Baskets are always an easy way to organize. Just throw a bunch of stuff in and the clutter magically goes away. (Which is a whole other issue. Trust me.) At the same time, you don’t want to clutter your house with baskets. Yes, I’ve seen homes of folks with the best of intentions that were completely over using baskets throughout their home. It’s a real thing.
I went through my house last weekend evaluating my basket situation and want to share some of my favorite ways to incorporate baskets. I realize not everyone’s home is the same and not everyone’s need for storage is the same. Yet, I’ve always found it helpful to get inspiration and ideas from others’ storage solutions. So I’m hoping that seeing some of my baskets solutions will be helpful for you!
Toy Storage in the Family Room
I really wanted to minimize baby toy clutter around our home. And frankly I wanted to minimize the number of baby toys we had as well. Soon after we brought Declan home from the hospital, I learned the hard way that babies equal lots of stuff. That’s why I pretty much fell in love with these World Market baskets that fit perfectly under our couch.
I anticipated that it would be a challenge to find baskets that would fit, but it was a pleasant surprise that Target, Container Store and Bed Bath & Beyond all had great options. Right now I’m storing infant toys, a diaper changing station and extra blankets in the baskets.
Detergent Storage in Laundry Room
I’ve had a basket on top of my laundry machine as long as I’ve had a laundry machine. In a perfect world the detergent would be out of sight in the cabinet, but that’s just not practical. Having a basket to store detergents in are the next best thing.
Why are all my detergents in the same bottle? My husband asks this every day 😊 . Here’s my post on a little laundry room organization project I did a couple years back.
The basket was purchased at Bed Bath and Beyond at least 5 years ago. It looks like they’re no longer selling this basket, but they’ve got a lot of other good options!
Baby Toys in Nursery
Technically laundry baskets (they even say Laundry on the back side), these tall and slim baskets are perfect for toy storage.
Shoe Storage in the Entry Way
Our front entry is small so we utilize both the wall and our porch for storage. This World Market basket fits up to 5 pairs of shoes and prevents shoe clutter at the front door.
Dog Toy Storage
While we added a lot of baby toys to our living room we still had lots of dog toys. Reagan’s toys all fit in this Bed Bath and Beyond basket that lives inside our end table.
Out of sight and out of mind. I’m a big fan of baskets that can be hidden away when not in use.
Extra Clothes in the Bedroom
It never fails, we always have clothes that we don’t want to hang up or put away. I hate that I’m admitting that but it’s true. So having a pretty basket in the corner of our master bedroom is an easy way to hide clean clothes that just don’t find their way to the closet. I painted ours white and gray but it was originally a dark wood color.
Easy Access Baby Items
Instead of buying a new dresser/changing table for the nursery, we used a Crate & Barrel entertainment stand that we already had. Besides a quick coat of black paint, it was an easy & free solution. The only problem was there were no drawers. I was over the moon excited to find the perfect baskets at Fred Meyer.
I wanted baskets that would maximize the entire shelf since we have a lot of baby items. There’s a basket for easy access diapers, blankets, and onesies & pajamas.
Tips for Smart Basket Storage
Buy the largest basket that will fit in a space. Esthetically, it will look nicer to fill up the space. Plus, if you’re anything like me, you’ll use the extra storage! Measure the space and then start looking online
Purchase a basket because you love the size, style and function. Don’t buy it for the color. You can easily spray paint or paint wooden/wicker baskets. When you don’t have to worry about the color, your options increase tremendously!
When searching for a basket, take a look at stores that aren’t always known for storage. My under the couch toy storage and front door shoe storage baskets are from World Market.
To start out with, only fill your baskets up to 75% full. This will allow you to add more as time goes on (which is always inevitable).
Crystalyn says
I love baskets. I use them for everything – towels, books, clutter, blankets. I love the idea of using them for shoes though. The only issue I have is the CATS love to scratch them apart! 😀
Jenn says
Your home is stunning! I live for baskets especially when organizing after I had kids. So easy to just toss things in and they look pretty so no one ever knows items “live there”. I love how you painted the one in your bedroom, I would have never thought to do that!