Looking for a way to keep toys organized? Professional Organizer Karen Sprinkle from Organize It: Data, Time and Space says cube storage is ideal.
If you are on a budget, Karen recommends these wire cubes, which are sold at Target. A four-cube set sells for $39, but she says she occasionally finds them on sale for less. If you have a bigger budget, you can also use mylar or wooden cube-shelving to create your system.
Once you have cubes, she recommends adding to the cube system a series of uniform storage bins that can be labeled. You want to store like items together in bins small bins that are easy to manage.
After a consultation with Karen, a client named Kathy built this cube storage system for her son's room and added the galvanized buckets to store toys.
Karen mentioned that STAPLES sells a Martha Stewart line of chalkboard labels ($3.99 for a 4-pack) that would look fantastic on these buckets. I agree! These labels are cute and I now want to buy them and put them on something!
Maybe some galvanized buckets! I found this bucket, which looks like the one in the photo, for $20 at The Home Depot but I have no idea if that’s the size that would fit in a cube (you’ll want to double check that if you are creating this system). Additionally, Target and Walmart sell inexpensive plastic and canvas bins that would also work.
Some of our toys are bigger, so I got those big storage tubs with lids. Not only are they unattractive, but when they are overflowing, the kids don’t even get the toys out. Or they go in looking for something specific, empty the bin out onto the floor and leave it. This, of course, fuels my theory that my kids do these things to see if they can make mom do the crazy scream. You know, the crazy scream that stuns them into silence and temporary good behavior. Okay, I will stop now.
In summary, Karen Sprinkle from Organize It, Data, Time and Space rocks. I wish I could swim around in her brain collecting knowledge that will help me live in a cleaner house. But until I get around to implementing some of her strategies, I will continue to tread lightly when I walk barefoot in my kids’ rooms at night to avoid that one thing that can make even the toughest mom howl like a coyote and fall to the ground like a dead tree…the almighty Lego!
Love the article Heather. Thank you for your kind words. You made that picture look great. I saw some other cute labels at Office Max. They work in a printer and are designed for home based businesses. Avery makes them. The would be cute on baskets or containers in a little girls room.
Thanks, will check those out, too. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us! Hope you have a great week–
Heather
Enjoyed your article, Heather! I am also always looking for ways to corral those hundreds of toys and little bits and parts of toys! I’ve found you can also use apple boxes from the grocery store (also free) to store toys and keep them in reach of the under two set because they are wide, but shallow. A very creative Mom on Pinterest covers diaper boxes with beautiful fabric and uses them as bins on shelves. Those clear plastic shoe storage hang-on-the-back-of-a-door things come in handy for doll shoes and all those other teensy tiny toys.
Just a few thoughts from your parent’s next door neighbor!
Great ideas, Christy, thanks for reading TheMommyhood.com! Good idea to use diaper boxes. I never thought to use them for toys. We use them for clothes the kids have grown out of (or we used to). I would keep them on the shelf in the closet and when I found something was too small, I would just toss it in. They were always out of site, so I never decorated them, but I love the fabric idea.
Karen, the organizing expert, said she covered bankers boxes with fabric. TOTALLY forgot to put that in the blog post, so thanks for bringing it up.
And I love the apple boxes idea. Great point about it being shallow and that working well. I am going to have to wrangle a couple of those. I bought a shoe rack for my daughter to keep her barbie dolls in because I saw it on Pinterest, but the one I bought was mesh and it just didn’t…well, mesh. I need a plastic one, plus then you would be able to see everything. We are really into Barbies right now so I should probably get on that one, but I am easily distracted. Unfortunately.
Thanks again for your comment and great ideas!
Heather
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for keyword|