Easy Tips for Organizing a Baby Nursery

An organized nursery makes your job as a parent a thousand times easier when you're searching for a diaper at two in the morning. The decluttering doesn't have to be full Marie Kondo status—even when you start small, you can make a big impact.

Toy Boxes

Every well-organized nursery needs a large toy box. When your baby isn't playing with their toys, make sure they are safely tucked away in your toy box. As most toys intended for small children aren't particularly fragile, don't have any reservations about stacking the toys on top of one another. These boxes make cleanup much easier than designated toy shelves, as they supply parents with one simple location into which to place toys.

If your baby ever finds his or her way to the toy box unsupervised, it may be a good idea to put padding around it, especially if the box is composed of hard material.

Bookshelves

If you frequently read to your child, your nursery should feature at least one bookshelf, as storing books in your child's toy box can damage them. When positioning your nursery's bookshelf, make sure to place it as far away as possible from your child's crib. If you have a baby with a propensity for reaching for things, they may inadvertently pull the shelf over and cause serious injury, so make sure to keep your child under close supervision.

It's also critical that you secure the bookshelf to the wall with the proper safety straps. Like all furniture in a nursery, securing the bookshelf to the wall makes the room safe for a child.

Baskets and Bins

Baskets and bins are a great way to organize your baby's nursery. Baskets and bins serve the same purpose—one is just a little more decorative than the other. If you want your storage to be seen, use a basket. You can make your own baskets or purchase cute ones cheap at a local thrift store or your favorite home decor store.

When buying bins, you have a little more leeway with the look because bins are usually stored in the closet. If you like bins, we recommend using clear material so you can always see what's inside. More than once, we've misplaced something because we couldn't see it. That old adage out of sight out of mind is definitely true at two a.m. in a nursery.

There are about a million different types of bins and storage containers on the market, so we recommend taking one brand and sticking to it. This helps with stackability and organization in a closet or room.

Go as They Grow

As your baby grows, you'll need room in their closets and dressers for more age-appropriate clothes and toys. We use large Sterilite containers to pack up baby items in an organized fashion. We like to take all three-to six-month clothes, books, and toys and pack them together in a bin and label it. If you don't plan on using those clothes anytime in the future, donating is a great option. And if you do plan on using the clothes again, but not for a long time, pack them up in a moving box.

This packing up process is also a great time to toss out any clothes, blankets, toys, or books that have been ruined.

On Command

We recommend using Command Hooks or wall hooks in every nursery. Using a Command Hook is a really great renter-friendly way to hang things in closets, on the back of a door, or even on the walls. If you can use hooks or a peg rack, go ahead and pick something cute that matches the nursery decor.

With any organization approach you implement, make sure to have fun and let the organizational items work with your decor and nursery theme. An organized nursery doesn't have to be stacks and stacks of white Sterilite containers.

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