School holidays are in full swing and the kids are at home 24/7, which means there is likely plenty of stuff all over the place. If you haven’t already tripped over a football or something else, it’s only a matter of time. To help keep you sane during the summer school holidays, here are some easy storage solutions for shoes, sports kits, games, garden toys and clothes.
Storage Solutions For Home
It’s not surprising that many people struggle to keep their homes organised especially during the school summer holidays. For those with a mudroom or entryway, the task is a little easier but if you don’t, you have to rely on alternative hallway storage solutions. Whether it’s toys, books or clothes, here are a few simple ways to keep your hallway and home as tidy as possible.
- Put up some hooks to hang your hats, belts or coats
- Build or buy a storage bench, box or floor-to-ceiling pigeonholes for shoes, clothes and other accessories. Take a look at these beautiful eco-friendly barrier mats
- Only keep shoes you mostly use in the front and store everything else in clear plastic boxes in a cupboard nearby
- Put up a ‘catch-all’ bag for all the bits and bobs
Maximise Storage Space Under The Stairs
We can agree that the space underneath stairs is often hard to manage and most of us don’t do it properly, or at all! Spend some time researching and finding storage solutions to make the most of the wasted space under the stairs, including the following:
- Add hooks to the wall underneath the stairs
- Put a rack of storage trays inside
- Hire a carpenter to install a built-in cupboard or storage boxes
- Create a home office space with a desk for additional storage
Create Space For Under-The-Bed-Storage
If you have space underneath your bed, you can use a variety of storage containers that slide right in. However simple this may be, make sure the youngsters don’t toss everything they own under the bed since it defeats the purpose.
Storage solutions like this is ideal for clothes, toys, books or shoes as you can neatly organise everything and keep it out of sight. Better yet, why not invest in a purpose-built storage bed, especially for a child’s room? These either have slide-out drawers or others you can lift to reveal plenty of storage space underneath.
Check out Hartley’s Bedrooms for some great furniture ideas!
How To Maximise Cupboard Space
Cupboards are often underutilized since they provide many different ways to generate more space. Start by placing door hangers or storage baskets on your wardrobe doors. If there’s enough room, consider adding an extra shelf or two. If you don’t want to drill holes, use stacking racks to increase toy storage capacity. Open and closed shelving, bookshelves, and other storage units may also be used to add additional toy storage space.
Storage Solutions For The Garden
The good weather means everyone wants to be outdoors, especially the little ones. However, do you have storage solutions in mind for garden toys, equipment and furniture?
We all know how quickly clutter can take over just about every space inside and outside your home. This means you need quick and easy storage solutions to keep your garden looking good while doing your best to prevent injury or damage.
While you could pack everything back in the shed or garage at the end of every day, it’s not ideal. In fact, it just creates more work for yourself so here are a few simple storage solutions that will help avoid a cluttered backyard and protect toys from the elements.
Recommended: How To Prepare Garden Furniture For Summer
Storage Sheds
Not everyone has a garden shed but its certainly a popular choice for many! Whilst they are great for garden equipment and tools, you can convert a garden shed into a toy storage haven. Just make sure you keep any sharp objects or dangerous equipment elsewhere or completely out of reach. This includes lawnmower blades, rakes, spades and anything sharp. Here are some useful storage tips for garden furniture, equipment and more.
Keep the smaller toys in boxes or buckets while neatly packing their riding toys, such as trucks, tractors, and trikes. Drill several small holes into the bottom of the toy box so that water and dirt can drain out. Large buckets with rope handles are great for storing buckets, shovels and other small outdoor toys. These are easy to organise, pack and store in the storage shed.
Hanging Garden Wall Of Milk Crates
A hanging garden wall is one of the most effective storage solutions for an organised space. So, why not hang milk crates on your fence to easily store garden toys or tools?
Milk crates are cheap, durable and so easy to use. For even better organising, colour code the milk crates according to the type of item. For example, black crates for bats, balls and rackets while blue can be for any pool or water related toys.
Storage Boxes or Containers
Stackable recycling boxes with tilted front openings are specially designed for easy access even while stacked. One of our favourite storage solutions is an all access toy storage box similar to re-purposed recycling boxes. These are ideal for storing small outdoor toys and sport equipment especially as they are weatherproof.
If you’re not using clear containers or boxes, be sure to label each container using a permanent marker or a sticky label. Be specific about the content and write in big letters so the kids can easily identify the toys they are looking for.
Outdoor Storage Bench
Similar to entryway storage solutions, you could simply use a bench with storage space underneath. A stylish, multi-functional garden bench is comfortable to sit on while offering ample room for toys, blankets, cushions or anything else that typically lies around outside. Some benches have drawers while others are designed with a lift-up seat. This is certainly one of the more practical storage solutions as it serves a dual purpose.
Storage Solutions For An Organised Garage
We know firsthand that it’s difficult to keep your garage organised as it’s often used as a dumping ground for just about everything. However, with some careful planning and hard work, you and your family can create a more organised space using some of these garage storage solutions.
One of the simplest and most cost-effective garage storage solutions is to utilise wall shelves. With basic and inexpensive shelving, baskets, or hooks, you can easily maximise the storage space in your garage. Other storage solutions, similar to those used inside the home, include the following:
- Maximise vertical space using stackable storage bins
- Use wire shelving
- Mount hooks or brackets to your garage walls for bicycles, fishing rods and other toys or equipment
- Use storage cabinets
- Install a pegboard
- Build a sports storage locker similar to the ones professional athletes use
Affordable Self Storage Solutions
While you may want to keep everything at home, sometimes there isn’t enough space. Whether you need a safe place for extra furniture, garden equipment, tools or toys, self storage is always an option.
At Space Centre, we offer clean, dry and secure storage units of all sizes. Our facilities are conveniently located in Bristol, Gloucester, Stroud and Stonehouse with highly experienced and friendly staff ready to help in any way they can. Please get in touch if you are looking for safe and affordable storage sloutions for all your household clutter.