10 Sweater Storage Ideas for the Closet and Beyond

Deciding where to store your sweaters can prove to be a surprisingly difficult task. Thanks to their bulky nature, they're harder to tuck away in tight corners than pants or t-shirts are. And because of their sensitive shaping, you need to be careful how you store sweaters as not to damage or stretch them.

Throw a too-small closet into all of this, and sweater storage becomes quite the puzzle. But don't stress—there are plenty of spaces you can store your sweaters, even if said space isn't all that large. From under the bed to the tip-top of some shelving, here are 10 sweater storage ideas to try in your own home.

01 of 10

Sort by Color and Pattern

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One of the best things you can do when storing and organizing your sweaters is to sort them by color or pattern. Keep sweaters with similar color schemes or looks in stacks of three to five. This will make it easy to find what you're looking for, and it will give the whole system a very put-together and professionally-organized look.
02 of 10

Use All the Flat Space You Have

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It's important to take advantage of all the flat space you have in your closet, and that includes flat areas that sit on top of storage units or bins on closet shelving. Though you may not be able to store many sweaters, you can certainly fit a few carefully-folded ones on top of each bin. If you have hanging clothes that block the flat surface, move the clothes to a different part of your closet or use the tucked-away space to hide sweaters that are out-of-season or infrequently worn.
03 of 10

Go Under the Bed

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Under-the-bed storage can be a lifesaver for so many types of items—you can fit sheets, blankets, books, and of course, sweaters underneath the bed. To keep your knitwear in great condition, make sure they're stored in something while they're under the bed—don't let them just rest on the carpet. Instead, use under-the-bed bins or upgrade your bed frame to one that includes under-the-bed storage.
04 of 10

Store Them Alongside Other Items

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Sweaters do not need their own special storage unit—they can also be worked into existing storage, alongside bags, winter accessories, and even pants. We like the multimodal storage approach Neat by Meg uses here, as she combines sweater storage with a great display of hand bags on the shelving above. You can even do this on the same shelf, but consider using clear shelf dividers to keep everything neat and tidy.

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05 of 10

Place Sweaters in Baskets

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If you want to be able to keep sweaters hidden, but still easily accessible when they're not in use, it's time to bring in the baskets. They're available in a wide variety of sizes, making it just as easy to store plenty of adult sweaters as it is to store children's sweaters. To make moving the baskets as easy as can be, make sure you use baskets with handles.
06 of 10

Use Extra Closet Space

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If you're struggling to find closet space in your bedroom for sweaters, start looking elsewhere. The hall or entryway closet can be a great place to keep cold-season clothes like sweaters. If they're sturdy enough to sit on a hanger, they can be hung up, or they can be folded away in bins that sit on the closet shelf or floor.
07 of 10

Try a Vertical Fold

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If you've been blessed with extra-deep drawers, consider making them a new home for your sweaters. Thinner sweaters can be file-folded and neatly arranged inside large drawers, allowing you to quickly find what you need.
08 of 10

Hang Your Sweaters

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The closet rod can be another spot for your sweaters, but tread carefully: depending on the knitting and structure of your sweater, it can be damaged and end up distorted after spending long amounts of time on a hanger. Ensure your sweaters are sturdy enough to be hung up, or use this as a short-term solution while you figure out better storage options.

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09 of 10

Add Some Narrow Built-ins

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Do you have a little bit of wall space in between two doors? It's a great spot for some built-in sweater storage. Instead floating shelves in this narrow wall space to take advantage of all the storage potential it offers. Of course, you don't need to keep only sweaters on this. Consider using every second or third shelf to display some of your favorite books or decor to give the whole setup plenty of personality and style.
10 of 10

Use the Laundry Room

Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Kaitlin Green

Long term clothes storage doesn't have to go in the attic. Instead, try a more climate-controlled option for your sweaters and other out-of-season clothing by keeping them in bins and boxes in the laundry room. They can be stacked on a DIY-ed shelf, or you can go the luxe option and keep them in custom cabinetry like the ones in the home above from Emily Henderson Design.