By Leah Eagle
Something about turning the calendar to a new year brings about an urge for organization and decluttering.
This can also be true for your baby’s nursery. As your little one grows, there will be items that they no longer need. When this happens, it’s a good time to find a new spot for them (maybe a basement or attic?) and make some space for other items.
Reassess your original nursery set up and take an inventory on the items to decide what needs to stay and what can stay and what needs to go. Decide on a plan for items that are no longer needed. It could be storage bins or boxes in a designated area. Just make sure to label everything so you’ll know where to find it later!
Outgrown clothes
The thing babies outgrow the fastest is their clothes. Decide if you want to save those for future babies, give them to a friend or family member or make some money off of them in a consignment sale. Once you have those out of the way, there will be more room in the closet for the sizes they are currently in and larger sizes too. In addition to hanging clothes, use bins or drawers for other items like pajamas, socks, shoes and more.
If they’ve outgrown the rock and play, baby swings, activity mat or baby tubs, those can go to your storage spot also. This will make room for the next big things, like walkers or activity stations.
Changing station
The diaper changing station is like the headquarters of a nursery, but it can also become a catch-all for other things. Go through and decide what needs to stay and what can go. Obviously the necessities…diapers, wipes, ointments, lotions can stay. Things like baby brushes, almost empty tubes, expired medicines and other items need to go. Make sure all the items are organized so you can get to them quickly and easily. In addition to the nursery, it’s also good to have a diaper caddy with the same items somewhere else in the house where you spend a lot of time.
Toy storage
Once your baby can sit up and play on their own, it’s a good idea to organize their toys into baskets they can access easily. It’s also a way to keep messes at bay as everything can be placed back in the bins when finished so the room looks neat and tidy!
Baby-proof!
Once they are mobile, babies are into everything. Make sure that medicines are stored out of reach, along with anything else that may be a danger to them. Childproof cabinets and doors, avoid floor lamps, make sure wall hangings are installed safely and properly and use covers for electrical outlets.
Book storage
Whether you use a bookcase, spice racks hanging on the walls or bins to store your baby’s books, once they are big enough to enjoy them, make them easily accessible. Put board books and soft books on the bottom shelf and work up from there.
Create a feeding/pumping station
Whether you are breast or bottle feeding, have everything you need handy. Use a craft cart with wheels to make it easy to move around the house. Fill it with your pump, extra bottles, nursing pads, a nursing pillow, snacks, and a water bottle. Also add some burp cloths and a blanket or two.
Label everything
If you’re using boxes or bins to organize baby’s things, it might be hard to figure out what’s in each one of them. To help, attach labels to the outside so you can easily find what you’re looking for.
Use closet and drawer dividers
If you store your baby's items in drawers, it’s easy for them to become messy. Drawer dividers can help prevent disorganization and contain loose items like socks, sleepers, burp cloths and more. Closet dividers can help keep clothes sorted by size so you will know where one size ends and the next begins.
Think up
Make use of vertical space. Hang floating shelves to display photos or other items. While over-door organizers are made for shoes, those see-through pockets are also the perfect size for bibs, burp cloths, and other small baby items.
For something a little sturdier, try an over-the-door pantry organizer. These are made to hold spices, but they work great for baby toiletries, medicines, and more.
Toss the junk
Having a baby often means you’re showered with gifts. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep and love everything you received. It’s a constant management inflow and outflow of stuff in your space. Have a bag or bin for things that are no longer being used, and once they are full, get them out. Store items that you want to keep for future babies and get rid of the rest.
Store things outside of the nursery
Everything doesn’t have to be in the nursery. If you’re short on space, find somewhere else where things can be stored so the nursery is free for clothes and essentials.
Things to move might be:
- Feeding items – If you prep bottles in the kitchen, keep everything in there
- Back stock – Store all your extra diapers and toiletries in a box in another room or garage
- Old clothes and toys – Store in the loft or garage, or give them away
- Toys – Keep a few toy baskets in the living room for easy access
We hope this gets you inspired and excited about reorganizing and sorting items in your baby’s nursery! Wishing you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year!