A few weeks ago, I touched on the subject of storing toys, but I’m back to give a few more tips, specifically baby related. How can someone so small have so much junk stuff? Clothes, blankets, baby bathtub, car seat, and toys!
Tip number 1: Stick to the basics and necessities. Let me start this off by telling you my little secret. When Vincent was an infant, we received a hand me down swing and bouncer seat from relatives. I think V used each item once in his first month, so I donated them. He didn’t seem to mind. If your baby never uses these items, he or she can’t miss having them. There are so many baby items being manufactured today that we never had as children, and we’re fine. I mean seriously, wipe warmers? By sticking to the essentials, you’ll have minimal baby junk to store.
I think an infant bathtub is an essential, so we keep ours in Everett’s side of the closet. Of course, he won’t use it forever, but it is so helpful. It’s relatively convenient to get it when preparing for a bath, seeing as we have to get an outfit, too.
Hang clothes and not fold. If you have floorspace, add a dresser to hold toys and smaller items.
Tip number 2. If you have the space, go vertically with your storage. The cubes in the closet were designed to hold shoes, but it turns out they are the perfect solution for storing diapers in storage totes. If you can’t build cubes, add a hanging shoe organizer, like this one. Get smaller items up and off the floor to make room for larger, harder to store items.
Tip number 3. Utilize under the bed storage. Don’t let valuable floor space go to waste under a bed. Buy totes to store clothes, toys or bedding to free up closet space. Vincent actually has a fleet of Tonka trucks and blocks stored under Everett’s crib.
Tip number 4. Buy tons of clear storage bins. Store larger clothes in clear bins with labels so you can see what you have. This will keep everything at hand, so you can quickly swap items out when the seasons change or baby gets bigger. We know they grow so quickly. Once you have a bin of too small clothes, label it and you can put it in the garage or basement to keep it out of the main storage areas.
Tip number 5. Don’t be afraid to store some items in more conveniently located closets. Store the car seat and diaper bag in the entry closet along with your shoes and purse. You know you’ll need the car seat when you’ll also need your purse, so keep it close.
The car seat is in clear view, but you can see the very bottom of the diaper bag on the upper shelf.
Some baby toys are awkward to store, so we keep those in our guest bedroom closet, which is just off the main living room. It keeps it out-of-the-way, but close by.
If you have a linen closet, keep baby blankets, sheets, burp cloths, towels, etc. along with everyday items. Storing some items in more logical closets will free up some nursery closet space, leaving room for toys!
Tip number 6. Choose items that can easily fold or be disassembled. Both of our boys love(d) the Graco jumper. I allow it because it doesn’t take up much space when it is out.
When it isn’t in use, we easily slide it over to the side.
If we have company, we pull the jumper off and slide it under the guest bed.
So, there you have it. These storage methods have worked for us, but I want to know what you do. I do plan to cover some kitchen ideas, too, so keep reading.
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