Tidy Nest Featured Press: How to Fold Shirts– for Stacking in the Closet and Packing in Suitcases (Homes & Gardens)

I think any organizer will tell you that one of the most requested tutorial topics is “How to fold ______”

We spoke to Homes & Gardens on our favorite methods for folding shirts - for travel & for home storage.

We’re super excited to announce that we’re a regular expert contributor to Homes & Gardens’ organization features! You can check out all our article with Homes & Gardens below.

Away Travel Packing Cubes

There are a bunch of packing cubes on the market but if we have a choice, we always prefer AWAY products.

Folding Board

If your folding skills need some help, try a folding board which will help you create a perfect fold every time

Adjustable Bamboo Drawer Dividers

Bamboo is always our first choice but these spring loaded dividers also come in various plastic colors.

For our video tutorials on folding techniques, head over to our Instagram account and check out our reels

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FEATURED PRESS

Take a look at our other interviews with Home & Gardens over the years

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disclaimers:

photos from Amazon & Away Travel

If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.

2022 Dorm Room Essentials

As families are starting to think about back-to-school and the dreaded task of setting up dorm rooms, we’ve been receiving questions from clients about our favorite dorm room organizing products. Prepping for dorm life is challenging. There’s limited space and very rarely are the layouts and measurements provided ahead of time.

We put together a list of products that maximize space, fit in almost any space, and most importantly, assist with productivity and efficiency which is crucial for those attending college, especially for the first time. 

Check out our list below for some of our favorite dorm room essentials.

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Footboard Storage

This is the perfect solution for a bedside table. This storage compartment fits at the foot of your bed, and it’s super roomy with eight different sized pockets!

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Charging Organizer

We’ve talked about these bamboo charging stations more than once simply because they are fantastic. We have so many devices to charge these days - laptops, AirPods, smart watches, iPhones, iPads, Kindles - and the cord situation can get unruly. This keeps everything contained and eliminates all the tangled wires everywhere. Plus having one home base to charge everything makes a huge difference in productivity.

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Shoe Cabinet

Shoe storage can be tough in a dorm, especially if closet space is very limited. We love this shoe cabinet because it is extremely slim but can still fit a number of shoes. This would be a great shared system if you have roommates!

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Slim Rolling Cart

This rolling cart has been a sneaky favorite of ours. We bought this for a very narrow space in a bathroom and were pleasantly surprised at its utility. We find ourselves using them in bathrooms, offices, kitchens and playrooms. It comes with hooks to hang items and we’ve added separate containers to the trays to corral smaller items like paper clips. It’s simple to put together too.

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Floating Wall Storage

We know there are restrictions in dorm rooms, like drilling holes in walls, so we like to use these floating storage units because there is no drilling required. Simply attach to the wall using the adhesive strips. These are also great for interior cabinets or the back of doors.

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Collapsible Laundry Basket

Laundry baskets can be so cumbersome and the laundry bags still look like a pile of clothes on the floor. We like this lightweight collapsible basket and it can be stored underneath the bed when not in use.

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Foldable Shower Caddy

A shower caddy is a must-have on the dorm list which is why there are a ton of versions out there, but after a lot of research we chose this foldable, plastic caddy that takes up little space when not in use.

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Plastic Storage Trays

Another Tidy Nest favorite….storage trays, compartments, organizers, containers, whatever you want to call them… we love them! You can find these products in a variety of materials, styles and price points. In this case, these plastic trays are budget-friendly, easy to clean, come in pretty colors and can be used in desk drawers, dressers, or that rolling cart we mentioned above!

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Space Saving Hangers

It seems like every guide we create has some kind of hanger. We are very particular about our hangers and while we usually don’t love plastic hangers, these are a great space saving option for small closets. 

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If you purchase from one of our links, we may earn a small commission.

2022 Mother's Day Gift Guide

Since our holiday gift guides were such a big hit we decided to keep the fun going with our Mother’s Day Gift Guide.

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Velvet Non-Slip Hangers

Want a quick closet facelift? Low profile hangers are the way to do it. Plastic tubular hangers and wooden hangers take up more space than you realize and wire hangers can easily damage your clothes (and look messy). These non-slip velvet hangers save an incredible amount of space in your closet with their slender profile. Plus having uniform hangers is aesthetically pleasing.

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Striped Seagrass Tote Bag

We love a tote and this one is the perfect size for everyday errands. The striped seagrass material is great for the summer and the reinforced handle makes it super durable.

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Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide (Atlas Obscura)

One of our organizers introduced us to this book and it’s been on our minds ever since. From the creators behind Atlas Obscura, Gastro Obscura shares culinary hidden gems around the world.

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Cricut Joy Labeling Starter Kit

This Cricut is much smaller than their main machines which makes it a little less intimidating. We use ours to create custom labels - surprise, surprise but the personalized options are endless.

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Long Floral Garden Gloves

These adjustable gloves are extra long in length to protect arms from scratches and dirt and the whimsical floral print elevates any gardening outfit.

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Adjustable Yoga Mat Bag

This yoga mat bag has adjustable straps, is made with water repellent fabric and has a few pockets to store your keys and/or water bottle.

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UMA Bath & Body Oil

We love this Ayurvedic beauty brand. This set includes botanicals like clary sage, sandalwood, chamomile, and lavender (in the bath oil), and clary sage, sandalwood, chamomile, and geranium (in the body oil), to create amazing calming scents.

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Theragun Mini - Rose

Give the gift of a massage with just a push of the button. This mini Theragun is easy to pack, is super light and packs 20lbs of force. Plus it’s rose.

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Caraway Bakeware Set

We love a matching bakeware set especially when it features a toxin-free ceramic surface. Extra points for Caraway for creating storage organizers to keep the 11 piece set tidy in your kitchen.

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If you purchase from one of our links, we may earn a small commission.

Tidy Nest Featured Press: Bedford & New Canaan Magazine Special Home Issue

Check out the Special Home issue of Bedford New Canaan Magazine.

It’s full of amazing homes and expert advice.

We’ve read it cover to cover and we’er not just saying that because we’re in it.

Take a look at our convo below with Bedford New Canaan Magazine on the importance of organizing your house before moving!

Tidy Tips: Denim Storage

Many of our clients struggle with storing their denim. There's no right or wrong method - it depends on the space, lifestyle, collection. Scroll through to see some methods we use to store denim. 

Hang pants using pant hangers

Pro: Visually pleasing, open-end hanger design allows for fast access, non-slip coating, good for high inventory 

Con: Hangers are pricey, need to have the hanging space in closet 

Hang pants using crisscross method

Pro: Easily access the waistband to see size/style, great for closet with short hanging space, good for high inventory

Con: More time consuming to hang

Tidy Note: This is Jared’s go-to method for storing his denim because he has a ton of different styles and sizes. 

File Folding

Pro: Quantity is visible, good for low inventory 

Con:  Challenging to identify different sizes and styles, need a drawer or basket, does not work on shelves 

Tidy Note: This is Taylor’s go-to method for storing her denim because she has a low inventory and limited space. 

(One File Folding Image)

Flat Folding 

Pro: Quick method, good for low inventory, ideal for open shelves so inventory is visible 

Con: Waist band has more material than the hem causing the stack to be lopsided - to eliminate this issue, you can alternate stacking the waistband and hem sides. Difficult to remove denim from bottom of the stack 

Tidy Note: This is Shannon’s go-to method for storing her denim because she has a low inventory of denim (and her days working in retail have made folding denim second nature). 

(Two Flat Folding images)

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Quick Tidying of a Closet

This closet wasn’t in terrible shape per se; it was just a bit chaotic. Dedicating just an hour to the closet (and an hour to the shoe collection) we were able to give this closet a quick facelift. 

The best way to handle this kind of project is to get right into it. We pulled everything out and edited the contents. There were great organizing products already being used, so there was no need to order anything new. Even though this closet is edited seasonally, we still wound up with a few bags of donations, which made a big difference. If we did purchase products, we would have added in shelf dividers to keep the stacks of clothes upright. 

The closet contained different types of hangers - plastic tubular hangers in four styles and three colors and velvet hangers. Instead of buying all new matching hangers, we choose to group the different styles together within the closet. As Shannon’s mom says “like with like.” 

Pro Tip: Grouping like hangers together in a closet is a budget-friendly way of taming the chaotic mismatched hanger situation without investing in new hangers. 

We refolded everything on the shelves using the file folding method and rolling when applicable. Bulkier items were folded flat and denim was folded rather than hung. We contained as much as we could using the Y-Weave baskets from Target. 

We noticed that plastic garment bags (even the nicer ones from The Container Store) attract mold after a few years so we recommend cotton hanging bags for storing formal wear. They come in various sizes for coats, suits, gowns, etc. We used the coat and gown size. 

Finally, we wiped down all the shoe boxes (using Grove All Purpose Cleaner) and relabeled the boxes using chalkboard stickers, leftover scrapbook paper and oil based sharpies. The previous labeling system (post-its) was not working and looked very messy. 

Products found in this closet:

Amazon: Ultra Thin Velvet Hangers

The Container Store: Tubular Hangers 

The Container Store: Children’s Tubular Hangers

The Container Store: Shoe Box 

The Container Store: Natural Cotton Hanging Storage Bag

Target: Y-Weave Storage bins

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