It’s hard to believe it was almost than 5 years ago that we shared the details about making over the nursery closet. We found that making some very simple changes and implementing some unique closet organization ideas made SUCH a difference!
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Here’s a breakdown on what we did:
- Paint everything white! (WHY would you paint a closet a dark color?!)
- Rip the board on that shelf in half long-ways and install it a few feet below (no need for a suuuper deep shelf when you could have two more narrow shelves where stuff will be more accessible and won’t get lost in the back)
- Add cup hooks and little plastic crates (they naturally hang at an angle like that!)
- Add a rope light around the inside of the closet doorway ( love a evenly-glowing closet, rather than harsh lighting coming from a single source)
We got several comments from seasoned mommies that said something like ‘it’s lovely, but it won’t look like that for long!!’
And I didn’t expect it to!
But one thing I’ve learned (and I’m constantly preaching) is that it’s sooooo easy to keep things tidy WHEN THERE IS A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING! Here it is 5 years later:
Not bad eh?! The content is different (ie bigger clothes, no Bumbos or swaddling blankets), but the concept is the same! A place for everything! Those cheap plastic crates (hanging on cup hooks) have been the biggest game changer. (I got my crates at the Dollar Tree, but I found similar ones that are clear on Amazon as a set of 12 here). Having a spot for all the little things… socks, hair pretties, hats, swimming suits, etc! And the two laundry baskets? One for clothes that are ‘on deck’ (too big for now) and one for clothes they’ve recently outgrown or have gone out of season.
The girls love to pick out their clothes for the next day each night before we read our bedtime stories. I would even venture to say this is their favorite part of every day. I’m a plain-jane kind of mama, so I don’t know where they get this fashion-diva-dressup gene. But I love their independence… and that they can reach their clothes!
And these beautiful moments are only made possible by the rope-light I strung up around the inside of the closet doorway… which is connected wirelessly to a remote light switch that’s located right on the trim!
It makes for such a soft even glow, instead of a harsh light coming from one source. I’m actually glad there was no closet light, because it forced me to think outside of the box and come up with something better! (not to mention cheaper and easier)
As the girls became toddlers, one unexpected addition to their wardrobe is TUTUS. Tutus are everywhere my friends.
We’ve literally been storing them in a pile in the laundry room, and the girls just grab them as the tutu-mood strikes. But for a long time, I’ve been wanting to put up clothespins in their closet… because EVERYTHING NEEDS A PLACE! And this weekend I finally pulled the trigger. I don’t know what took me so long, because this took all of 5 minutes to accomplish.
All I did was put a thin strip of Scotch hefty adhesive on the backside of each clothespin, peel the backing off, and press it onto the wall in a vertical line.
These are actually surprisingly strong, and could be used for TONS of things… not just tutus! You could use something like this to display your tot’s artwork, or to hold hats or jewelry. Etc!
Now if only my whole house could be this organized! I guess we’ll take things one room (or closet) at a time.
Until then, the girls will be girlifying and accessorizing on a daily basis. All dressed up with nowhere to go!
Do you have any organizational ideas to add? Let’s chat in the comments below!
UPDATE! Check out the closet makeover we did in the Master bedroom AND the twins’ new big-girl room!
~Bethany
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great work
Thanks for sharing these Kids and Nursery Closet Organization ideas, these are unique and amazing. I was actually looking for same kind of ideas.
Love these Kids and Nursery Closet Organization Ideas, amazing ones. Super excited to try these.
My 5-year old daughter saw the clothes and now she insists on buying them so I will go to buy them for her. Also, your garments are very nice for kids. Thanks
Such a amazing idea about the nursery update organization thanks sharing this article
If I have a seven-year old daughter, going to utilize the garments pins for his baseball covers. I can never sort out how to manage them. Likewise, love the rope lights thought, utilizing it for both of our storage rooms. Much obliged to you for sharing.
What a great use of clothespins, simple yet very effective! Also, I really loved your writing style and how you express your great ideas Bethany. Please keep up the great work.
Hey, Thank you for sharing these great nursery ideas. Really very informative article. Thanks again.
Even after 4 kids can always learn something new. These organization tips can help even with the organization of the closer as they get older.
Hello,
I am SOOOOOOO excited to use your ideas to organize the disaster that is my daughter’s closet. I especially love the baskets you have hung with cup hooks. I have my materials ready to do it. Did you screw the cup hook into the front (but bottom, so bottom front?) of the shelf? Thank you! I will take a before and after to show you. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR AMAZING IDEAS!!!!!!!!!!
Nice article!
It’s an amazing closet transformation. I absolutely love it. I would like to use your hanging crate idea. Can you please show me how did you hang them using cup hooks ?
Thanks in advance!
I’m assuming so, but did you use a Cricut for the lettering under the baskets?
Lauren, that’s just actually text that I added to the image to show all the different types of things that could go in these baskets. But you could totally cut vinyl lettering with your Silhouette or Cricut if you wanted!
I like!
What the size of crates? Thanks
I believe they are 8″ x 5″
What about shoes? I never have them organized well.
UGH shoes. My nemesis. If you come up with a good method… LET ME KNOW. I can’t be good at everything, you know?! 😉
I absolutely love this simple yet extremely useful and practical layout for this closet! Thank you so much for sharing! I will definitely be sharing this post! I encourage you to do other closets! Please and thank you!
This is fantastic. I’m so inspired now.
Just a question. How do you store the clothes they grow out of. I need to get them out of the cupboard
How do the hanging crates stay at an angle? is the back wall holding them at an angle? Also, do you mind giving me the measurements of these crates exactly?
Thanks!
They just naturally hang at an angle!
I would love some further instruction of how to hang the crates. It says you hung them with cup hooks… I’m having a hard time imagining how to do it. Can you give me some more instruction. We move into a new home in a month and I would LOVE to do that in our nursery. 🙂 thanks!
Hey Kaycee! We hung two cup hooks for each crate. There are better pictures and explanation on this post:
https://realitydaydream.com/2011/06/nursery-closet.html
Hope this helps!
This article has been a lifesaver! I have a beautiful 6 year old who has been in dance for 4 years and let me tell you the tutus have taken over. I have been searching a loooong time for a solution to this dilemma with no results until today! I’m doing this immediately! Thank you thank you thank you
I have a five-year old son, going to use the clothes pins for his baseball caps. I can never figure out what to do with them. Also, love the rope lights idea, using it for both of our closets. Thank you for sharing.
This will be perfect for his hats! I’m glad you’re going for it!
I use cloth diapers – prefolds and covers. Once a cover has been worn, I use wipe spray and a cloth wipe to clean off the pee and then let it air dry. (My baby is only 12 days old and I just started using cloth diapers 2 days ago so this has been a learning experience.) I JUST told my husband today I’d like a piece of 1by painted and hung on the wall with some clothespins attached so I’d have a place for the covers as they dry – as it is, they end up on the corner of the changing table, the dresser drawer, etc.Your idea is so much simpler; I’m adding that adhesive to my shopping list!
Hi Kimberly,
Yay for CDing! I used CDs with my (now 4 yo) daughter. I prefered pockets for going out and flats+covers for at home. If you want to put a 2×4 at your changing table I’d recommend a clothes hooks rack or just hooks. There are hangers with clips (like this one from IKEA http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50248452/
), I bought similar ones but plastic at some korean supermarket. After baby diapering days are gone you could use the hooks rack for other things.
I used baby links (like shower hooks but chunkier) on my Jenny Lind changing table for covers, like hooks. I didn’t bother with spraying/wiping covers, baby pooped every other changing so it didn’t last long anyway))))
And I’d also recommend you looking into wool pants as covers. They are not so hard to care for and are quite stretchy, last a long time. And are great for winter AND summer. But you’ll need to use diaper pins or snappy (which I used) to fasten the prefold or flat diaper).
Also, about adhesive )))) I LOVE 3M Command hooks. You could take the strip down any time and it won’t damage the paint!
Good luck with your CDing journey!
Hello,
Thank you for sharing all your amazing ideas. I was wondering about the wireless lights and switch. How does that work?
Thanks a bunch.
Ok so the wireless light switch works like this… there’s a plug-in transmitter that you plug into any outlet. It has prong holes for you to plug other things into it. Then there’s a light-switch plate that you can put anywhere on the wall (or on a night stand) that will turn on whatever is plugged into that transmitter outlet. It’s suuuuper simple and awesome! Here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/Westek-RFK100LC-RFK101LC-Mounted-Receiver/dp/B000HJBE68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411042663&sr=8-1&keywords=wireless+light+switch
This looks so nice, Beth. And I love the picture with the tutu and cowgirl hat! I think they go together nicely!! =)
Genius! I love the clothes pin idea! Going to buy some of that Scotch Indoor Fastener stuff. I have a 5-year-old and 3-year-old twins, and tutus are also everywhere at my house.
3-year-old twin?! I wish you lived closer so we could have playdates and cry together. 🙂
I love the clothes pin idea! My little girl just learned to crawl, so I’ve got a while before I have to store tutus!
I love the closet, the only thing I wanted to say was be careful of the rope light. We had rope light in my 10 year-old son’s room for a nigh light of sorts. We had it strung around the room and affixed to the crown moulding. However, there was a section than ran down the wall and to the electrical receptacle. My son’s bean bag chair got pushed up against that section of rope light. It melted the bean bag, scorched a place on the floor and filled the house with smoke. I awoke at 2a.m., I still don’t know why, and noticed what I thought was a hot electrical smell, and noticed that the house looked smokey. I didn’t find anything at first and was about to write it all off to dirty contacts and allergies messing with my sense of smell. But SOMETHING made me go further into my son’s room. Still there was nothing obvious…. I saw the bean bag up against the rope light, and thought, “that probably doesn’t need to be up against that.” I moved the bean bag and flames immediately flared up and the rope light sparked and shorted out.
So, puh-leeeze! Be careful with that rope light. We quickly replaced all of that rope light with low watt Christmas lights. In fact, we can take those down now because he no longer needs them as a night light…..
Oh my, thanks so much for the heads-up! I’m so glad your little guy and your family is ok. Our rope light is plugged into an outlet that isn’t near anything else, but it would be easy to forget and set something there. I’ll be sure not to now!