what do you use for toy storage?

[dec756]

need storage system....what do you all use? i am looking at target/ikea etc. need something in the $100 range....tia

[SnuggleBuggles]

I created an Itso system at Target. I have shelves, cubbies and a cabinet as well as the top of the unit as a surface. I have a few fabric bins in there too (trying to avoid adding more plastic to our home!). I have some of the Target (Closetmaid brand, I think) fabric storage bins too.

Beth

[katydid1971]

Every inch of my house, but that's not what you're looking for huh

[christiedavid3]

I just got this one on Monday http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3509991 and so far it's great. We have very limited space and the little pieces and things were just taking over. Now everything is in it's place and it's easy for DS to take a bin out, play with what he wants, and put in all away again.

[Babymakes3]

In the corner of my living room between the 2 couches I set up a metal cube system from Target. I put 12 cubes together in rows of 4 and stuck all ds's toys in there. Big stuff is on the top like all his car ramps and megablok containers then the smaller stuff fills all the cubes. You can buy fabric bins or baskets for the cubes to help hide things too.

I have 8 in my closet and 4 more in ds's room for toy storage up there. They are cheap and I can configure them in whatever way I want. I love them!

[KrisM]

We have that same TRU organizer, and 3 Expedits of varying sizes, a couple train tables with bins underneath, and random other places.

[endlessheather]

The playroom/loft is all set up in Trofast from Ikea and I love it! We are slowly working on our living room and I'm leaning towards an Expedit for that room. For now we just have a few bigger baskets with fabric liners from say TJ Max and such for things in the living room that migrate down.

[edurnemk]

I got an expedit unit from Ikea (2 squares X 4 squares), it was around $60 IIRC, and several canvas bins that fit exactly (there's some at Ikea and ones from Target that fit, around $8 each). Each bin is for a different category, I've been meaning to put a label on the outside but haven't gotten around to it and by now DS knows what goes in each bin. I like this system because we can take the bin to where the toys are, put them in and carry it back to the unit. Also everything is easy to find.
For larger toys and stuffed animals we have 2 pop-up toy bins from Ikea that we keep next to the Expedit.

ETA: We also have a train table with drawers underneath.

[stratosphere03]

We have a few pieces of the Trofast system from Ikea in our playroom and I love it!

[Jenn27]

We just got the 2 X 4 Expedit for our playroom. Great quality for $70!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I just got this one on Monday http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3509991 and so far it's great. We have very limited space and the little pieces and things were just taking over. Now everything is in it's place and it's easy for DS to take a bin out, play with what he wants, and put in all away again.

I have one of those and for a while we used it but now it's housing toys that no one ever plays with. Love the idea of it though!

Beth

[essnce629]

We have 3 Ikea Expedit units (two 2x4 and one 5x5) and lots of Container Store sweater and shoe boxes to store everything in. I love that the Container Store boxes are completely clear which means the kids can see everything that's in them. I have them all labeled as well.

Container Store boxes
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/storage/storageBoxes/plastic?productId=10000166

[wifecat]

We have the Trofast system from Ikea. It's worked out really well for us.

I have some fabric bins and some wicker baskets in my daughter's room that are just lined up along the wall. Those work ok, but I got them because they matched her room, not because of their infinite practicality. ;-)

[PMJ]

I'm just wondering how the Trofast and Expedit systems work for everyone w/ older kids? DD is only 1 yrs old, but it seems like most of the gifts we rec'd for the bday are quite large and would not fit in bins.

Currently - I have two large clear plastic bins and then I just keep the larger things next to it. (Animal farm house, larger puzzle). Right now it works, but I'm not sure how long it will !

:)

great post !

[ahisma]

We have a small house, 3 kids and no playroom so it's dicey at best;) In our living room / dining room / entryway (combined, just an L shaped area)

- LON activity table with drawers underneath
- Window seat that opens to store toys
- Wooden play kitchen with coordinating storage shelf (w/ baskets on it for food, etc.)
- Train table with tonka trucks, etc. stored under it
- Bookcase in entryway with baskets holding tools, cars, duplos, balls, etc.

[stratosphere03]

I'm just wondering how the Trofast and Expedit systems work for everyone w/ older kids? DD is only 1 yrs old, but it seems like most of the gifts we rec'd for the bday are quite large and would not fit in bins.

Currently - I have two large clear plastic bins and then I just keep the larger things next to it. (Animal farm house, larger puzzle). Right now it works, but I'm not sure how long it will !

:)

great post !

IME, as kids get older toy pieces get smaller and more plentiful. I love the trofast bins for toys with lots of small pieces like Playmobil, little people, legos, matchbox cars, etc. The bins keep all of the pieces together and make cleanup easy.

[wendibird22]

We have 2 Trofasts side by side (the 3 step kind) and both have a variety of bins...sm, med, and lg. Jumbo stuff is on top of the shelves, little people vehicles, doctor kit, music instruments, dolls and dolls clothes, etc are in lg bins. Med bins hold duplos, puzzles, little people/weebles and their smaller accessories. The sm bins hold playdo, DD2s links, teethers, rattles, coloring books, etc. I like having the variety of the 3 sizes because it helps keep the small stuff from getting lost in the abyss of a lg bin.

Our FP farm, Weeble Village, stuffed animals and the like all sit on top.

[lowrioh]

I got an expedit unit from Ikea (2 squares X 4 squares), it was around $60 IIRC, and several canvas bins that fit exactly (there's some at Ikea and ones from Target that fit, around $8 each). Each bin is for a different category, I've been meaning to put a label on the outside but haven't gotten around to it and by now DS knows what goes in each bin. I like this system because we can take the bin to where the toys are, put them in and carry it back to the unit. Also everything is easy to find.
For larger toys and stuffed animals we have 2 pop-up toy bins from Ikea that we keep next to the Expedit.

:yeahthat:

That's almost exactly what we have. We also have a couple of plastic shoe boxes that we use for her tea set and matchbox cars. We stick these inside the canvas bins.

ETA: There was a great thread about using the Exedit shelves a while ago....
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=338539&highlight=container+store+expedit

[edurnemk]

I'm just wondering how the Trofast and Expedit systems work for everyone w/ older kids? DD is only 1 yrs old, but it seems like most of the gifts we rec'd for the bday are quite large and would not fit in bins.



IME, as kids get older toy pieces get smaller and more plentiful. I love the trofast bins for toys with lots of small pieces like Playmobil, little people, legos, matchbox cars, etc. The bins keep all of the pieces together and make cleanup easy.

:yeahthat: For larger toys he had around 1 yo, we had a big basket with a canvas liner from Target, he still has it by the Expedit unit and the Ikea pop up bins for the few really big items. But he definitely uses the smaller toys a lot more now: cars, trains, toy story characters, blocks, tools, legos, musical instruments, and art supplies (crayons, play doh, etc).

[emschwar]

In our playroom, we've got a 4x4 expedit, 2 of the target toy racks with bins, 1 small trofast, a bookshelf, a shoe rack from target (works great for shoebox sized bins and taller, skinny toys) and an ikea shelf I can't find online - it's a big drawer on the bottom and 2 shelves above that. Works great for the bigger toys that won't fit in expedit. Oh, and some yaffa blocks leftover from my college days.

We have a lot of toys.