Top shelf of closet help

[hillview]

I am organizing and not sure what to put up on the top shelf of a not walk in closet. Also do you use any sort of containers up there or just put stuff up?
TIA!
/hillary

[swrc00]

I have my sweaters folded and my purses/tote bags on the top shelf. I don't have them in containers.

[KrisM]

Is it tall? Can you add another shelf? In our old house, we had a shelf only a few inches from the ceiling and I stuck shoeboxes up there. They held shoes not worn very often and I could get them up and down fairly easily and I'm 5'4". On the regular shelf in my current closet, I put bins of stuff. Otherwise, it ends up a mess. I store out of season clothes, out of season sport things (beach towels), and stuff like that.

[mskitty]

I am organizing and not sure what to put up on the top shelf of a not walk in closet. Also do you use any sort of containers up there or just put stuff up?
TIA!
/hillary

I tend to put things up that won't get used quickly but plan to use sometimes in the next few months. All of the "upper" shelves in our closets require me to stand on a chair to reach them. Things I don't plan on using in the next few months tend to go in the basement. My house is under 1000 square feet of finished space so I tend to shove a lot in my closets. Here is what I have stashed on the upper shelves of my closets.

Master bedroom: Games that only get used 2-3 times year during family gatherings and boxes of my favorite out of season clothes. Picture three paper ream boxes standing side by side on their smallest side: one of games stacked, two of clothes.

Child's bedroom: Out of season holiday books (Easter, Christmas, Thankgiving, etc), box of sentimental momentos, extra blankets & quilts

Linen closet: Sleeping bags, multipacks of toilet paper, boxes of Kleenex

Coat closet: Cereal stash (I normally buy 20+ boxes of my favorite cereal when it gets to a dollar a box or less).

Garage closet 1: Beverage and food coolers, tailgate grill, small camping items
Garage closet 2: Extra lawn & garden chemicals. Grass seed, etc.

Hope that gives you some ideas...

mskitty

[ShanaMama]

Is it tall? Can you add another shelf? In our old house, we had a shelf only a few inches from the ceiling and I stuck shoeboxes up there. They held shoes not worn very often and I could get them up and down fairly easily and I'm 5'4". On the regular shelf in my current closet, I put bins of stuff. Otherwise, it ends up a mess. I store out of season clothes, out of season sport things (beach towels), and stuff like that.

What a great idea. I am in the process of redesigning my tiny closet & haven't figured out what to do with all my lesser worn shoes.
I use my top shelf for extra linen for that nbedroom. My linen closet is so tiny it's basically a towel closet. So I keep DDs' sheets on their top shelf & my extra set on my top shelf. It's convenient for the occasional midnight linen changes.

[hillview]

Thanks you guys! Great ideas. I have to see what I have left over from my organizing and might need some bins.
THANKS!
/hillary

[egoldber]

I have three of these large baskets on the shelf in my front closet:

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/s...N=71223&Nao=48

I love them to keep things like hats, gloves, scarves, umbrellas, etc. All those little things that get lost.

[niccig]

I can stack 2 bins tall on the tops shelf in my closet. So I have bins of out of season clothes for DH and I, a bin of our scubing diving jackets (very bulky jackets that we used when on dive boats), an old suitcase that stores presents we buy for DS throughout the year. It also has my kendo shinais, in the hope that one day I might start up again.

DS's closet has bin of too big clothes, his sleeping bag, bin of baby items to pass on to my sister if she has kids - some of these are heirloom and I don't want them in the garage with other baby clothes I'm keeping. Can't wait for my sister to decide if she is or is not having kids, so I can move all of these on!

[jvs195]

Clear bins so I don't forget what's in there! My closet has lesser worn shoes (dressy strappy heels), purses (beaded cocktail purses), scarves, lingerie (that I will someday fit into again and odd items like specialty undergarments). Kids' closets have next size shoes, out of season items that might fit next season. Coat closet has scarves/hats/mittens/gloves (a bin for each person) when not winter and bubbles, sidewalk chalk, gardening gloves, sunglasses when not summer.