I feel so lost about storage/organization.

[Deleted User]

Babies have SO.MUCH.STUFF. I just feel lost on where to put it all,. I am not even talking about the big stuff. I am thinking blankets, diapers etc. Also things like bibs and burp clothes, receiving blankets. I can?t even imagine where we should put those. Furthermore socks and undershirts etc are so tiny and our drawers are so big, I am thinking we will need drawer organizers, but again I do not even know where to start. Lastly, this is sooo stupid, but I can not seem to figure out what gets hung up vrs in drawers. I plan to have a under the crib bin and basket type things in his closet, but wheat goes in what I am lost on.

This week we will be starting on the nursery and as excited as I am to finally be doing this stuff, I am feeling very overwhelmed with what to do with everything.

I know I am getting a head of myself, because A we do not even have 100% of everything yet and B, most importantly we have no idea what our routine will be and what will work with us and LO. I realize this will really be a process that develops over time. I am willing to accept that, but for now I would like some order and some idea of where to start.

Anyone else feel this way or have tips for what is working for them?

TIA

LuckyMissus

I looove organizing! 

I'm getting these bc they fit the dresser we have:

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00192631/

I also desperately want these, but DH totally laughed at me when I showed him:

https://www.landsend.com/pp/StylePage-416137_A5.html?CM_MERCH=Shopping_Cart

In the past, I've used cut up shoeboxes as drawer organizers and they've worked fine:

https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/diy-drawer-dividers-00100000085439/index.html

I also love these blogs for organizing ideas, they have nursery and kids stuff, too:

https://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/

https://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/

https://honeywerehome.blogspot.com/

 

WVUPetunia

LO has a changing table that is also a dresser.  It isn't very big. His swaddling blankets, receiving blankets, and maybe things like bibs and burp cloths will go in there with extra diapers, wipes, and diaper pail refills.  I'll probably keep a few outfits over there too in case I forget to grab one out of his drawer, as well as some onesies that he will be under his swaddles.  His drawers aren't really big, so I didn't need organizers, but I think those would be a great idea.

I have a cute little submarine caddy that matches his bedding that I'm going to attach to the wall above his diaper table and have handy with diapers, wipes, diaper cream, etc. for easy grabbing. 

As far as hanging clothes, I'm going to hang things that are more like "outfits" than sleepers, onesies, etc...  So overalls, sweaters, pants, dressier clothes, etc.

I'm going to get some Sterilite containers to store his bottles, sippies, bowls, spoons, etc. until he's ready for them.  I have big Rubbermaid containers with his clothes in them, sorted by size.  Our crib has a trundle, so more extra diapers might go under there.  I have a storage cube I got from the college section at Target because it matches his room perfectly where I am keeping his bigger blankets that are for tummy time, etc.

joliebebe

I've done this.. basically, a bookshelf with cloth and plastic bins to organize all the small things. Linens and hangable clothes go in the closet. Smallest bins are for things like bibs, hats, socks, etc. The rest are onsies, swaddles, shoes, etc. I even have these types of bins under my changing table for sorting things like cloth diapers, baby lotions/washes/etc, and misc items. And I'm also getting a 3-drawer organization system to put in the closet for extras. Oh, and I've got a long bin under the bed for extra wipes and clothes that are 6+ months.

persephonerose

We did a Trofast storage combination unit from IKEA. It is modular so its four storage units and we can attach them to the wall together or move them around the house as needed. I wanted something flexible that would grow with him. You can get the bins that go into the unit in different colors and sizes so you can customize what you need.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49850438/

My first clicky link so I hope it works.

 

Sprite2012

I really think we'll all figure this out once the baby arrives.  But I know what you mean, I'm a planner too.  On top of that, I.HATE.STUFF.  I can't stand excess stuff sitting around, stashed away, piled up, whatever!  It makes me nuts.  I took the approach that I would buy the furniture (done) and any organization contraptions (an over the door basket thing for the outside of his bedroom and a shelf for over the changing table/dresser).  I also bought hangars and linen cubes for his closet.  Once all of that is full of stuff, THAT IS IT!  No more stuff!

We bought this to match the rest of his furniture.  This will be his place to store stuff.  If this becomes full of toys and books, we'll get rid of old to make room for new.  No "stuff" is allowed to overflow!

https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/2-drawer-base-and-2-cubby-system/?pkey=bbookcases

This is the over-the-door thing I bought.  I thought this would be a good way to keep limited stuff outside of his room for quick access, and to avoid waking a sleeping baby.  We'll put wipes, cloth diapers, blankets, a couple outfits, and whatever else we decide is convenient to put in it.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/72097-over-the-door-3-tier-basket-storage.html 

benoitfan

WIth DS#1, I found that if it was hung in the closet, it didn't get warn (aside from coats/jackets/snowsuits).  I pretty much put everything clothes wise in his dresser.  Top drawer was onsies/socks/mitts.  2nd drawer was sleepers.  3rd drawer was pants/t-shirts.  the cabinet on the dresser held bulkier sweaters and some larger sized items.  Larger sized clothes (6m +up) were/are stored in rubbermaid tubs or diaper boxes in his closest.  Extra diapers/wipes/diaper genie refills, etc are stored on the top shelf of the closet.

I stored all receiving blankets/burp clothes, crib sheets, blankets, etc in the under crib storage drawer.  Towels/facecloths etc got a shelf in the linen cupboard.  Hats went in a basket on a small shelving unit in his room, as did shoes.  We had a change pad on the dresser top, and kept all his diaper changing supplies on the top of the cabinet attached to the dresser, beside the change pad.  We only changed DS on the dresser for about the first 4 or 5 months, by then he was too active and I was afraid of him falling, so we moved to changing him on the floor. 

It worked for me and I will use the same system with DS#2.  In terms of drawer organizers, ikea has some great ones.

LollyBug18

It's really overwhelming! But, it gets better! You'll figure something out and then when baby comes, you'll change it around a few times and then finally settle into something that works with what you have and how you use it.

For socks and hair accessories (since we had a DD), I saved the plastic wipes cases, took the lids off and then put them in a dresser drawer. I found that four fit across perfectly and do a great job of containing the itty bitty socks and headbands.

As for hanging up vs. putting in drawers, it was easy with DD because I just hung up her dresses and nicer outfits and put everything else in drawers organized by jammies/pants/shirts/one piece outfits. I'm not sure what I'll do if this one is a boy since I assume he'd have a lot fewer hang up clothes. Maybe just hang the really nice outfits and the one piece romper type things and then put the rest in drawers? I don't know, it'll be one of those things that I'll figure out as I go.

Starting out, I had a basket full of blankets and they eventually moved to one of the shelves in the closet as we were using them less and less. Burp clothes worked well on our changing table since we use CD's both for diapering and for burp clothes.

Having misc. bins will really help a lot as you accumulate things and start getting an idea of how to organize it all.

Meagan0528

joliebebe:

I've done this.. basically, a bookshelf with cloth and plastic bins to organize all the small things. Linens and hangable clothes go in the closet. Smallest bins are for things like bibs, hats, socks, etc. The rest are onsies, swaddles, shoes, etc. I even have these types of bins under my changing table for sorting things like cloth diapers, baby lotions/washes/etc, and misc items. And I'm also getting a 3-drawer organization system to put in the closet for extras. Oh, and I've got a long bin under the bed for extra wipes and clothes that are 6+ months.

We are doing something similar to this.  We just so happened to have some cubby bookcases from Ikea that are going to become our little guy's "dresser".  Along with the 3 drawers we have on the changing table, I am hoping that gives us plenty of space.   

Laura_Elaine

I condensed our linen closet (3 shelves) so that one shelf was DH and my bed's sheets and our towels, and the other was crib sheets and LO towels, and the top shelf was random stuff like table cloths and big picnic blankets and things like that.

I saved boxes and things from gifts I had received and I had a large hat box that I took the lid off and put big (thick/warm) baby blankets in and set on the floor in baby's room, and I had a smaller basket I put folded receiving blankets in for easy access.

In the changing table drawers, I saved diaper wipe containers and used one container for white socks, one container for socks with patterns, and then stacked hats next to that, then a stack of bibs next to that. All this was in the top-drawer, then pjs were in the drawer under that. Until DD came, the bottom drawer was empty. Likewise with the dresser, one drawer was shirts (one stack white, one stack pattern, one seasonal - either tank tops or long sleeved, whereas the other was all the t-shirt onesie), and one drawer pants. The other two drawers were empty until DD. Our changing table also had a cabinet portion, with two shelves, that I stacked burp cloths on the bottom, and other random items on the top (baby swimsuit, extra diapers, extra diapering creams and such, and whatever else didn't have a place that I didn't use too often)

I had a mini-milk crate (from K-Mart or something) I put his shoes in. Now DD has her own as well; I put them next to the changing table behind the nursery door.

I put screws (about 6) in the wall at different heights above the changing table for DD's hair bows and clips and things, so it's (I like to think) and artistic and creative way of organizing and displaying her pretty hair things. (I see you're team blue... I just had pictures above the changing table until DD came along... I don't know if there are any cute boy accessories you'd want to display like that.

I also used an empty diaper wipes container for hygene products (like brush & comb, nasal aspirator, safety swabs, powder, lotion, diaper rash cream). They also sell containers for this purpose, but I figured that if I was buying containers with pretty patterns on them, I wasn't going to just throw them away. (As baby grows out of socks, I store the smaller size in a container, then write the sock size/baby age on the lid and put it in the basement with the rest of the baby clothes I save.)

After DS was born, it took me a while to figure out the most convenient spot for things, as I didn't use some as often as I thought I would have and I used some things more than I thought I'd need to... it's still a work-in-progress that you'll just have to wait and see what you use and how much you use it to figure out the location with the most easy access. But, since you asked, this is just what I found that worked for me.