6 1/2 Systems for Organizing Scarves

Despite how easy scarves are to throw around your neck, for many of you they are a real hinderance when it comes to storage. They can feel like lasagna noodles if you try to fold them– slipping and unfolding no matter how hard you try to keep them neat. If you throw them in a basket, they become a balled up mess of differing patterns and colors. Amazing how just a little, thin bit of fabric can turn into such a sloppy mess. The trick is to make a few key adjustments in your storage tactics. These tricks make all the difference:

Knot them

Ah, the magic of the knot. Scarves become ridiculously manageable the minute you master this system. Best of all, you can knot them over just about anything– a hanger, a towel rack, etc. Simply fold your scarf in half, holding the looped end over the bar, and feed the ends of the scarf through the loop, and over your bar of choice. Tad-ah! Don’t pull too tight, keep your knot nice and loose, and the scarf will be a breeze to pull off and throw on.

Loop them

One step before the knot- another option is to simply feed your scarf halfway through a circular hook- like these shower curtain rings.

Hang them

Depending on the nature of your space and the amount of scarves you have, you may just want to go with the old standby of hanging them on hooks. I recommend hanging as few as possible from each hook, in order to make removing and replacing easy peasy.

Clip them

Clipping your scarves up is another option for keeping them organized. You can purchase singular and specialized clips like the ones pictured below, or you can simply repurpose your pants and skirts hangers that have clips on either end of them.

Drape them

If you’re dealing with a limited number of scarves, you might consider just folding and draping them over a hanger or another runged creature, like this ladder:

Roll & drawer them

If you’re going to store scarves inside of a drawer, storage bin, box, or basket, I recommend rolling them up rather than folding them. I’m usually never one to prefer the roll over the fold, but, as per the lasagna noodle reference above, folding scarves is just kind of futile. They won’t stay put.

If a compromise between the roll and the fold is what you fancy, then try using a prop; wrap your scarves around a piece of cardboard, and you’ll end up with scarves that are amazingly neat, and that store quite beautifully away in a drawer.

Image credits: Charlotte Magazine, Cakitches, Susan H., LaBelleMel, Misadventures of a SFH, Real Simple, In Honor of Design, unknown x2, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Real Simple, unknown, Marilyn.ca