DIY Kids Closet Makeover: Grace & Joey’s Closet Transformation

A few months ago, the girls started sharing a room.

Man-oh-man, I didn’t realize what a process it would be! They (and we!) have had to adjust to a lot of factors that come with a shared space. A new bedtime routine, learning to function in a shared environment, combining their things, and the need to be significantly more organized as a result of the inevitable reduced individual space for each girl. I’ll be sharing the full reveal of their new and improved shared room next week, but for today, I’m excited to share all the details of their DIY kids closet makeover! It was the first project in their room-sharing adventure, and one that I believe has really helped to set them up for loving their new space.

Between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and The Montessori Toddler, I’ve been reading up on and learning a lot about the importance of simplicity, organization, and even pleasing aesthetics particularly as it relates to kids. A simplified, consistent, and well-organized environment helps them to embrace creativity more, have clarity with responsibilities (i.e. When it’s time to clean up, they know exactly where everything goes), and understand/make sense of the world better. For these reasons and more, I really wanted their room – and closet in particular – to be streamlined and organized, yet fun and kid-friendly.

DIY Kids Closet Makeover: Grace & Joey’s Closet Transformation

For reference, here is the “Before” photo of the closet!

…Not terrible, but definitely not ideal.

The top shelf was a mosh-pit of items, most of which weren’t even being used. (Half of those white bins had things in them that we hadn’t touched since we moved in!) The dresser and bin combination looked a little sloppy to me. And the all-white monotone palette was clean, sure, but kind of ZZzzZzz.

Speaking of the dresser. We had removed the doors off the closet months back so that we could put the dresser in there to optimize floor space in the actual room. This definitely helped with space in the room, but honestly, the closet was still kind of an eye sore for me. (I’ve seen dressers in closets that look awesome, by the way! And I think I’d still try this route again. But it just wasn’t the best for for their shared space and room.)

With the doors off, I wanted their closet to be one that really helped to jive with the rest of their space. I felt strongly about it adding a pop of personality to the space, providing lots of functional organization, and overall be a value add to the space as opposed to a takeaway. I’m happy to note that I think that the end result did all of that and more!

Below is the closet, mid-way through the transformation.

The whole process was actually pretty simple: We removed everything from the space, including the top shelf. Next, we wallpapered. (This specific one was a self-adhesive, removable option. Great for first timers like us!) Last, we installed the closet organization system. The whole project took about a day!

One note is that we still do have the dresser – it was just moved back into the room.

Here’s the full reveal of our DIY Kids Closet Makeover!

I’ve provided key links to items below the imagery. And, for clarity, look for the photo that labels how we set up/organized everything!

Links to key closet items

Closet Organization System – Exact find here + Similar find here + There are a crazy amount of options here!

Wallpaper – Constellations Removable Wallpaper

Leaf Memory Boxes – Watercolor Garden Box (Under $20!)

White Hangers – Made By Design Hangers. (Just bought a ton of the packs — I like the uniform look!)

Coiled Rope Bedsheet Holders – Decorative Coiled Rope Baskets

Coiled Rope Hamper – Decorative Coiled Rope Basket

White Bins – IKEA KUGGIS box

Shoe Holder Baskets – Natural Storage Basket

Pink Wire Toy Baskets – Decorative Wall Hanging Toy Basket

Top Shelf Wire Dividers – Lynk Tall Shelf Divider

…And there you have it! Our DIY Kids Closet Makeover. It’s the type of space that I wish I had myself when I was a kid! The girls are loving it so far, and it’s definitely made them more excited (and organized!) in their room sharing. Don’t forget to check back in next week for Grace and Josephine’s full room reveal! It’s bright and happy and I’m so excited to share it with you. 🙂

Have you done a makeover like this, especially for your kiddos? What were some tools and tricks that helped you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

PS – Before + After Photos – A Tour Of Our Home Renovation + Boho Style Interior Decor: Living Room Reveal