items that need somewhere to go. Build small shelves up the front corners of the closet if you can. Hang hooks where ever you can to keep items out of the way.

Make extra space in the closet by using more space saving hangers. Velvet hangers are great in bedroom closets, too, because they come in many different styles. Some velvet hangers have a few sections so that you can hang many pairs of pants on one hanger. You can buy hanger accessories, such as, cascading hooks and finger clips, so that your space saving hangers can be used for anything that you own.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Many people choose to live in a small space, such as a small apartment, because of cost or proximity to their jobs. If it isn’t your choice to live in a tiny environment, then you may find yourself being forced to change your habits. But, if you prepare, embrace the positives and get ready for a few sacrifices, you can really learn to love a tiny space. Just because it’s small does not mean that it cannot feel like home.

Some people choose to live in a small space, even a camper trailer, to escape the consumerism that has consumed us. Lots of families get caught up in buying things because they’re hip, more attractive, on sale, you name it. We waste so much money on things that are not necessarily needed, but wanted. We do this so much, that it has actually become a detrimental addiction for many people. Forcing yourself to switch gears from acquiring possessions to deleting them from your existence can be more of a struggle than you might anticipate.

Make a list of benefits for yourself. Concentrating on and embracing the positives will help you to transition into living in a small space. Get excited about how you are breaking free from what society and advertising has led you to believe that you need. Think about how only 100 years ago we only owned dishes, farm equipment, maybe a desk and maybe a mirror to pass down to our sons and daughters. In only one or two generations, we have gone from having what we need to having whatever we want. What do we have to show for it? A lot of bankruptcy and debt. Break free and live simply.

Okay, so you’ve decided to take the plunge and live life minimally. That doesn’t mean that you have to throw away everything that you own. Pay attention to what you really need and use on a daily basis. Keep things that make your home yours, like artwork, mementos, and photographs. Figure out what you just can’t live without and then see how much room is left. Narrowing down your belongings is liberating! You can give so much to charity or needy friends and neighbors. You can sell things that may be worth money and save even more.

Think about how to fill the small spaces that you have and how you can utilize wasted space, such as space near the ceiling. Use specialty hangers and space saving hangers in your closets to double the space available for clothes. Use companies like YesterTec for small space furniture. They even have an armoire that opens up to be a full sized kitchen. There are a lot of surprising “luxuries” on the market that can keep your small space from feeling small. Be creative and have fun coming up with clever ways to use your spaces!

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for slimlinehangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.