Despite my best efforts, my kids’ stuff has taken over. Closets are bursting with little mittens and boots. Toys spill out of every corner of the house. Artwork and craft supplies explode from drawers like those snakes-in-a-can.
It was time for a reset (and perhaps a garage sale). When organizing, I have a few stores I absolutely love — one sells every type of container imaginable; the other, whimsical, fun furniture and storage just for kids. These places shall remain nameless, however, as they are admittedly quite expensive. So, I was shocked when, lo and behold, I found exactly what I was looking for at IKEA — for a fraction of the price.
I literally found the same items at this Swedish superstore, and spent half of what I would have at the other stores. These items can each serve myriad functions around the house, so when they’ve outgrown their purpose in one room, I can repurpose in another.
Here are 4 multitasking winners I found from IKEA:
Hemnes Bench
Our laundry room is a mess — the kids come home from school, and shoes fly every which way and direction. Similarly, when it’s time to leave, the kids trudge through the house, getting dirt and debris everywhere, looking for a place to sit and put their shoes on.
The Hemnes Bench is genius — it’s a large, two-shelf shoe rack and functional bench that’s generously sized to fit all my kids’ shoes.
Despite being similar dimensions as our old shoe rack, the Hemnes is much more spacious. There’s a few inches’ clearance on the bottom, too, giving the Hemnes Bench an additional “shelf” for shoe storage. Meanwhile, the top doubles as additional shoe storage or a bench — so my kids have a dedicated space to put on their shoes. (When I do laundry, I’ve been putting the basket on top of the bench as I fold clothes!)
Alternatively, this would make a great bookshelf for a nursery, console/catch-all for the foyer or in-closet storage system.
Trofast Storage System
Simply put: our hall closet was a mess. There was a makeshift shoe rack that had been half-chewed by the dog. Cheap storage bins on top held winter hats, scarves, baseball caps and all kinds of accessories. Every time you opened the door, there was an avalanche.
I’d seen the Trofast Storage Systems in the Kids’ Department — they were used for toy storage and even as the base for train/activity tables. These pieces would be perfect in a playroom or nursery.
I saw a way to reorganize my closet, however. Large bins would hold my kids’ seasonal stuff; there would be no more accessory avalanches and the top closet shelves could be used more practically. The Trofast fit perfectly inside my hall closet, and I was able to organize the bins by season.
What I like most about this system is its flexibility — you can add shelves and different-sized bins as needed. There are three different sizes of bins in several different colors, with or without lids. This is definitely a multi-purpose piece any family could use!
Skubb Storage Boxes
We have a lot of bins/boxes in our house — I’ve found that my kids are much more likely to clean up if they know exactly where to put everything.
Well, I haven’t exactly followed this rule when it comes to my kids’ closets. Outgrown clothes clutter the shelves; my youngest’s closet it a mess of hand-me-down shoes and coats; my oldest’s bedding is in a hamper on the floor. It’s a mess.
The Skubb Storage boxes at IKEA are affordable and perfect for kids:
- The Skubb Shoe Boxes are light and stackable, featuring a see-through facade so you know what’s inside. (These boxes would also be great for legos, small figurines or your kid’s collection of matchbox cars.)
- The Skubb Storage Case fits under the bed, so it’s great for bedding, storage for seasonal clothing or even your kids’ toys! This piece comes in three sizes — I recommend the largest size for maximum under-the-bed storage! I can happily report that Julian’s bedding is no longer in a hamper.
- The Skubb Box with Compartments makes my organizer heart happy: we used it for all the baby monitor cords, baby-sized hats and accessories and everything else that was previously thrown into a drawer.
These boxes are extremely affordable and come in four colors. They’ll fit on most any shelf or dresser — so you can keep everything organized and accessible.
Algot Frame
Can I play favorites? If so, this is definitely my favorite. This four-shelf mesh frame can literally do anything. Need a bedside table? Craft console? Filing cabinet? Winter hat/scarf/mittens storage? This tiny but tough player can literally do it all.
We have an Algot in the master closet, which currently houses my husband’s undershirts, underwear and socks. (Not the most photogenic…) So we turned to another need: a place for housing all the craft supplies.
Recently, my three have gotten into crafts — coloring, painting, play doh — crafts are something they’ll all happily do together, without fighting, indefinitely. It’s a miracle.
So, I’ve responded by buying all.the.craft.supplies — and now our cabinets are overflowing. Everything was precariously stacked. It was difficult to get one piece of paper out without having all the paper fly out.
The Algot is quite possibly the perfect solution for this — the sturdy drawers pull out, allowing your kids to select exactly what they need (and the mesh allows for everything to be easily visible). We’ve organized the paints, markers, crayons, coloring books, sticker books and construction paper — with lots of room to spare!
The best part is, once the craft phase has passed, this handy little multitasker can be moved to a new job elsewhere in our house. (Like my husband’s “workbench” in the basement… which is an utter disaster.)
Unlike larger pieces of furniture, assembly for all of these items was quick and easy. My kids were all able to “help,” which made for a fun family project during a cold weekend afternoon. My house feels a little less chaotic now — which, with three crazy little kids, is a big victory.
For more organizational inspiration, check out our recent features on IKEA bakeware and as DIY home organization station from IKEA! IKEA West Chester is located at 9500 IKEA Way, 45069. Definitely sign up for IKEA Family — it’s a totally free rewards program with daily discounts and offers for members!
Many thanks to IKEA West Chester for sponsoring this post. As you look towards spring cleaning, head to IKEA for affordable, functional organizational solutions that you’ll use for many years to come!