Practical Toy Storage Solutions for Living Areas

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Hide away toys in plain sight with these toy storage solutions you may not have thought of before!

As we near the holidays you may be looking forward to (or dreading) the fact that friends and family will soon gather together to celebrate. If you have kids, this is a definitely stress trigger as kids have the amazing capacity to come through like a hurricane leaving a wake of toys, books, and crafting supplies E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E….

Add the abundance of holiday decor (if that’s your thing) to the mix, and you looking at a clutter-filled home that is impossible to maintain that magazine appearance you originally envisioned.

Especially if you don’t have the space for a dedicated playroom where you can shut the door and forget it exists for the holidays or when guests come to stay.. (I feel your pain!)

But have no fear! I have some awesome tips and tricks to hide that clutter in plain sight, where the toys are still accessible for the kiddos, yet have a dedicated home to hide in when company comes to call.

You can then sit back, relax and have a giggle that nobody is the wiser…

Decorative Basket Toy Storage

So this is my setup in our living room. We do not have a playroom for little miss E. So her options for play were pretty much her bedroom or our living area.

After her 1st birthday, my little walker who acquired a crap-ton of toys at her birthday bash started bringing on the messes!! As a baby, the few sensory toys she had could be contained to her play pen, bouncer, and pack’n’play. So not the case once she was free-walking!

That was a rude awakening for this mama, as we did not have any sort of playroom for her. So naturally the toys just started stacking up and stacking up in our living space until I could not take it any longer and started searching for solutions.

That’s when I decided to remove the nick-knacks and photographs I had strategically styled our entertainment center built-in with (before kids) and replaced them with decorative baskets that could fit ALL THE THINGS.

It’s amazing how many toys can fit into these bad boys.. seriously awesome toy storage.

I found some very similar baskets on Amazon for ya that are awesomely neutral (for my Farmhouse lovers out there!) and come in many size variations so you can find the perfect shape for your space.

These actually have a drawstring top closure, so you can completely conceal the toys inside!

I chose a set in Ivory and Navy that matches my Farmhouse Nautical decor theme, attempted to organize the toys, and DONE.

The organization doesn’t stick most days and I end up shoving whatever fits into whichever basket – and that’s OKAY.

That is the whole point.

Nobody can see it, nobody cares if it’s organized.

The kids are going to just pull it out and dump it anyways.

So don’t stress about the mess mama! It can all be tossed back into the baskets in a matter of minutes. Out of sight and out of mind.

Toy Storage Ottomans

Practical toy storage solutions for living areas - Keep the mess at bay with these crafty storage ideas. | Heartenedhome.com #toystorage #organize

Photo by Jamie McNeilis, Accredited Staging Professional

Another great option for out of sight storage of toys is the incredible invention of the storage ottoman!

This is where fashion meets function at its best in the living area.

You would actually be hard pressed to find an ottoman that DOESN’T have secret storage inside these days.

Before kids, these were awesome for extra throw pillows, blankets, remotes you don’t use often, etc.

But WITH kids – WOOT WOOT! Toy storage.

Again, you can prop it open and shove all the toys inside quickly, easily, and unless your company is inclined to open ‘er up, your secret is safe!

We have a few of these upstairs in our theater room, and little miss E loves going up there and rotating which ottoman has toys, like she’s setting up a surprise for herself for next time, haha. It’s totally a game.

Fun and Functional. Amen.

Smaller Ottomans like this Square Lift-Top Ottoman are fantastic for the smaller toys with lots of little pieces and parts. They also have the added bonus of flipping their top upside down and transforming into a mini table you can place drinks on. (They are great for containing popcorn during movie time too!)

You may also consider a longer, rectangular ottoman for the larger toys. E has this toy broom and vacuum she loves to carry all around the house but I struggle with a place to hide them away when she’s not using them. This would be perfect.

Outward Island Toy Storage Cabinets

Photo by wanta-architect PLLC

Ok bare with me on this one for a moment.

Look at that cute dine-in kitchen island.

Now look at the charming farmhouse stools…look past them… what do you see?

YUP – Cabinets! Perfect, kid height, out of sight cabinets.

They may be low, awkward, hard to reach placement to be of any use for the KITCHEN.

But for the kiddos, this is prime toy storage real estate my friend.

So growing up, my Aunt’s house had cabinets facing outward from the kitchen that was always the dedicated toy storage just for us kids when all the cousins got together for her famous Christmas Party.

My parents carried on this tradition when they remodeled their kitchen a couple years ago and intentionally included outward facing cabinets under the island for this exact purpose.

This is E’s happy place when she goes to Grandma and Grandpa’s house where she knows she can freely open them up and grab her toys.

Kids LOVE this. And its easy enough to put everything back and close the doors when play time is over.

This solution is definitely worth considering if you are looking to remodel your open concept kitchen, or if you already have these cabinets (but use them to store other things).

The Ever-Popular Cube Toy Storage System

Yep, I went there. I know this super popular toy storage method is nothing new to many.

And for a GOOD reason.

You can’t deny that this cheap, yet effective storage system hides away all the toys but still looks nice and neat in any space, be it the living room, a playroom, bedroom, heck I have these in E’s closet too! They are just so functional!

You can pick from virtually any shape, color and number of cubes you need to suit your space and fill them up with patterned, or plain cube inserts to stow away all the unsightly things that need storing. Including TOYS.

Just be sure to double check the insert measurements match the cubes!

Ready to be sneaky with your toy storage?

I love every single one of these solutions and DO use them myself in some way shape or form.

I know they work and I hope they will help you regain some sanity in being able to tuck away the toys!

You worked hard to make your house a home, let’s show off all your home’s glory to friends and family that visit for the holidays this season.

Well, at least for a minute before the kids woosh past you and pull out all their beloved toys and make a mess again!

But that’s life love! Embrace the chaos, and find comfort in knowing everything has a place it will eventually go when play time is over.

xoxo,

Christi

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