Okay, let's just get right to it. These are kids' spaces. Kids need and want to use their space for playing, right? They don't want their precious floor space crowded with boxes of their own toys! But heaven forbid they actually have to give up any of those toys!!! So what's a mom to do?
First, I have to say that I'm a big fan of the "rotate" idea. If you remember when I built our toy boxes, I built three of the huge beasts. But only two of them reside in the playroom. One of them stays in attic space, and the kids get to rotate toys in and out of it every 3 or 4 months or so.
I find this helps my kids realize just how LITTLE they play with certain toys and helps them let go of them later on. If they can see that a toy hasn't been "in play" for the last two or three rotations, it's probably time for it to go to another home, so another child can enjoy it.
That being said, the next thing moms are going to look for are space-saving and utilizing ideas. That's what we'll be looking for today!
Let's start with this great idea from Ana White. I'm the founder of the I {heart} Ana White fan club. She's amazing! While building may sound daunting to many, I can assure you, it's not as bad or hard as it seems. And you can always simplify an idea to suit your own skill level. Like, for instance, using pre-built shelves but attaching them to the back of a closet door instead of building this entire thing!
And if you're really afraid of building (or are renting and don't want to put holes in closet doors), what about using a good ol' shoe organizer to store those barbies or action figures?
Also a great idea for keeping track of art and school supplies. This comes from Jamie at Something to Do.
Another area that gets neglected or goes unused is under the bed. Or perhaps it's used...just not like you want it to be! Well, one of my blog bff's has come up with a great storage solution that's easy for kids to roll out, but won't require you to build drawers (I've helped build some drawers, and I'll admit I don't love it.)
These are an excellent and simple alternative! Go visit Jaime (That's My Letter) and tell her hello. :)
If you're not ready to build, can I convince you to spray paint? Yeah, I thought you might like that. We're going industrial this year, and these lockers are perfect! I've seen some listed here on Craigslist, but they were just a little bit too tall for my SUV. I'm holding out for the perfect set! Love the open top shelves of this one and the different color inside!
If your kids are a bit older, and you love a good knock-off project, Ana White has some great plans for a similar teen storage tower. I haven't seen these in person, but I'm not sure I'd recommend them for smaller kids due to stability (and my children's affinity for climbing). But perfect for a teen girl's room! Here's a link for Ana's plans.
And you can't do an organizational post without showing some pegboard love:
All kids love costumes, right? Simply gut an old dresser and build a cute little wardrobe!
Can we talk about stuffed animals for a minute?
Does your child have a serious stuffed animal problem? Just go ahead and throw them in the trash. No, really! Did you get the memo that industrial is in?! What's more industrial than a metal garbage can? This one was actually used as a trash in her home, but I think her "scrunchy" looks like a cute liner, and I can envision my 7-year-old having a good time putting all her buddies in the trash at night. I'm not sure what sizes are available, but this size seems more suited for older kids. It would just make the little ones really mad. ;)
And this one has become a Pinterest phenomenon. Everyone's pinning it, right? But they're so cute! I have yet to find a similar wall basket, though. Has anyone seen one to give an idea of pricing?
Here's a good tutorial for the classic "stuffed animal net" that I remember friends having when I was a child (I wasn't much into stuffed animals. My kids love them, though!)
This one doesn't have a tutorial, but they seem simple enough to make!
This is another cute knock-off project with a good tutorial. I think my kids would love this one!
Love this one! So simple! You could even just hang a rope from a plant hanger on the ceiling, and then clip the stuffed animals right to the rope with clothespins! Great way to utilize the higher spaces in the room. But be prepared to be called in to help the little guys get the treasures they can't reach! :)
Yes, yes, I KNOW this is a shower caddy. But can't you picture some cute little stuffed animals chilling on those shelves, tucked away in a corner??
And this one is kind of a combination of the trash can and the animal zoo! Very cute!
We can't neglect those small toys, though, right?
These clear toy storage bags from Make It and Love It are excellent! Kids can open them on their own, and they can see exactly what's in the bag, thus lessening the "throw it all out to see if my favorite toy is at the bottom".
Want more small-item storage ideas? What about some simple fabric boxes? These ones from Make It and Love It are so cute!
Love the color organization by I Heart Organizing in her playroom!
This site has free printables for these canister labels. She's used them on Folgers canisters, but I've been saving up my large cashew canisters, and I think something like this would be perfect! Great that the kids can easily see what's in the can!
Here's a tutorial for a fun little car caddy!
Are you cheap like me? What about taking some of those heavy-duty diaper or wipes boxes and covering them with cheap burlap? This has held up extremely well over the last year of use and even during our move across the ocean! Not bad for a $1 box. :)
Let's not forget all those board games! Beckie at Infarrantly Creative is a craft genius! Why not turn your usable board games into fun, colorful wall art? All the pieces are stored in the framed boxes! Excellent!!
And here's one last art supplies idea. Also from Ana White.
And on to books!
The Ardent Sparrow blog has a good little round-up of some book storage ideas if you want some more ideas.
Remember when we talked about utilizing your space wisely? This is such a good idea! Be cautious if you have little climbers, though! ;)
This is adorable, so I had to include it. My kids would probably drag that thing all over the place. Great if they have room to do it...our playroom borders on stairs. No bueno. But CUTE!
These shelves are called "spine" shelves, and you can find them on Amazon for pretty cheap. Or it looks like a simple DIY. Looks like a 1x10 cut in 10" pieces and screwed to a 1x3, and the whole thing is screwed to a stud in the wall. Not sure how much weight it would hold on each shelf without a bracket, but you could add a bracket below each shelf as well...
And if you prefer sewing vs. building:
Turn an Ikea bookshelf on its side, put some legs (or wheels) and a cushion on it, and call it a day!
And here's another one that I think is just beautiful, but I'm not sure of the practicality for a kid's space. Perhaps if you need something mobile?
Or bring the shelves up off the floor!
Now on to paperwork and school!
Do you have some little artists in your house? Do you have a hard time getting rid of thsie masterpieces? Maybe you'd feel more warm and fuzzy if you did something like this and scanned the artwork and shrunk them to fit in cute artwork?! This display is just gorgeous!
Need some tips on going through school paperwork? Click on over to get some ideas from I Heart Organizing.
Or visit these cute "command center" boards from Delightful Order.
And these chore charts were purchased from an Etsy shop, but I LOVE the idea of using magnets for chores! We've done sticker charts, and I get pretty sick of getting the stickers down for every little thing. I like that they could do this all on their own!
And if you're really looking to maximize kids' space, I recommend looking UP! Kids are so small. Do they really need 8" ceilings? Nah. Consider building in play areas or bunk beds if you live in a home and area that will almost always attract families (for resell consideration).
And with three girls, I have to touch on hair stuff, right?
Here's how we organize our stuff:
And here's a little more of our hair stuff..
And here are just a couple little tips from me that work well in our house that I thought might also help you!
Do your kids make a huge mess of their dresser drawers trying to find matching pj tops and bottoms? Or do they just end up wearing mismatched pj's instead? My kids used to just wear mismatched pj's, but maybe I'm a little OCD because it kind of bugged me. Nevermind the fact that I wear sweats and "paint shirts" to drop them off to school every day... But I just like it better when they match!
So here's what the good doctor came up with as a solution (he's brilliant, people!):
Folding pj tops and bottoms together! Duh!! This makes it so easy for the kids to just grab a pair and go!
And my next tip is another simple one. AND it also involves clothes.
With three girls (3, 5, 7), we have lots of clothing rotations and hand-me-downs going on around here. I used to have some stored in boxes, some in plastic tubs, and lots that didn't really fit, but I just kept them in their drawers was such a tedious process. I hated "wasting space" if one of those plastic bins wasn't completely full with one size, so there was lots of combining and mixing of sizes, and it was just a disaster.
When we made this last move (and after I emptied every single box and put our house together in 6 days), I decided it was TIME to do something about the clothing chaos.
I emptied every single bin and box we had into a huge pile in the middle of the toy room. YIKES!!
I had purchased some of these comforter storage bags from the Dollar Tree, and I decided to see if they might work for clothes. When I put the first few items in, I thought, "There's NO WAY all these clothes are going to fit in here!" But I stuck it out and kept squishing and cramming, and I was amazed at how much actually fit in them. Unlike the big plastic bins, since these are smaller, and the zipper only opens half way, it compresses a lot of the air out, so you have a nice, tight fit. Like those vacuum bags...but no vacuum.
Every single bag, I thought the same thing, "There's no way these are going to fit." But they did!
Here are a few things I love about them:
* Since a lot of the air is squished out, it saves lots of space vs the bins
* Since they're smaller sizes, I can give each clothing size its own bag and not feel guilty about "wasting" space in a plastic bin.
* I can SEE the clothes! I considered putting labels on each bag for the different sizes, but since I can see the clothes, I know exactly what size is in it (after three kids wearing the exact same things and washing them a gazillion times, I'm VERY famliar with every single item of clothing in there)
* Again, since they're smaller, they're easier for me to move around, and I only have to take out one bag at a time!
Here's how mine are separated (in case you care):
1) 0-3 months
2) 3-6 months
3) 6-12 months
4) 12-18 months
5) 18-24 months
6) 4T (our 2T, 3T, and 5T+ are all in use)
7) Shoes
8) Soft shoes and socks
9) Winter coats and bibs
10) Receiving blankets
These two stacks take up an area 40" wide x 28" tall x 18" deep. Not bad for 2,000,000 items! ;)
If all else fails, just hide their messes with a cute curtain. ;)
Because sometimes it looks more like this:
And there you have it! Over 50 ideas to help get your littles organized!
If you're looking for other organizational tips, check out these great posts:
Monday - Master Bedroom with Mrs. Greene
Tuesday - Bathroom with HomeMadeville
Wednesday - Kitchen with The Country Chic Cottage
Thursday - YOU ARE HERE ;)
Friday - Garage with CondoBlues
Saturday - Maximizing Storage Space with Mural Maker
Do you have any organizational tips you'd like to share? Link them up! It can be anything to do with organizing...doesn't have to be kids' spaces. :)
And stay tuned! I have two REALLY BIG projects in the works that tie in nicely with organizing those kids' spaces!! Check back or follow along! I'll be posting links to them on FB, Twitter, and Pinterest, so you're welcome to follow along on one of those if that's easier for you. Links are at the top of this page on the right sidebar.
Thanks for visiting and aloha!
Charlie
SO many loves from your post! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow thanks for rounding up all these great ideas! Could use lots of them for our playroom!
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas. I'm pass the little people stage, but I saw a few things that would help me organize my home. So, again, great ideas!
ReplyDeleteThose baskets on the wall that are being pinned so much look like something you might find in the garden center with spaghnum moss in it to hold a plant.
ReplyDeleteI don't have little ones at home anymore but I'm always trying to do a better job of organizing our stuff in this <1000 sq. ft. home! Some good ideas here.
What GREAT ideas! I need to implement MANY of them!!
ReplyDeleteYes, Pam is right, those wall baskets are planters, I have some! but I never thought of using them for toys...much better idea than using them for dead plants ;) I think the bigger ones were about $15 and the smaller ones were $12, but they go on sale a lot in the spring.
ReplyDeleteWe use them in the pantry to stow produce
DeleteI am perpetually unorganized (ICK!) and I like to keep everything (I am working on it)...I love these ideas as I am attempting to change my ways. Featuring this on Tickled Pink! (and pinning it)
ReplyDeleteI went to Dollar Tree today and picked up a few of the comforter storage bags, but when I opened them up they seem to be different than yours. These ones are made of super thin plastic, almost like a thin clear garbage bag. Yours look thicker and shiny. When I filled it 2/3 of the way I tried to pick it up and one side of the zipper ripped out. :( They must have different ones here at this store in MI. I'll have to go back soon and see if they have other ones somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing happened to me here in VA. I picked up the bag (not fully filled by any means) and it ripped right at the zipper. :(
DeleteI only bought one here in PA, and same thing. I opened it up, and it feels like those flimsy plastic tablecloths. I may try to put it back in the bag and return it...
DeleteThis is the great idea to put all different things in his proper place.All arrangement are so sweet to put all things in kids rooms.When all things are in proper place that time room look so clean and wonderful.
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ahahaha oh goodness, these are so cute and fun!!! I love some of these clever ideas like the cute curtain, and the doll/stuffed toy holders hanging on the walls :P Just pinned some of them lol.
ReplyDeleteI also have a question! (and btw, thanks a million for messaging me the response on twitter the other day)
Regarding the DIY chalkboards....I noticed that at the craft store near me, they had Martha Stewart's acrylic paint that's supposedly good for anything, and a bigger bottle that says "chalkboard" acrylic. However, I already had purchased the good-for-everything-acrylic a few weeks ago, and I was wondering if that one will work with the grout chemical. Or, do I actually need the "chalkboard" acrylic? Thank you in advance, and I'm in love with this bloggie! xD
Nope! Just regular craft acrylic will get the job done. ;)
DeleteAloha,
Charlie
Thank you for collecting tons of great ideas all in one place!
ReplyDeleteI have two girls ages 3 and 1 and my number one biggest problem is how to organize the outgrown and "in between" sized clothing! I can't wait to go out tomorrow and buy some of those comforter storage bags from my Dollar Tree! Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteGreat gathering of tips! My one suggestion would be to link your pics to the actual site they came from, not the pin, so that the original poster gets the credit, and it goes to the how-to!
ReplyDeleteHi there! The format of these pics comes directly from Pinterest, so I can't change where the pics link to, but the direct links to the tutorials are underneath the photos (also formatted by Pinterest, or I would make them larger and more obvious...). I've done round-ups before where I put a pic and then link the pic to the original tutorial, and it ended up that people would just pin from my site instead of the original site, so I do it this way in order to have people repin my pin that's directly from THEIR site rather than pinning from my site. Does that make sense? So it actually does give more traffic to the original source. It just comes from Pinterest and not my site. :)
DeleteThose wall baskets are just hanging baskets (like you would put on your front porch) that they have at Lowes, you just take out (or omit) the coconut liner.
ReplyDeleteI found 2 of the wall baskets at Tuesday Morning (if you have one around.) I've also found some on amazon. I looked all over Lowes and Home Depot for the ones with the flat sides, and never could find them :( I got my baskets for $12 each, and they are good sized.
ReplyDeleteNice roundup!
ReplyDeleteYou can also try JoAnn's for the planter baskets. I know they sell the coconut liners, and you can use a 40% off coupon if it isn't already on sale for 30-70% off list!
Similar hair accessory nightmare at our house (2 preschool girls) was solved with a jewelry organizer from the bead section at JoAnn's. It has clear plastic pockets like the shoe organizer in the art supply photo, but much smaller pockets -- great for clips and sorting ribbons by color.
My favorite picture is the last one of what it looks like after kids get into an organized space. Thanks for all the tips and links, so helpful!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great ideas! I plan to get a over the door show oraganizer for the Barbies we seem to have all over and then I want to use some of your other ideas to create make shift shelves. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteFantastic round up! Can't wait to steal some of these for our playroom. And the comforter bags for clothes, brilliant! I am so going to get some of those!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great list! I found you on pinterest and love your blog:)
ReplyDeleteourheirloomlife.com
I LOVE the idea of storing kids clothes in comforter bags. We're getting ready to move and I would love to utilize this idea rather than the bulky rubbermaid bins they're in now. Can I ask you where the store was located where you bought your bags? I went to my local store (in Henderson, NV) and the brand they carried was different and SO cheap. I filled one bag about 2/3 full, carefully picked it up (it felt flimsy, so I was trying to be as gentle as possible), and it ripped. The brand you got looks WAY nicer than the ones I found.
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance for the help!
What GREAT ideas! I need to implement MANY of them!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I plan on using many of these ideas!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all of the great ideas! Here's an idea for hanging wall baskets. They aren't the exact same but they are cute and you can label them (help them with their spellin and numbers :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/listing/98636953/numbered-wooden-wall-hanging-with-four?ref=sr_gallery_18&ga_search_type=all&ga_includes%5B0%5D=tags&ga_search_query=wall+hanging+baskets&ga_page=1&ga_view_type=gallery
Hi, I can't understand how to add your site in my rss reader. Can you Help me, please :)
ReplyDeletekids clothes suppliers
The wall baskets are actually hanging planters, check your local nursery and garden supply stores. We hung them on the inside of the pantry door. They hold potatoes, apples and onions.
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ReplyDeleteI'm loving those school paper work organizer. I think that's a great way to keep all the important papers in one place and it will also avoid paper clutter. These ideas are all awesome by the way.
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I am a teacher and found some interesting ideas for the classroom as well!!!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome ideas! Already the wheels in my head are turning. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteyou can get the half round planters online, here is a link to one store http://windowgardensdirect.com/pro1001700.html also home depot, big lots or lowes should have them too
ReplyDelete