Baby clothes may be small but they take up a surprising amount of space. Mainly because there are so many of them, with multiple layers and essentials that go into a daily outfit for any little one. Plus there’s the fact no one can resist buying adorable tiny clothes, so little ones end up with a better stocked wardrobe than parents most of the time. So the question of how to organise baby clothes becomes all the more common.
Baby clothes storage ideas
The key to keeping order is choosing a clothes storage solution to suit the space you have. As nurseries and small children’s room ideas tend to be the smallest room in the house it pays to seek space-saving storage solutions, from stylish hanging rails to show off favourite fashionable ensembles to clever drawers dividers to make more of furniture choices.
1. Keep order with a characterful chest of drawers
Image credit: Future PLC/ Douglas Gibb
Practical storage is essential in a baby’s room, particularly a very young one where you don’t want anything to make the daily routine any harder. The last thing you want when your baby is crying out for a clean nappy is to riffle through piles to find a fresh change of clothes. A chest of drawers is a failsafe way of providing plentiful storage for all your clothes and accessories, allowing different drawers for different purposes – bodysuits in one, leggings and tops folded away neatly in another.
And because it’s a baby’s room why not add an element of fun with a jazzy upcycled furniture idea, such as this one!
2. Utilise under-bed storage
Image credit: Future PLC
Make the most of limited floor space with a built-in high sleeper bed made from flat-pack storage units – such as these Metod units, from a selection, Ikea. Children don’t need as much hanging space as an adult – so pint-sized clothes can be stashed flat in drawers, rather than hung in a wardrobe.
Add a floating shelf on the wall to display toys and favourite keepsakes. Hanging curtains around the bed will turn it into a cosy den for play time.
3. Set up an easy-access open wardrobe
Image credit: Future PLC/Joanna Henderson
Baby clothes are one of the most adorable components of the room, so why not show them off? Create your own bespoke wall storage solution to cater for your needs, and save on budget at the same time.
Fix a basic IKEA drawer unit (minus the drawers) to the wall to provide deep storage for clothes and shoes – and save precious floor space. Adding a length of dowel creates a useful hanging rail too, to show off your favourite pieces – or plan the next day’s outfit in advance.
For a shared bedroom idea, paint the units different colours for each child.
Buy now: Ivar chest of drawers, £65, IKEA
4. Set up a mini storage station
Image credit: Bellybambino, Extra large macrame nursery basket, £49
Turn simple wooden spice racks into a mini storage station for little ones’ bits and bobs. Fix a couple of shelves on the wall to hold toys or baby toiletries, fixing the bottom one upside down will create a mini hanging rail where you can hang a change of clothes.
Add a woven basket or two underneath for storing socks, tights and underwear – wide-necked belly baskets are ideal, so you bundle items in with ease.
5. Hang teeny outfits on a rail
Image credit: Bambini and Bo, Obaya Maya shelf, £49
There’s no need to rush into buying a full-sized wardrobe while baby is still small. Most items can be stacked flat and stored in drawers or cupboards. Opt for a short hanging rail where you can display a selection of favourite outfits – this one has a handy shelf on top for stacking nappies and muslins.
6. Separate smalls
Image credit: IKEA, Rassla compartments, £8 for two sets; Hangig label holders, £3 for a pack of 5
Invest in a set of fabric drawer dividers that you can slot into a chest of drawers. Small compartments are great for separating vests, babygrows, nappies and muslins.
Make your own labels, drawing pictures of what’s inside, so you can identify the contents of drawers easily. These plastic label holders slot onto drawers or doors and are easy to switch around if you re-organise later on.
7. Put fancy dress on display
Image credit: Future PLC/ Simon Whitmore
So many kids outfits are worthy of display, no more than characterful dress up outfits. Having a small hanging station for fancy dress costumes also makes it easy for little ones to help themselves to when they wish to get into character for playtime. Place the rail at an accessible height to ensure your child can reach, enjoying the freedom to pick their own outfit of choice.
8. Opt for easy accessibility with a mini clothes rail
Image credit: Future PLC/ Douglas Gibb
Given how adorable kids clothes are it seems only fair to proudly put them on display. A children’s sized clothes rail provides the perfect place to hang, style and access all the outfits your little one has to wear each day. Seeing exactly what you have accessible will make the task of getting little one dressed each morning that little bit easier.
Keep this idea for best outfits or ones that you’re imminently planning on dressing your baby in, store the less display-worthy vests etc in handy storage baskets or a small chest of drawers.
9. Fashion your own clothes rail
Image credit: Future PLC/ Douglas Gibb
This little one’s bedroom has plenty of storage space for everything, from toys and books to clothes. In addition to the chest of drawers for hidden storage the homeowner has made a simple clothes hanger to put best outfits out on display. To make your own rail use a durable material, such as copper piping, that can be easily attached to the ceiling or wall to offer a supportive frame on which to hang mini outfits.
An exposed rail is a great way to style and organise your little one’s outfit ahead of getting them dressed ahead of a special occasion.
How do you separate and organise baby clothes?
The best way to separate and organise baby clothes in a nursery is by seeking multiple storage solutions.
If you have space a small wardrobe can maximise space. Choose a slimline, tall design to make the most of vertical space rather than opting for a bulky alternative. Opt for extra shelves to make more of space, as baby clothes take up far less space than adults. Use the shelves within a wardrobe to store baskets and handy boxes for storing rolled up clothes, bibs, towels and more.
‘When storing our daughter’s clothes, we sorted them by size and also by occasion’ explains interiors editor and mum of one Jenny McFarlane. ‘We have hanging space for easily creased items. More casual items go into a drawer with separate compartments for tops, bottoms, vests and sleepsuits/pyjamas. We have a drawer for other accessories like hats, socks and shoes.’
‘Our third drawer is devoted to clothes that are a size or two too big. And one of the bins on the upper shelf is the perfect place to toss too-small items so they don’t clutter up the drawers.’
Jenny offers this handy tip: ‘Once there’s a lot of outgrown clothes, I organise each size of baby clothing into a vacuum storage bag with a label. The bags of baby clothes get stacked and stored away. Before storing away items, decide if they re worth keeping (if there are countless stains over a vest, for example, it’s time to purge), give them a freshen up in the washing machine and fold away.’
How do you organise a nursery without a wardrobe?
There are plenty of thoughtful ways to organise a nursery without a closet or wardrobe. If your small box room can’t accommodate a wardrobe don’t despair because a smaller chest of drawers or a clothes rail can go a long way when it comes to storing baby clothes. Luckily as baby clothes are so petite they can be folded and rolled up into tiny bundles, meaning storage baskets can be all that’s needed.
Separate vests, baby grows, nappies and muslins within a chest of drawers by investing in a set of fabric drawer dividers. Drawer dividers offer an affordable solution which slot seamlessly into a larger piece of furniture, creating small compartments ideal for separating the many essentials baby needs.
A bedside table is easily repurposed as storage unit, where a chest of drawers might feel too bulky or imposing. It all depends on the space you. Look for multifunctional furniture that provides more than one purpose – such a changing table with storage drawers underneath for folded garments.
Wall hooks are great idea for storing clothes, offering a highly affordable alternative to wall units. Hooks also give you the added bonus to be able to show off your most treasured mini me outfits.
The post How to organise baby clothes: from stylish hanging displays to space-saving solutions appeared first on Ideal Home.
