How to Organize by Color

Co-authored by Julie Naylon and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: July 8, 2022 References

If your closet’s looking a little messy or your keys are constantly mixed up, you may be searching for a fun organization tool. Arranging things by color is not only pleasing to the eye, it can help you keep track of important documents and to-do lists, too. Spend an afternoon arranging anything and everything by color to organize your life and make your home beautiful.

1

Keep your closet organized in a fun rainbow.

You’ll never have to search for the perfect top again. Spend an afternoon sorting your clothes from lightest to darkest, starting with white and going across the color wheel into black.^{[1]
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- You can also use this opportunity to get rid of any clothes you don’t wear anymore.
- Remember, a rainbow is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. If you don’t have all these colors or shades, that’s okay!
- If it's easier for you, try sorting your clothes by type first, then color. For instance, you might group all of your pants together, all of your long-sleeved shirts, short sleeves, tank tops, and so on. Then, sort those by color—either in a rainbow, from dark to light, or from light to dark!^{[2]
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  Julie Naylon
  Professional Organizer
  
  Expert Interview}
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2

Separate your shoes by color for easy outfit pairing.

It's easy to find the perfect pair of shoes when they’re arranged by color. Organize your shoes in a shoe holder or a cubby, and group them together in the same colors.^{[3]
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- If you’re feeling extra crafty, paint each cubby in the colors of the rainbow. That way, your shoe groupings will be even easier to spot.

3

Paint your keys different colors to differentiate them.

If you spend minutes hunting for the right key, this trick is for you. Use a few different colors of nail polish to paint the tops of your keys and color code them for future use.^{[4]
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- For example, you could paint your house key yellow, your office key red, and your friend’s house key blue.
- If you don’t have nail polish around, use a permanent marker instead.
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4

Make your bookshelf a statement piece by organizing by color.

The rainbow organization is sure to catch people’s attention. Head to your bookshelf and group your books by color. Arrange the colors in a rainbow pattern for a fun gradient that will turn heads.^{[5]
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- You might not be able to make a full rainbow out of books, but that’s okay! Just work with the colors you do have.

5

Create a color-coded system for your kid’s toys.

Hunting for the right LEGO or wooden block can be a pain. Save your child the trouble by grouping their toys in plastic bins. Make each bin a separate color for easy access and cleanup.^{[6]
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- You can make it a fun way for your kid to learn colors, too! During cleanup time, ask them to put every toy away in the right bin.
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6

Keep track of appointments with a color-coded calendar.

You’ll never be late to anything again! Assign every member of your family a certain color, then use sticky notes in their color to write down important dates. Stick those notes to a large calendar where everyone can see them.^{[7]
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- For extra fun, let your kids choose their own colors.
- If a traditional calendar isn’t for you, try using a whiteboard instead.

7

Find paperwork right away with color-coordinated files.

If you’re tired of hunting through mountains of paper, try this method. Group all of your important paperwork together (finances, medical, and personal) then assign each group a color. Use brightly colored files with labels to keep all of your important papers organized.^{[8]
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- For example, finances could be yellow, medical could be red, and personal could be blue.
- You can find colored files at most office supply stores.
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8

Get creative by organizing your craft supplies by color.

Never hunt through cluttered bins or drawers again. Use a peg board to hang up tapes and large items by color, then group smaller items in plastic bins.^{[9]
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- This is a great way to separate beads, Washi tape, buttons, and thread.

9

Group hair accessories in color-coordinated containers.

Bows, ribbons, and elastics tend to get lost in the clutter. Try grouping them by color and putting them into clear plastic bins so they never get lost again.^{[10]
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- You can put your bins inside a bathroom cabinet or drawer for easy access.
- If bins aren’t your thing, try clear cookie jars for a fun, cute solution.
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10

Keep your cutting boards separate by using colors.

Using the same cutting board for meat and veggies can spread bacteria. Paint the edges of your cutting boards different colors so you know which one is for raw meat and which one is for fruit and vegetables.^{[11]
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- For example, your meat cutting board could have a red stripe while your vegetable cutting board could have a green one.

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Question

What's a good way to organize clothes?

Julie Naylon
Professional Organizer
Julie Naylon is the Founder of No Wire Hangers, a professional organizing service based out of Los Angeles, California. No Wire Hangers provides residential and office organizing and consulting services. Julie's work has been featured in Daily Candy, Marie Claire, and Architectural Digest, and she has appeared on The Conan O’Brien Show. In 2009 at The Los Angeles Organizing Awards she was honored with “The Most Eco-Friendly Organizer”.

Julie Naylon

Professional Organizer

Expert Answer

A good rule of thumb is to sort everything by type or style, then by color. For instance, you could put all your long sleeve shirts together, then your short sleeves, then your tank tops. Then, you could sort those by either dark to light or light to dark.

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Question

What is the actual color wheel order?

Cars17

Community Answer

The order of the colors in a color wheel is the same as that in the color spectrum. The order of the colors goes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. This can be remembered by the acronym ROY G. BIV.

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