Cute Ways to Organize Kid and Baby Stuff

January 14, 2009

I've found some cute, cheap and efficient ways to organize the everyday baby and kid stuff. 


I was SO naive back in the day...before and when I was pregnant, I was one of those who swore that the baby and kid stuff would not take over our house. Stop laughing. I was serious.

I succeeded for quite a while. Diapers, wipes and blankets were out of sight in my cool chest I showed you. I had a cute little wicker box for all of the baby toys in the office. 

Then...one day I looked around and this had happened:
playroom mess

What the ??? I've since given up, really. I mean, I try, but really. It's just not gonna happen for another 16 years and I've come to terms with that. 

But I've found solutions to corral some the kid stuff!

First, in his bathroom, I showed you the cute bins for toiletries. I keep this basket in the shower room for bathing stuff:
basket for baby stuff

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This sweet wall cabinet was $2 at a garage sale. I recovered the front panel with fabric from a discounted Pottery Barn Kids pillow case:
bathroom wall cabinet with fabric

It's perfect for storing the little stuff in his bathroom.

I've shown you the toy box in his room, which houses toys that I try to cycle out of the main ones (he doesn't play with these much). I added the letters to the front and the cushion to the top:
toy letters on bench
Pottery Barn Kids had adorable storage boxes with stars all over them that would have been perfect in his room, but they were like $20 each or something like that. CRAZY. 

So I got cardboard boxes half off at the craft store and painted them the colors of his room. Then used scrapbooking tags and star brads to label them:
cute storage box for kids rooms

I found the cutest font on the computer and printed them out in blue:

oval metal labels on box
I made four of them and labeled them accordingly. They are still in perfect condition today and all four cost less than $20.

A couple friends bought me these boxes after they had seen the nursery and knew how perfect they would be. I use these for sweet little mementos like his hospital bracelet, etc:
stacked yellow blue boxes
I walked by these fabric lined baskets  every time I was at Target for weeks, months...but couldn't bring myself to spend on them even though they were perfect. 

I registered for them and got them, then they went on clearance and I got more!:
yellow basket green liner

Tiny $1 buckets are perfect for crayons and markers:

little pail for crayons

See this cute craft supply caddy I made using more of these buckets. 

Another gift that ended up being perfect in here. (Is everything in this room "perfect?" Yes, it is.):

decorative boxes in nursery

And of course there are some not so pretty but very functional pieces that would be hard to live without. 

I have two of these drawer bins in his closet, this one holds clothes for the next season. The top bin is for summer, the next is fall, the next, a year from now. 

It has worked out great:

baby clothes plastic drawers
I keep a storage bin in the closet for clothes that he grows out of. When something doesn't fit, I wash it and stick it in. 

When it's full, I pull everything out, take out anything I don't want to keep, and then stack the bin in the basement:
labels on plastic bins
Another reason I love the Dymo label maker -- you can make cute labels!

This small bookshelf used to sit next to the changing table with all of the boxes on it, but now that I don't need them out, it sits in the closet for additional storage:
small shelf for books
My son's room is easily my favorite room in our house!

I'll show you the whole room later (see the green and white nursery tour here!) because I'm already planning the big boy room and his precious room will be gone...I have to make the next one just as beautiful, but in a big boy way. Is that possible? :)

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Comments

  1. such cute ideas, and your $2 yard sale find...the best ever!!!

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  2. I am an organizing crazy woman because of you. Thanks a lot! :)

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  3. Don't push him into a big boy room too soon, then you'll be wanting to do a pre-teen room! I wouldn't change it until he's 3 or 4. Then, remember the awesome pirate room Rai did for her son? I LOVED it! Bub may have a "thing" he's into by then that would make a good decor.

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  4. I can tell you it doesn't get better for awhile...just wait until the lego phase! I thought my girls barbie stuff was out of control but I think the legos are even worse. Cute storage containers...nothing like a good basket!

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  5. It's adorable! I wish my kids would quit destroying things so my house could look cute.

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  6. Love all the "perfect" boxes, etc. Looks like he's got a cute room. And yes, I know those messes all too well, hehe. I've gotten in the habit of making them pick up one toy before they get out another one. And they've gotten used to it too...even though I have to remind them a lot :-) But it keeps the house semi neat. I need to get a label maker...I have girlfriends who swear by them too.

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  7. You are way more organized then I am missy! I love the diaper one...too cute. cherry

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  8. Look at you go... You are motivating me..that is for sure. I will start with my closet. It is a real pit. I am not good at behind the scenes. I am going to the Dallas Market. I wish Chicago. I would have loved to meet you!! Let's plan on it...one day... Les

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  9. Good ideas!

    Wait until you have twice the toys and LEGOS! But who cares. When we are empty nesters our house will be so clean and quiet it will be utterly depressing!

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  10. Oh, the days when the house is full of toys will be over all too soon......just ask me! Enjoy it, knwing that it will not be long till he's off to college and you'll be wishing that time hadn't gone so quickly!

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  11. You are very organized! I love your cabinet you got at a garage sale - so cute! I also love those buckets from Target's dollar section -- they have some really good items in there sometimes!

    Have a great night!

    Jen

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  12. Hi Sarah!

    I absolutely love all your ideas...they're WONDERFUL!!!

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  13. Oh my, I LOVE the diaper box with the star brads! I am going to do my son's room soon (finally!) in a moon and stars theme. I'm going to copy that, okay? :)

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  14. Girl, these ideas are great!! You must have known (because your life revolves around me, right?) that I was in serious nesting mode and wanted some inspiration to organizing the new baby's room, right? Thanks for the great ideas! :)
    Carrie

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  15. My 3 year old's room looked just like that first picture the other day, I swear! We spent all evening getting everything back where it should be.

    Love your son's room, you have so many cool ideas.

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  16. I LOVE your blog--so glad I found you....Now, will you just come to my house and inspire me for about 6 months!! MAN, I WANT to be crafty, but it just NEVER happens!

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  17. I love the 3 drawer bin for clothes he will grow into! I may use that idea!!

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  18. I am in love with that medicine cabinet. So cute that you covered it with a pillow case!

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  19. Cant remember hos I got here, but I like it!!! Good for you for organizing - it is nice to be 'in control' of things like this isnt it! Do you have more than one child?

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  20. I am so bad, I have not linked up, because I have no organizational skills. :( So I am just going to go look thru all the links and get some ideas. :)

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  21. I have always been very organized. But, you have inspired me to become more creative with my storage bins. I need to buy some cutier storage baskets. No one will probably ever see them. But, they will make me feel good when I look at them. I can't wait to see your sons big boy room.
    Hugs, Terrie

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  22. OMG! When I grow up, I want to be you! What creative and cute ways to organize! You're so crafty! My whole house looks like the pic of the room your posted at times. Sometimes I think I'll drown in legos, toys, and kiddie-clutter. I feel ya!

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  23. Love your bargain finds! I had to laugh at the bins you use to store next season's clothes. If you have a girl, you will need one about 10 times that size bc you will want to buy nearly everything you see it's so cute. :) Thanks for all your organizing help...that is my big goal for 2009...declutter and organize!

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  24. What a sweet room. Can't wait to see pics of the whole thing! Btw, that cabinet for $2...you are rocking the garage sales girl! Love the covered panel you added. In the words of some famously important person I know...CAAUUUTE!

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  25. hi!
    I am so not a organizer. I've tried in the past, I've bought all the containers but I had to face facts I am not an organizer. I do however go thru my things and purge and such, but I will never keep a totally organized home, and to try to do so will only be more work in the end for me, I'm more of a fly by the seat of the pants type of person, but for the most part I am not messy :)

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  26. Hee, hee! i totally said the same thing before I had kiddos.

    How do you explain to a 2 year old that baby dolls don't go with your color scheme?

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  27. Thank you for sharing these ideas! I want to go and get some of this stuff to organize my house!!

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  28. I need a label maker. Now.

    I love the clarity of the labels on the long term storage. I recently cleaned up Monkey's things, but I only used tape and a pen to label them... So not Type-A enough!

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  29. Looks like some great stuff and deals! I think your blog is pretty cool--I just found it! Nice job with the decluttering and organizing. Looks like I need to head out to some garage sales and get some good deals!

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  30. Love the colorful storage boxes on the shelf! Precious!
    I'll have to tell my sister about your blog. She will get many ideas for her 14 month old son's room. :)

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  31. You are getting me REALLY motivated to organize this weekend!!

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  32. I love your style, you've made some great choices! My kids are older now, so the challenge is getting them to organize their OWN stuff. They're just not as into it as I am... :)

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  33. As a future mom, I have a bit of the "baby won't claim every room" thing too. Right now I'm trying to declutter to make room for organizational issues... and you gave great ideas! Love all the baskets and helpful hints!

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  34. I love all of your ideas....especially the labels on the boxes (i.e., PB knock off)....genious!

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  35. Your version of the Pottery Barn boxes are really cute! There's no sense in buying expensive boxes when they're really not that hard to make.

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  36. Hey Thrifty Lady!!! Great post! I'm dying because I showed all my great ideas that didn't match! HA... I guess that makes me just the Trifty chick... you can still hold the decor title:)

    Thanks so much for linking up to our Party!!! You contributed plenty of inspiration... I'm off to find me one of those label, writey, "make your boxes pretty" thingys!

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  37. I try to pick up a few buckets from the $1 spot every time they have them - I have several colors and have found so many uses for them...and then can use them for parties for forks and stuff and I have so many colors to choose from, I just steal them from other rooms.

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  38. Love it all, great job! Your finds to stay organized are great! so glad you shared!!!
    LuLu

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  39. oh I was the same! I was confident my house would not look like a baby lived there when I had #1. And I accomplished that for the entire 15 months she was the only child... didn't even GET a swing b/c I didn't want to deal with putting it away every day. But then I realized houses were for LIVING in... not looking at :)

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  40. I love how you personalized items and made ordinary things special and unique.

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  41. Love your ideas and your sense of humor. :-)

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  42. Great ideas! Thanks for sharing...

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  43. Your recovered cabinet with a pillow case ...Darling!! I also really like the idea of how you made your own personalized boxes.

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  44. You have some great ideas, but I love the pillow case door covering! Very smart! My post isn't pictures from my own house this time, I used BHG ideas instead!

    ~Misti

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  45. I was one of those moms too...then reality hit and my family room looks like Toys R Us. My cousin used to be one of those moms too (and thought I was crazy when I told her that I used to be like her)...then her little girl hit 18 months and she realized that she no longer could contain all the toys in one cute little basket!

    ~ Sarah

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  46. Your ideas are adorable! And the price seems right :)

    Labels make everything look organized. I even have a basket labelled "junk", and it looks very organized - hah!

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  47. oh man! You've got some really pretty storage boxes! That garage sale find is to die for! It's awesome!!

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  48. You took some great expensive ideas and made them your own way. I love them all! PB can be so expensive, I prefer great finds at garage sales like your basket.

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  49. Do you know how satisfying it is to see how beautiful, organized, and clean your home is...and then see your son's room?? I LOVELOVE IT! Wow...makes me feel so much better about the hours I spend cleaning my house yesterday, just to shut the door on my two toddlers' bedroom :) Bless you for sharing the photos that no one wants to share!

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  50. I know what you mean by coming to terms with it all the toy mess and I think after 4 years my husband has, too! I've since moved both my kids into the same room so we could have the spare room be a playroom. A place where I can just shut the door mess or no mess, if I need to! It is heaven. I can't wait until we live near a Target so I can shop for fun stuff again. But then again, I am probably saving a ton by not having one close enough to shop for "those deals." Love your site!

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