March 2, 2020
Updated December 2021
Lots of toys neatly stored on bookshelves (along with books). Use DIY boxes, bins, and baskets to organize toy sets in a small footprint.
Why We Need Toys Organized
Toy organization has been a big interest of mine. Partly because of necessity, partly because I secretly envy schoolteachers with all their colorful supplies. I do.
And maybe partly because it just works. Organization is usually something you can apply to all areas of your life. When things aren’t working, tasks are difficult to complete, I often find that a lack of organization was the culprit behind the unpleasantness.
Conversely, seeing order and systems can be very calming. At least for me. Thus I’ll assume it’s true for children, too!
I’ve found a solution I love: toy storage with bookshelves.
Vertical Storage
Today I want to remind you of the value of vertical storage. It’s pretty simple, but we have to keep trying hard to remember it. Vertical shelving units take up a small footprint of floor space, but they multiply that space several times.
Hey. Are you a Pinterest fan?
You have probably seen some really pretty DIY units, some inventive uses of unusual things, beautifully color-coordinated rooms, with perfectly stored objects. Me, too. I love them. All matchy and even.
But I can’t be that person. Don’t get me wrong; inside I want to, and it pleases me to see it. But it just isn’t real life for me in most areas.
It’s you, too, isn’t it? You want something that is efficient, user friendly, affordable, quick to set up, and neat. Not picture perfect, but neat.
If that’s your thing, take a look at how toy storage with bookshelves can make it work.
DIY Storage Boxes
This is a GREAT way to store toy sets with small parts. Do you love to catch the photo boxes on sale at Hobby Lobby, when they are under $3.00? Sometimes even less. They are handy for way too many things to count here.
If you find printed ones you like, that’s great.
Or, for a custom look, you can get the plain white boxes, and then grab a pack of white full-sheet labels at the office supply store. Print your toy images on the labels in the right size, cut them out, and stick them on the boxes. Add a little washi tape for trim (also available at Hobby Lobby), and you’re done. So custom. And even your little non-readers can find what they are looking for.
If you’re starting to think I’ve gotten too enthusiastic about the details, read on. I want to show you a couple of things you can do with your books to make the shelves look neater.
Sort the books by color or collection, and “face” them. This means bring them toward the front of the shelf in a straight line. Let me show you my “before” and “after” pictures.
See the difference?
Bookshelves can be found for around $30, but some styles are are slightly more. And you’ll need to anchor them to the wall, but that’s not so hard.
Deciding What To Store Here
Hey, you don’t need a tutorial for this bookshelf project, just a plan that involves taking inventory and organizing things.
Here’s your homework:
Size is important. Some things just won’t fit. We can’t worry about those just yet. I’ve actually used laundry bins for some of these, all different shapes and materials.
For the items that WILL be on the shelves:
Gather the ones that aren’t too wide or too tall and start sorting.
Decide which toys can just sit on a shelf, which toys need to be corralled into a container.
Watch how the children use their toys, which things they pull out together, and let that influence how you organize things. Playsets stored together means something important: their idea of what to plaly with is easy to set up.
Ways To Arrange
You need to consider how to arrange things so that little hands can reach some things, and only grown-ups can reach some things. Some even need to be out of sight.
Also, you can take some sets out of the mix completely, store them away for a few months, then trade them in and remove something else. Keeps it fresh for them, right?
In sorting, one issue I found was that all our small “people” were just in a bin together — Fisher Price, Playmobil, anything. It seemed like a good idea. Until it wasn’t.
Observing their play I found they needed the right figures to go with the playsets. And they had to work to find them since we had so many. Everything got dumped out to find just a few pieces.
Now people are in different bins, each with other people of their own type. The bins of people are placed near the playsets that match them. Much better.
When you look at the bookshelves along the back wall of our den, you may notice they aren’t even identical.
We used some bins we already had, and added a few. Using bright colors seems to make it okay that everything doesn’t exactly match. It actually looks like brightly-colored toys for children to play with. Brilliant, right?
Also, we repurposed a changing table to hold blocks and games. (What else are you gonna do with it?)
Real Benefits of Organizing Toys
Getting organized works well for the playing, and works well for the cleaning up. One truth that really stuck with me when I researched:
Good playing starts with the ability to get the toys, actually play with them, and not spend so much time finding the toys or the parts.
Where to buy? I like to do my toy storage with bookshelves from Walmart. They are perfect. The one I use the most is Mainstays.
At under $40 these do everything I need. They have lasted for several years.
Thank you for being here! I’m sharing the ways we managed having more stuff than space. Actually I’m sharing a whole lot more.
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Did you see the article on using Ikea LACK tables and rolling bins?
And read also about how we found a used armoire and easily outfitted it for more storage.
Check out this amazing way to store art supplies in a very small space.
Hey, browse the Blog Archive which has much more than just storage!
What has helped you the most with taming the toys?
Thank you! At GFP company is always welcome!
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Are you on Pinterest? That is a crazy fun place! You can find so many helpful things. Take a look at what I’ve saved for you! A lot of things that never make it to the blog. Here are my Pinterest pins, and I also have categories/boards if you’re looking for something specific.
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-Grammye
I’m Grammye, and I’m collecting and sharing ideas that can help you embrace the life you have.
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