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Organization

ORGANIZE TOYS WITH A TOY LIBRARY

January 21, 2021
clear plastic toy bins

There’s nothing that makes me feel crazier than toy chaos.  All those little pieces spread all over the floor, getting mixed together, broken, lost, and no storage solution in sight. Or worse, mixed in a jumbled heap at the bottom of a toy box.  

I cringe just thinking about it.

But let me tell you what has helped turn our toy situation around: organizing our toys in a toy library, with individual storage boxes for each toy.  This consolidates and displays toys so you and your kids can find exactly what you want, when you want, and easily put it away when you are done.  

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualified purchases.

What is a toy library?

Toy libraries are simply bins of individual toys kept together in a closet, bookcase, or cabinet.  All pieces are stored together in one easily identifiable, portable container.

We keep toy libraries in each of our kid’s closets and our kids “check out” boxes to play.  This keeps the toys fresh and makes it exciting to pull them out (even if they aren’t new toys!)

toy bins stacked on closet shelf

But the best part is that it minimizes mess during play since there are only a few types of toys out at one time. Plus, even a child as young as two can help place toys back in a bin for pickup.  

It’s easier than you think to organize your toys this way.  Here’s the four-step process I follow: 

How to organize toys in a toy library:

Step 1: Sort and purge toys – only keep the best!

The first step is to gather all the toys that could work in a toy library.  This is anything with small pieces, figurines, building toys, dolls, dress up, cars, and really anything that could fit in a bin.  Go through your toys and group by set or by type.  I like to do this in the middle of the floor so I can really see what I have. 

toy sorting on floor

Now, you purge.  This is the most important step – don’t skip this! When you have a small house, storage space comes at a premium.  You only want to keep the best of the best toys.  Toys that are open-ended, high quality, and that your kids actually play with.  Anything else should be removed and donated, sold, or given to friends.  

Look at your piles of remaining toys and figure out how many bins you need.  Keep in mind that sometimes it makes sense to combine different sets of toys to facilitate play and save storage space.  For example, I combine wooden people and vehicles.  I also only have one bin for figurines called “characters”.  You don’t need different small bins for Paw Patrol, Little People, Daniel Tiger, etc.  

clear toy bins with wood toys

Make sure to measure your storage space to ensure your desired bins will fit.  Then, it’s time for the fun part – shopping! 

Step 2: Purchase your bins

Remember, buying bins is an investment.  Doing all the steps above helps ensure success because you know exactly what you need and won’t waste money on bins you don’t need.

It’s essential to buy all the same brand of bin to ensure they stack easily.  I like to stick with styles that are easily available in case I need to add to my collection.  This means I favor stores like Target and The Container Store over HomeGoods, Costco, or Home Depot, since you have a better chance of finding the same bin or basket 6 months later when you decide you need more.  

For my daughter’s closet, I went with Clear Storage Boxes from The Container Store.

empty clear storage boxes from the container store

small bin / large bin source

The sides and lids are clear, which makes it easy to see what is inside.  I used the shoe box and tall shoe box sizes, which were perfect for toys, but these bins come in a wide range of dimensions to fit any space. 

I also really like Sterilite Storage Boxes and Target Room Essentials Modular Storage bins.


small bin / large bin source                                      small bin / large bin source

(These bins are not affiliate links or sponsored in any way.  I’m just really passionate about vetting storage containers and like how these have worked for us) 

Step 3: Place the toys in the bin

Take the toys out of their original package and dump them into the bin.  It’s helpful to leave some space at the top to make it easier for kids to fit all the toys inside.  If you pack it too tight, you’ll get frustrated having to Tetris them in every time.  

wood toys in a clear storage bin

If there are instructions, be sure to include those in the box.  Also, consider cutting out pictures from the box and placing them in the bin as well.  

Step 4: Create Labels And Stack

Labels are key.  They are what keep the system from completely falling apart.  If there are no labels, people will just throw things in wherever. It’s that little guilt trip that keeps people from putting the wrong thing in a bin.  Trust me, labels keep the chaos away.  

Clear bin and brother label maker

I love my Brother PT-600 label maker for this type of job because it is just so easy.  I literally turn it on, type out what I want it to say, and hit print.  That’s it.

For the toy bins, I used a large font on white label tape to really make the label pop.  This leaves no question about what should be inside. 

toys organized in clear storage bins

The font is ‘Atlanta’ in all caps with a square border.  

The label tape acts like a giant sticker.  Once printed, you peel off the back and stick to the bin.  They easily peel off if you need to change the label as your toy library evolves.

Organized toddler closet

The toy library has been a huge hit for my almost 3-year-old daughter and fits perfectly in her reorganized closet.  If you’d like to see how I organize the rest of her closet, click here to read the post.  

And if you’d like to give this a try yourself, remember:

  • Get rid of toys that you don’t need
  • Group by type
  • Find the right bin for your space
  • Label everything!

You can do this.  You can tame the mountain of toys and bring order to the chaos!

And if you give this a try, tag me on Instagram.  I’d love to cheer you on and celebrate your toy win!  Find me @smallishhome  

 

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Hi! I’m Lisa and I dig smallish homes. I believe they bring families together and provide a constraint on the accumulation of stuff. I’m obsessed with rethinking room design and storage solutions in order to live the life I want in the house I have. I hope you stay a while!
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Only three more sleeps until Christmas and I’ve Only three more sleeps until Christmas and I’ve literally just crossed the last thing off my to-do list.  All the planning, shopping and prep work is done and I’m ready to enjoy the next few days.  If you need me I’ll be eating a gingerbread cookie (or two) while drinking cup after cup of coffee.

Before I go, I wanted to share a few pictures of our minimalist holiday decorations in our living room/ dining room. 

This year we tried something different and cut our own mountain grown tree and I’m LOVING the change.  Even though it’s real skinny, it has the nicest placement of branches and is truly a beautiful tree.

The delicate branches can’t hold heavy lights or ornaments, so I reused the white crocheted snowflakes  and matte black balls from last year, along with a single string of copper LED lights.  So simple, so easy, but still beautiful.  Just what I needed this year.

Wishing you a very happy holiday!
The crows are back! The best decorations are the o The crows are back!
The best decorations are the ones you are  EXCITED to see each year. The ones you instantly pull from the box and start placing in your home. They don’t need to be fancy, or new each year. They just need to bring joy to you and your family. ✨❤️
Surprise! We bought a new home!  And sold our ho Surprise!

We bought a new home!  And sold our home!  It’s been a whirlwind and I’m exhausted.

We are incredibly lucky to have bought our neighbor’s home FSBO.  It’s larger than our current home by ~700 square feet and is a split entry home with most of the living space upstairs and a bonus family room/bedroom in the basement.  

While the rooms (and closets!) are still small, there are more of them.  There will be room for office space for both my husband and myself, a bit more storage, and even a laundry room/mudroom (woo hoo! No more garage laundry for me!)

So what do you think? Do I need to change my name from smallishhome to sortofmidsizehome?  No matter what, I’ll continue to share how I maximize storage in small spaces, because, well, that’s my life and my passion!  

Be sure to check out my stories for a walk through of the new house.  Don’t miss the avocado green tub and original 1960’s kitchen cabinets. So many projects ahead of us!
Hey there! It’s been a while! I’ve had a lot Hey there! It’s been a while!

I’ve had a lot on my plate personally these last few weeks and have had to drop all social media as a way to stay sane and focused on the path ahead.  I love this community, but I just couldn’t give it the time it deserved, so I took a break.  Hopefully you understand. 

I’m trying to ramp back up but could use your help.  What spaces are you having trouble organizing?  What kind of videos would you like to see?  I appreciate each and every one of you and love hearing your suggestions.  It’s what keeps me going when I start to feel stuck!

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Only three more sleeps until Christmas and I’ve Only three more sleeps until Christmas and I’ve literally just crossed the last thing off my to-do list.  All the planning, shopping and prep work is done and I’m ready to enjoy the next few days.  If you need me I’ll be eating a gingerbread cookie (or two) while drinking cup after cup of coffee.

Before I go, I wanted to share a few pictures of our minimalist holiday decorations in our living room/ dining room. 

This year we tried something different and cut our own mountain grown tree and I’m LOVING the change.  Even though it’s real skinny, it has the nicest placement of branches and is truly a beautiful tree.

The delicate branches can’t hold heavy lights or ornaments, so I reused the white crocheted snowflakes  and matte black balls from last year, along with a single string of copper LED lights.  So simple, so easy, but still beautiful.  Just what I needed this year.

Wishing you a very happy holiday!
The crows are back! The best decorations are the o The crows are back!
The best decorations are the ones you are  EXCITED to see each year. The ones you instantly pull from the box and start placing in your home. They don’t need to be fancy, or new each year. They just need to bring joy to you and your family. ✨❤️
Surprise! We bought a new home!  And sold our ho Surprise!

We bought a new home!  And sold our home!  It’s been a whirlwind and I’m exhausted.

We are incredibly lucky to have bought our neighbor’s home FSBO.  It’s larger than our current home by ~700 square feet and is a split entry home with most of the living space upstairs and a bonus family room/bedroom in the basement.  

While the rooms (and closets!) are still small, there are more of them.  There will be room for office space for both my husband and myself, a bit more storage, and even a laundry room/mudroom (woo hoo! No more garage laundry for me!)

So what do you think? Do I need to change my name from smallishhome to sortofmidsizehome?  No matter what, I’ll continue to share how I maximize storage in small spaces, because, well, that’s my life and my passion!  

Be sure to check out my stories for a walk through of the new house.  Don’t miss the avocado green tub and original 1960’s kitchen cabinets. So many projects ahead of us!
Hey there! It’s been a while! I’ve had a lot Hey there! It’s been a while!

I’ve had a lot on my plate personally these last few weeks and have had to drop all social media as a way to stay sane and focused on the path ahead.  I love this community, but I just couldn’t give it the time it deserved, so I took a break.  Hopefully you understand. 

I’m trying to ramp back up but could use your help.  What spaces are you having trouble organizing?  What kind of videos would you like to see?  I appreciate each and every one of you and love hearing your suggestions.  It’s what keeps me going when I start to feel stuck!
⁣I woke up today and saw it - 10K. I’m in sho ⁣I woke up today and saw it - 10K.  I’m in shock. ⠀
⠀
I’m so grateful for each and every one of you who chose to follow my account and watch me organize my smallish home. ⠀
⠀
My goal has always been to share my love of organization and design - while hopefully inspiring others to show their own home some love. ⠀
⠀
No matter how small or large your space may be, I hope you are able to walk away with a few ideas of ways to maximize the space you have.⠀
⠀
In the meantime, I’ll keep working space by space in my own home, adding functionality and order that fits the needs of my family and the space that I have.⠀
⠀
I’d love to know what you would all like to see more of - let me know in the comments what you’d like to see me tackle next!⠀
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#10k #10kfollowers #organizationmotivation #motivation #simplifylife #simplify #organizedmom #organizing #homeorganization #declutter #diyorganizer #diyorganization #smallhomeliving #getorganized #stayorganized #letsgetorganized  #tidyhome #mysmallishhome #lessismore
⁣It’s a rainy Monday here and all I want to do ⁣It’s a rainy Monday here and all I want to do is drink mugs of hot tea nonstop.  But tea can be a tricky item to store!⠀
⠀
When it’s in the box, you never know how many tea bags are left.  But take them out of the box and they slide all over the shelf!⠀
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Using some sort of small, clear, lidded container keeps the bags together and helps you see when it’s time to restock.  Bonus points if the containers can stack, allowing you to store multiple varieties in a small space. ⠀
⠀
These containers are from Target, but any food storage container will work. Even the cheap plastic food storage containers from the grocery store. ⠀
⠀
What is your favorite variety of tea?  I’m a big fan of English Breakfast if I need a little caffeine boost (which I’m definitely in need of today!)
⁣Do you ever have weeks where you just can’t g ⁣Do you ever have weeks where you just can’t get back on track?⠀
⠀
Where you feel tired, and all you see is work that needs to get done?⠀
⠀
It can be hard to figure out where to start.⠀
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I’ve been struggling to get myself moving the last few weeks after experiencing a family emergency that knocked the wind out of my sails. ⠀
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But I know it’s time to turn things around.  Here are my go-to steps for getting back on track: ⠀
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1️⃣Get those machines working for me.  I always get the dishwasher running and then start a load of laundry.  It makes me feel productive and gets the momentum going for the rest of the day.⠀
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2️⃣Grab a pen and a notebook, plus either a glass of water or a cup of coffee, and sit down.⠀
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3️⃣Take everything in my head and write it down.  Everything that needs to be done, everything that needs to be bought, every card that needs to be written, bills that need to be paid, people I need to message back.  I write it down so it isn’t in my head.⠀
 ⠀
4️⃣Circle one thing that I can do now and finish.  Maybe I only have 10 minutes, but in those 10 minutes I can pick up a room, put away laundry, or go through a stack of paperwork.  Anything that will make progress on my list but Isn’t too big of a project that I can’t finish.⠀
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5️⃣Once I’ve done just one thing, I try to reward myself with some sort of self care.  It can be anything that makes me feel good - going for a walk, stopping in at a store, looking at a magazine, or maybe just scrolling on my phone for a few minutes.⠀
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6️⃣Then, I look back at my list and prioritize in order of importance.  I’ll choose the task with the highest priority and start working down. ⠀
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While this process works, it sometimes takes a few days.  I just keep repeating it over and over until things start clicking again. ⠀
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Getting outside helps too.  Fresh air and movement seem to do a world of good.⠀
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How have you been feeling lately?  Are you crushing that to-do list or are you feeling like you need like 3 clones of yourself in order to get it all done?⠀
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Photo by @callimechemphotography

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