Cleaning up the toys! | Toy Storage Ideas

After months of stepping on dollhouse furniture and lego pieces, my feet could no longer stand it! (no pun intended). Something had to be done. Our basement, which functions as our family/rec room and playroom, was a total disaster of toys. The cheap toy bins we had originally thought would be great for keeping things organized and tidy (back when it was just baby toys for one kid), just didn’t cut it anymore.

By: Kimberly

Dolls along with their clothes and shoes, toy food and cooking utensils, Mr. Potato Head, trains, cars, lego…

I could not go one more day like this.

I did a bit of research online and it seemed that the easiest and fastest way to fix this was to head to our local Ikea store to pick up a proper shelving unit. We opted for the Kallax shelving unit as it was the perfect size for our small space and low ceiling. If I had more space, I would definitely have two of these beside each other.

Word of advice – assemble this exactly where you will be standing it. This unit is fairly easy to put together, so easy in fact that I got a bit carried away and assembled it in our upstairs living room. Problematic for two reasons. First, it is too heavy to lift and second, it would not fit down our stairwell. Lesson learned (although I assume this is probably obvious to most people!).

The good news is that it was easily taken apart and re-assembled in the basement. I purchased some canvas bins at Ikea as well, and we had the rec room tidied up in no time. A weight off my shoulders.

There are SO many projects that I want/need to do in our home but this was a very quick and very easy way to feel better in just a few hours. I loved crossing it off the list.

There are some great ideas for playrooms and toy storage out there. Here are a few of my favourites:

LOVE these wall-hanging baskets. Great for books, dolls, stuffed animals, etc.

Source: Apartment Therapy

Similar to the Kallax unit – two sets of shelves side-by-side and colourful canvas baskets with cute tags

Source: Love Grows Wild

DIY wood bins with chalkboard labels. Functional and super stylish!

Source: Dreams to Destiny Design Company

Another trip to your local Ikea and you too can have this adorable toddler-friendly craft area

Source: Modern Parents Messy Kids

A great solution for incorporating toys and books into everyday living space

Source: Natasha Barrault

Hanging planter baskets used to hold stuffed animals and books – a great way to re-use something you might already have lying around

Source: Apartment Therapy

Floating shelves keep decorations and keepsakes out of reach while baskets are perfect for little hands to access the everyday stuff

Source: Honey & Fitz

I plan to do this in my garage next spring – functional and stylish storage for outdoor toys

Source: Here’s What’s Cooking

This last one might not be overly stylish or decorative, but it’s as functional as it gets. And when you have 5 kids like the owner of this room does, it’s exactly what you need!

Source: Five Apple Blossoms