Organizing has got to be one of my favorite activities, and I am so excited to share my latest organizing project!  It took me a few months to fine tune, but I finally have a perfectly organized twin nursery closet.  I really wanted to make the most of the storage space we have in this large closet.  This was especially important since after arranging two cribs, a chair, and a changing table, there isn’t exactly room for a dresser.  With the babies crawling and getting into everything, it is especially important to have a place for everything – in their closet and off the floor.

The next challenge: I didn’t want to spend a ton of money.  There are all sorts of pink and blue baskets out there.  But what do you do with them in a few years when you transition into a “big kid” room?  You’re stuck with a bunch of expensive baby baskets… No thanks.  Enter my two favorite places on earth: Target and the dollar store.  I used Target drawers and dollar store bins, but first…

An Organized Twin Nursery Closet

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse…

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I reused diaper boxes. We had diaper boxes piling up in the garage just waiting to be used for a project.  I originally thought I would spray paint the diaper boxes, but I really wasn’t happy with the result.  It took entirely too much paint to get enough coverage – to the point that fabric was a cheaper option than paint.  I went to Joann Fabrics and bought plain green fabric on sale.  I think I got $9 worth of fabric – combined with six free diaper boxes – and this turned out to be a super economical storage solution.

I photographed the process for you:

 

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1. Measure each side of your diaper box to make five fabric panels.  Add 1/2-inch to three sides for a seam allowance, and an additional 4 inches to the height to overlap into the top of the box.  Sew the panels together into a t-shape.  You could choose to cut a single piece of t-shaped fabric to glue to the box, but this seemed to be a waste of fabric.  By cutting individual panels and then sewing them together, you are able to cover more boxes with less fabric.
2. Spray a thin layer of spray adhesive onto the bottom of the diaper box and smooth the center fabric panel over the box.  Smooth the fabric and make sure it is lined up evenly on the box.  Remove the fabric and try again if necessary.
3. Using spray adhesive, smooth two end panels onto the sides of the diaper boxes.
4. With the remaining two panels, fold over the side edges to make “seams,” and glue the panels to the box sides.
5. At the top of the box, there will be excess fabric from each panel.  Glue and smooth this fabric into the inside of the box.
6. Step back and admire your work!

A CCL Public Service Announcement – Spray Adhesive is Dangerous!

Seriously, people.  Follow the directions on the can.  I used Elmer’s Craft Bond Multi-Purpose Spray Adhesive.  On the back, the label clearly reads:

“Important! To avoid possible clogging, turn the can upside down and spray a short jet of clear gas after completing job.”

You would think the “Important” followed by an exclamation mark would capture my attention, but I clearly have a problem following directions.  In my mind, I was thinking:

“What’s the worst that can happen?  The spray nozzle gets clogged and I have to remove the glob of glue before I use the adhesive again…”

WRONG!  This is NOT the worst thing that could possibly happen.  The worst thing that could possibly happen involves the glue clog causing the spray nozzle to get stuck in the down position.  At this point in time I would be freaking out, trying to cover the nozzle with my hand while simultaneously trying to pull the nozzle up.  When I gave up on this option, I decided to run the can of spray adhesive outside to prevent further damage indoors.  Unfortunately, the sliding door was locked.  When all was said and done, there was a layer to super sticky adhesive down the side of my door, all over my drop cloth, and covering my hands.

Life lesson: follow directions!

When In Doubt, Take a Trip to the Dollar Store

The Dollar Store is by far my favorite place to find bins, tubs, and other organizing supplies.  For a just a dollar each, I was able to buy 6 green plastic tubs to hold clothes, baby toys, and burp cloths.

Want to see more dollar store organization solutions?  Read this post (here) to see how I organized an entire bathroom using all dollar store products.

An Organized Twin Nursery Closet – Overview

Between the Dollar store ($6) and the fabric store ($9), I spent a total of $15 to organize this closet.  The Target storage drawers I stole from other areas of the house where they weren’t really being used.  I really don’t think you can get any more organizing bang for your buck than with diaper boxes and dollar store bins.

1. covered diaper boxes – baby keepsakes
2. covered diaper boxes – extra linens (baby bath towels and crib sheets)
3. hanging items – pajamas
4. hanging items – baby girl clothes
5. dollar store tub – baby boy onesies
6. dollar store tub – baby boy pants and shorts
7. dollar store tub – burp cloths
8. dollar store tub – small baby toys
9. target drawers – baby carriers
10. target drawers – extra large baby towels
11. target drawers – extra baby clothes (to grow into)
12. dollar store tub – baby girl leggings and shorts
13. dollar store tub – baby girl onesies
14. target drawers – baby boy accessories
15. target drawers – baby girl accessories
16. hanging items – baby boy clothes
17. covered diaper box – larger baby toys

An Organized Twin Nursery Closet – All the Details