How to organize baby clothes between dresser and closet

Arinias · April 2014

Ok so this may sound dumb, but I was just wondering how you STMs+ organized baby clothes in the nursery? I have a decent sized dresser and a closet and am trying to figure out if I should just put everything in the dresser, hang up maybe just sleepers or shirts. Was it a pain getting stuff off the hangers in a hurry or easier then digging through the drawers? I am sure I will figure out if I like it or not once he is here, but just curious what worked and did not work for other Moms. Thanks!

amberlowe08 · April 2014

I'm a FTM so who knows if my way is right or practical. The bottom drawer of our dresser is the largest and that's where I put all his onesies. I put a divider in it to separate long sleeve from short sleeve. The next row is three drawers. One for pants and shorts and the other for his sleepers (gowns and body suits). The third drawer I have for socks, shoes, and mittens. The top row of drawers is separated into a burp/bip drawer, hat drawer, and then a diaper medicine drawer. So all that's remaining.. Nicer clothes and outfits I hung. I also put all of his 6 months and older clothes aside in the closet so daddy doesn't get stressed about what fits him right now. I figure I'll start pulling that stuff out as needed.

pistolpackinmomma · April 2014

In the nb phase we didn't have a closet for him. I hated all of the digging but we also didn't have a huge dresser. Now we hang up all shirts and have a drawer each for pjs, pants and socks, sheets, and two drawers for diapers (cloth). Another thing I have heard of some doing is they hang up everything they have (sorted by size) and put the current size in the dresser. Not sure if it's really any easier though.

ho11yday · April 2014

For onesies, pants and tiny shirts, I basically used the dresser. When DS was wearing more shirts was when I started hanging things up, still left pants in the dresser

danabsd · April 2014

I hang dresses and fancier shirts separated with size dividers. Everything else is in drawers. One drawer for baby legs, one for hosiery, one for onesies, one for pants, shorts and skirts and one for jammies and sleep sacks. Then one drawer is filled with clothes in the next size up and the other with clothes 2+ sizes up.

It took us a couple rearranges to find our flow but it works as is for us. I would stress about it to much until you get a routine in. But honestly, I wouldn't hang sleepers, keep them close to the changing table especially for the first few weeks.

MissLadyTay · April 2014

Basically I hang the "nicer" clothes. Smocked stuff, clothes for special occasions, etc. The "daily wear" stuff and pajamas go in the drawers. I also hang stuff that's too big for him still. My mom tends to buy a size up so I hang that stuff until he grows into it.

cbrust · April 2014

FTM mom here, I'm limited on space so I only have current sizes washed and put away. I hung dresses and "outfits" on hangers with the top and bottom clips (like from carters) and then I have bins in the closet for plain onesies, leggings, baby legs, socks, and pj's. I personally like to hang everything so I can see it, I don't even use a dresser for myself, everything is hung or put in bins (socks and undies).

ksyknelvr73 · April 2014

MissLadyTay said:

Basically I hang the "nicer" clothes. Smocked stuff, clothes for special occasions, etc. The "daily wear" stuff and pajamas go in the drawers. I also hang stuff that's too big for him still. My mom tends to buy a size up so I hang that stuff until he grows into it.

This is kind of what I do. This LO is boy #2 so I have all of DS' old clothes/onesies in the drawers as well as any shoes, baby legs, and hats. In the closet, I have all of the new stuff we've bought or gotten as a gift for this baby since it's never been worn.

Mr. & Mrs. Woodtick · April 2014

I have a three drawer dresser.
Drawer #1 is onesies and socks
Drawer #2 is carter play outfits and jammies
Drawer #3 is sleep sacks
All of his regular clothes are hung in the closet. The closet is separated by 0-3, 3-6, and then 6-12.

QOTR · April 2014

I have no idea if this will remain functional for us, but for now, I hung all the clothes, using size dividers. I also have a hanging shelving unit in the closet where I've stashed bibs & socks & hats. I'm using the 6 drawer dresser as a changing table so for now, I have diapers, covers, blankets & burp rags in the top 4. In the bottom 2, I've stashed all the pumping supplies and random stuff that I don't know what to do with yet.

crystalmir91385 · April 2014

QOTR said:

I have no idea if this will remain functional for us, but for now, I hung all the clothes, using size dividers. I also have a hanging shelving unit in the closet where I've stashed bibs & socks & hats. I'm using the 6 drawer dresser as a changing table so for now, I have diapers, covers, blankets & burp rags in the top 4. In the bottom 2, I've stashed all the pumping supplies and random stuff that I don't know what to do with yet.

This is pretty much the same thing I've done. All tops, onsies, dresses are hung up. The shelving unit is used for bottoms, bibs and hats. Dresser/changing table is stocked with diaper stuff, but is still half empty. I'm sure I will find something to fill it with tho.

Junebug060609 · April 2014

Nice stuff and sets are hung. Basics like onesies, sleepers, etc in drawers.

jenniferroshto · April 2014

Outfits and anything two sizes up or more are hung up and onsies, sleepers, and gowns are in the dresser.

cnbean · April 2014

The only things hung up are nice clothes/outfits and jackets. Everything else has a drawer somewhere, or a storage box for the larger sizes. Its not set up in the most ideal way, but its worked for the last 2 years so I doubt it will change much.

ThereBeDragons · April 2014

I can't imagine I will have any issues keeping up with the same system we use for the adults in our house.

Outfit sets that are meant to be kept together, anything that requires special laundering, coats, and fancy clothes go in the closet on hangers. (DH and I easily share a minimal amount of closet space since neither of us have a large number of things that need to be hung)

Everything else is folded in baskets: Tops in one basket, bottoms in one basket, undergarments (cloth diapers for baby) go in another basket. When its out of season or outgrown, there's a basket in the closet where it can live until it goes back into rotation. I'll probably also keep a separate basket in the closet for clothes to be grown into although the adults obviously don't have anything similar.

Hats and bags have a row of hooks near the bedroom door.

QOTR · April 2014

mkquinnwedding said:

My DH is very confused (probably intentionally) and doesnt want to put anything in the wrong spot (thus getting out of putting clothes away).

I've gone way over the top and purchased a label maker! I haven't pulled the trigger on labeling anything yet though until I'm confident I have things where I want them.

kb2bkk · April 2014

I found we hung more of her summer stuff, plus dresses etc, and put her pajamas, onsies, daycare type clothes (yoga pants, leggings etc.) in her dresser.

I also keep an adult hanging shoe organizer in her closet and fill it with outfits, so when DH is dressing her in the morning he doesn't need to guess what goes together. He just pulls out an outfit.

ErikaLynn75 · April 2014

We got all our clothes at once in the form of a giant box of hand-me-downs. It took me like 4 days to wash and fold them all. Right now, every item of clothing is folded neatly, because that's the only way it would all fit in the drawers.

Realistically (because I know how I can be with housework) when the baby is here, there will probably only be about half the amount of clothes in the drawer at any time, and the other half in the laundry. I'm also predicting that once that happens, things won't be getting folded up all nice either, and I can't even imagine what a pain it would be to hang all of that. Our dresser has 3 long drawers, so I'll probably end up with a "onesies drawer" where I toss short sleeved onesies on one end and long sleeves on the other.

The only things hanging at the moment are jackets and hoodies. If I was having a girl, I would probably hang dresses. But IMO, anything that doesn't really need to be folded in order to stay nice/unwrinkled, is better off in the dresser.

RachelCA29 · April 2014

FTM here; I tried to keep most stuff in the dresser, since we're using it as the change table so it's all close at hand. We have a really big dresser (this one). The smaller top drawers are diaper changing/baby toiletries, bibs and hats, socks and shoes,the last one is empty in case we need something else in there. We have a little cart to hold all the cloth diaper stuff, so we don't need a drawer for those.

In the big drawers, I have divided it by size, newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months and then everything this 6+ is piled together in the bottom right-side drawer. I figure by the time we need to start getting into 6+ months clothes I can shift the drawers so the top left is 6-9 months, then 9-12 months, etc.

I have a few cheap felt baskets (3 for $5 at Walmart) to keep the onesies, sleepers, pants and tops separated within each drawer. And I piled any "outfits" with matching tops and pants, etc. together in the drawer so they are easy to find to put on.

Coats, jackets, etc. and some "nicer" outfits are hanging in the closet, but there isn't a lot in there for now. The closet is really big, so I think it will end up being mostly storage for other stuff. I got a hanging closet organizer (this one) so the extra crib sheets, blankets, pad covers and receiving blankets are kept in there, with some room to spare.

I think clothes storage will be the least of the space we need with toys, baby gear, etc.

Arinias · April 2014

Thanks everyone for all the responses!! We will definitely have to play around with it a bit and may all change once he arrives anyways.I am just starting to get all the clothes put away, I can't believe we have just five weeks to go!

Pat_gina · April 2014

I am a FTM, I only hung outfits in the closet- like dresses, pants/shirt outfits- but in the dresser, I put her pjs, onesies and pants. Also socks/booties and receiving blankets. Who knows what's right or wrong. But I hope it makes it easier for me.

deanna1313 · April 2014

In plan to do what I do with my own things. Pants, shorts, shirts, onesies and sleepers will all go into the dresser. Any nicer clothes and things that go together like outfits with matching pants and shirts will all be hung in the closet. I do plan to divide the closet by size.

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