What does your toddlers room look like?

[Free Thinker]

I was wondering how other mamas organzied all the clothes, diapers, toys, books, ect. for their toddler. I will soon have 2 babies sharing the same 10x10 room, so I need some good space savers.

[kamilla626]

Organize?? Save space?? :

JJ - I think it is possible, but I'm still trying to figure out some tricks myself.

One thing I want to get to neaten up my dd's room is a toy hammock for all the stuffed animals that she doesn't really do much with.

I also picked out some different colored plastic bins and (someday) dh is going to build a shelving rack thingy for them all to go on, so she can see all her toys but they'll be off the floor.

Those clear shoe bags that hang on doors are awesome for little hats, slippers, barrettes, belts, etc. I find that if there is too much that's hanging on hooks, dd just wants to pull on everything.

I keep the clothes that are current, (or for the next few months) in her dresser, then I have a big bin labelled "too big". I don't worry about separating things by size - If it won't fit for at least 4 or 5 months, I keep it in that bin until I need it. Grandma is very generous, so keeping the clothes organized by type and size would be a full-time job.

I also have mesh bags in my closet for "donate" and "sell", so when I come across something that she can't wear anymore, I can get it "out of circulation" immediately. (Then it sits in MY room for months and months!)

IKEA has a cool cylindrical hanging storage thing that's about $10. I don't have one, but they look perfect for shoes or small stuffed animals.

I've given up on keeping her books neat. She loves to read and just pulls them off the shelf one by one until she finds the one she wants. Books are all over the house.

That's all I can think of for now... I'll add something if I think of it.

[Laurel]

I don't keep toys in my toddler's room, so that saves on space. We live in a 2-story house, and to have him play in his room would make him seem so far away from me, plus, we'd have toys strewn all over between upstairs and down. So, I keep the toys downstairs in our family room. I have those wire cube shelves and use clear plastic containers to sort the toys (you could use baskets if you are opposed to plastic or just want a nicer look).

I also got the wire cubes and set them up inside his closet. This is where I keep all his clothes. The downside is that with open shelving it is hard to keep things neat. But, it saves space to have everything inside the closet.

[littleaugustbaby]

DD and I share a room, but some things that have helped...

I have a little cart with shelves that I got for under $10 at Wal Mart. I keep diapers, wipes, pajamas, and hair ties in it. It's big enough that you could store some toys or clothes in it, but it doesn't take up a whole lot of space, you could probably even get a couple of them and they'd fit in the closet.

We don't spend much time upstairs, but I do keep a few toys up there to keep her entertained when I have stuff to do upstairs. I have a little play table that has a little bit of storage room underneath it -- it's not a big table, so it's not a lot of storage, but it's enough to keep a few small toys in the room.

You can also find lots of under-the-bed storage stuff now, I'd definitely utilize the space if I needed to. Also, you might want to look into one of those closet organizers, they help so much, but I'm not sure how much they cost. Another option is to just install plain wooden shelves inside the closet, that's easy to do and fairly inexpensive.

[~Nikki~]

We have a playroom in the basement for my daughter, so that keeps most of the clutter out of her room. Right now, we have a closet organizer with three rods for hanging clothes, and a big shelf to hold anything that doesn't go on hangers (pants, pj's, shoes, extra blankets, etc.) I go through the clothes every seaon and retire anything that's getting to small, so the closet doesn't fill up too much. There is a bookshelf under her window, with a rocking chair beside it so that I can read her books while nursing her before bed. We still use a change table (it's the only way I can get her to keep still for a change), so the shelves are loaded with baskets filled with all of her cloth diapers/wipes/etc. We keep a laundry basket in the closet. We never ever have a problem with clutter on her floor.

If you have to keep the toys in the bedroom, one thing you can do (if you can afford it) is put a shelf along the entire perimiter of the room, up high, to hold the toys that aren't being used. This way, your toddler can't pull down every single toy and make a huge mess, and will only play with one or two toys at a time. You can control how many toys end up on the floor.

[Sandrine]

DD1 room has her bed, her dresser, and her chaging table with shelves beside it. Her dresser contains all the clothes that fit. One drawer has all the cd that she wears. On the shelves close to the chaging table I have the dipes that she'll use that day with cover and cream.

All the toys stays in the living room. I don't want to step on toys all the time or clean up too often because they are everywhere.

DD2's room is almost the same but in her closet, there is boxes of clothes of larger sizes and one for smaller sizes. And the shelves in there has all the 18mths clothes. (Too lazy to fold them away)

I consider theirs bedrooms to be for sleep and changes of dipes.

[Free Thinker]

Well, here is what I have done so far

DD had her bed (a matress on the floor), and beside it a bookcase (2x3). The bookcase holds a box of shoes on top, and her peg puzzles, the top shelf has books, second shelf has a box of playsilks and a cloth ball and block and the rest of the books
the bottom shelf holds miscellaneous toys (shape sorter, small box of blocks, phone)

There is one small dresser that will somehow have to house her and new baby's clothes (I'm working on that) and I keep the baby cream, ect. and paperback books up there. The changing table is a work in progress, I have some bins (that don't fit right) for diapers, and the bottom shelf just has stuff thown down there that I don't know what to do with (big plastic trucks, loaders?). The crib has stuffed toys, and big balls in it (but those need to find new places to be). All her toys go into one of 6 plastic tubs (smaller ones that she can carry to the living room). Each one has a different type of toy in it, and most are not full yet. I think I will be able to get 3+ more of these to fit in the room somehow, when I actually need them.

As for those stuffed animal hammocks, I think I will get one of those. My closet needs alot of work, b/c it is one of the old style, 2 ft. door, w/ a closet that runs the length of the room A man must have designed it! I keep 2 big tubs of clothes in there, and some stuff on a upper shelf. Most of her nicer clothes hang there, but the floor is a wasted space that could definately use some help! I will check WM for some of the items mentioned.

ANy ideas on what to do w/ these big trucks? Also, how many changes of clothes should I keep?

Thanks for all the advice!

[LuvMy2Kidz]

Room? You mean there's a roomunder that mountain of toys? :LOL