How to Organize Winter Hats and Gloves: Easy Pro Tips

Much like socks, winter hats and gloves seem to be determined to go missing. Although you take care to corral them when putting away your coat, the small accessories can still get lost in the shuffle or disappear in the bottom of your coat closet. “Hats and gloves are items that never seem to be where you need them to be and they are easy to lose,” says organizing pro Michelle Hansen. “If you create an easy-to-maintain system, it enables you to keep track of the items so you know exactly where to go when you need them.” This not only saves you time, it will save you the money you might spend on new ones when you can’t find the ones you already own! Read on for 7 pro tips on how to organize winter hats and gloves no matter what size space you’re working with.

How to organize winter hats and gloves

From storage bins to curtain rods to over-the-door organizers, we’ve rounded up the best expert-approved methods for keeping the accessories contained and at the ready. Keep reading for the easy how-to’s.

1. Hang them on a “clothesline”

Pairs of gloves hung on a clothespins on a clothesline that's attached to wall — 5second/Getty

One of the quickest ways to create hat and glove storage involves using a little on-hand yarn and clothespins to create a DIY accessories clothesline! Use a thumbtack to hang a length of twine or pretty yarn on a wall near your entryway (or on the inside of your coat closet door), then attach hats and gloves to the line using clothespins. Not only does it keep all of the accessories together, it also allows them to dry easier if they’re wet from sweat or snow, preventing stinky mold or mildew growth.

2. Create a hat gallery

How to organize winter hats and gloves: Wide-brim hats and ballcaps hung from sticky hooks in a row on a wall — Catherine/Getty

Displaying hats on a wall keeps them from being crushed in closets while also dressing up a room. To get the look, simply attach adhesive hooks, like Command Large Utility Hooks (Buy from Amazon, $10.99), to the wall, spacing about 10” to 12” apart, then hang inside of a hat over each hook. For added storage, hang wall-mounted coat hook racks underneath hats, then hang coats, purses, backpacks or scarves from the hooks.

3. To organize winter hats and gloves: Clip them onto your coat

Pair of gloves with chip clips or plastic clothespins attached to them — andy0man/Getty

Remember those little clips you used to use to keep your kids’ gloves attached to their coats when you sent them off to school? You can try a similar technique for your own at home. Simply attach gloves to your coat using chip clips or clothespins. “When you hang up your coat, just use clip or pin each glove to the cuff of each sleeve,” suggests Michele Vig, author of The Holistic Guide to Decluttering. “It’s an easy way to keep the pair together — plus, unlike jamming them in your coat pockets, this allows them to air out and dry if you’ve been in the snow.” Also smart: Use a chip clip or clothespin to attach your hat to the hood of your coat, or tuck your hat into the hood of the coat.

4. Slide them onto a tension rod

Winter hats and gloves hung from shower hooks on a tension rod attached to the back of a white closet door with a mounted hook — DeAnn Berger

To make the most of untapped space in a coat closet, try stashing hats and gloves on the inside of the door using a hook, tension rod and shower rings! “You can store tons of accessories with the right tools,” says Seana Turner, who parlayed her passion for organizing loved ones’ closets into TheSeanaMethod.com, where she shares closet-taming tips. “Use items you already have on hand or can buy at the hardware store.” For example, Turner installs a small metal curtain rod on the inside of the closet (or you can hang a small tension rod from a double-prong wall hook), then uses shower curtain rings or “S” hooks to hang items like hats, gloves, scarves and hair accessories from the rod.

5. Sort them in hanging baskets

How to organize winter hats and gloves: Hats, gloves, scarves and socks folded and sorted into four metal baskets hanging on an entryway wall — Michelle Hansen of practicalperfectionut.com

“One of the greatest organizing secrets is to make sure to use vertical space,” says Hansen. “Mounting some simple baskets to the wall of your entryway or your garage to store hats and gloves helps you create that storage space that can be used year-round.” She shares on her website that you can simply hang a quartet of mountable metal baskets, like AOZITA 4 Set Hanging Wall Mount Basket for Storage (Buy from Amazon, $26.99) on the wall using the included adhesive hooks or screws, then add labels to each to denote what items belong inside. Tip: Hansen notes that you can put hats and gloves into storage during warmer months and use the baskets for storing other seasonal items, like sunglasses, sunscreen and more. Simply switch out the labels and voila!

6. To organize winter hats and gloves: Corral them in baskets

How to organize winter hats and gloves: Hats and gloves sorted into two lined chicken wire baskets stashed under a mudroom bench — Kierste Wade of OldSaltFarm.com

“Aesthetically, baskets can match your space and serve as functional décor,” says home and DIY expert Kierste Wade of OldSaltFarm.com. “My kids are also able to easily find their hats and gloves in each basket, as well as put them away when they come in.” She used empty space under a bench in her mudroom by sliding under a pair of lined wire baskets, like Better Homes & Gardens Heavy-Gauge Wire Laundry Basket (Buy from Walmart, $19.98), then sorted hats into one and gloves into the other. “These baskets work well because they are wider than they are tall, making it easier to find hats and gloves,” she says. Plus, the liner hides what’s inside, and can be removed and tossed into the washing machine for a cleaning as needed.

7. Tuck them into an over-the-door shoe organizer

How to organize winter hats and gloves: Beanies stashed into the compartments of a black over-the-door shoe organizer — Michelle Hansen of practicalperfectionut.com

“An over-the-door shoe rack is another great example of using vertical storage space on the back of a closet door to create storage when you otherwise wouldn’t have had any,” says Hansen. “The organizers are a very affordable option, and they are very easy to use and maintain.” Simply hang an over-the-door shoe organizer that has at least 28 compartments for maximum storage, like MISSLO 28 Large Pockets Hanging Shoe Organizer (Buy from Amazon, $12.99), then stash pairs of gloves, mittens and beanies into the compartments. For added organization, sort hats in the compartment of the the first two rows, gloves in the below row, mittens in the row below that, etc. That way, you can easily locate your whole collection of each item with a quick glance.