Creative Ways to Organize a Linen Cabinet

A linen closet or cabinet, shown here, is commonly used as a catchall for bath essentials, towels, bedsheets, and much more. With such variety in the items being stored, it's easy for this space to become overwhelmed and cluttered. Keep your linen closet or cabinet tidy by incorporating smart, stylish storage solutions. In the next slides, we'll show you how to use household items and dollar-store finds to improve your storage.

Clear glass vases are good containers for soaps, bath salts, cotton balls, and swabs. They not only look pretty, but they let you see at a glance when you need to restock.

Another glass storage option is a fishbowl, just a few dollars at a pet store. A fishbowl's round shape looks pretty on the shelf, and the wide mouth makes it easy to reach in.

Stacking sheet sets in a basket means no more toppling piles. Don't forget to add a label. Aim to have at least two sets of sheets for each bed in the house.

Another easy idea for organizing sheets: Tie a ribbon around a folded set to keep all the pieces together.

Rolling towels is just as easy as folding them and takes up less space, plus it's an easy (and free) way to give your bathroom a bit of a spa look.

Roll hand towels and washcloths and tuck them into square or rectangular glass vases. (It's a great use for all those florist vases gathering dust under the kitchen sink.)

Use stacking boxes, bins, or baskets for storing small items such as cosmetics or first aid supplies. These containers maximize vertical space on a shelf and are easily portable.

Another good way to corral lots of little items, such as toiletries and bath items, is to arrange them on a tray. In a linen closet, you'll want a tray that's waterproof and wipeable.

Load up a caddy with bath products so it's easy to take everything you need out of the linen closet in one step.

Give containers from around the house new purposes in your linen closet. Try using kitchen dishes for brushes, kitchen canisters for cotton swabs and cotton balls, and a portable lazy Susan for medications.