closet organization

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling and her ediTORIal by Tori Spelling blog. This week, Tori shares tips for organizing a craft closet.

I'm not going to lie to you; as a busy mom-of-four, spring-cleaning often takes a backseat to changing diapers, driving to afterschool sports, and cooking dinner. But this year is going to be different! I'm making it my mission this spring to tackle one room at a time and whip the house into perfectly organized shape.

Related: Crafting with Katie Couric

My first order of business is the craft closet. Crafting can get messy, but that doesn't mean that your supplies can't be kept neat and tidy. I'm pretty good about keeping my craft supplies neat, but there's always room for improvement. So, I've been doing a little research and I found a few creative ways to keep organized. Here are a few of my favorite innovative ideas that I wanted to share with all my fellow craftistas…

Use an egg carton to store your sewing kit:

Use a pillbox for beads, pins and eyelets:

Keep reading for more organizational tips.

When it's time to clean out your closet, it's easy to be conservative and shy away from getting rid of clothing. Don't fall into the trap of being too careful when cleaning out clothes; here are the different types of apparel you should be clearing your closet of:

• The clothes you can't fit in. If you haven't been able to fit into clothes for a year, then it's time to put them in the donation pile. Even if you promise yourself you'll lose that extra 10 pounds, chances are that what hasn't happened in 12 months probably won't happen anytime soon if you haven't made any progress in a year. Chuck any too-tight clothing, but if you really need to, keep one for inspiration.
• The clothes you know you should throw away. Even if it's supercomfortable, do you really need that frumpy t-shirt that you're holding onto for sentimental value? Get rid of items that should have been disposed of a long time ago.
• Irreparable clothing. Get rid of damaged clothing you can't fix — for example, a shirt with a stain you can't get out or a silk dress with an irreparable hole that you can't mend.
• The clothes you haven't worn in years. Use the two-year rule for clothes: get rid of apparel that you haven't worn in two years. I say two years, because there may be a special-occasion dress you take out for events like weddings.
• Outdated clothes. You may be hoping for your old clothes to come into fashion again, but are you willing to wait another decade? Get rid of your items from years past if you haven't been wearing them.

To make the most of your old clothing, organize a clothing swap with girlfriends.

• Get the look of Michelle Obama's White House garden. — Gardenista
• Easily transform lackluster furniture with new hardware. — Houzz
• Organize closet clutter with these simple solutions. — Real Simple
• Ideas for surviving (and thriving!) in a small space. — Stylelist Home
• Tour the fresh-on-the-market townhouse from The Squid and the Whale. — Curbed
• This California cabin is chocked with thrifty decorating ideas. — Country Living

Check out this fantastic fashion swap party idea from OnSugar blog amPartyGirl.

A fun way to spice up your wardrobe: Throw a swap party! That's right. It's a cool way to get the girls together and jazz up your fashion closet . . . especially if you are on a Closet Organization mission — like me.

Send an email invitation in advance to all of your besties giving them time to collect their items. Serve some appetizers and a signature cocktail. Everyone gets a chance to display their collection. You'll be moments away from a new look. Why stop there? You can also swap beauty items and your favorite books; sharing is caring. Be sure to be the hostess with the mostess and add a little party bag to go. Sephora has everything a girl can need to go in her little purse. You'll be sure to make your friends feel special.

To see how to set up a sweet fashion swap party, read more