The Boy's Room: A Study in Storage

One of our favorite things to do as a family is go to thrift stores, antique malls, flea markets and yard sales on the weekend. It's always fun because there are so many interesting things to see, and you never know what you're going to find! The kids are as enthusiastic about it as Jimmy and I because they've figured out that these are the best places to find toys, and if it's a good price, they have a good chance of talking Mommy and Daddy into getting it for them. 

When I say good price, I mean under $5. You'd be amazed how much good stuff you can find if you're patient and willing to look. The result of all these good finds is that all three of our kids have quite a lot of good toys that we spent next to nothing for--Polly Pockets, Fingerlings, Hot Wheels cars and track, LEGOs, monster trucks, Kinex--you name it, we've probably found it, for the average price of $2! 

What this means for our kids practically is that efficient storage in their rooms is a big priority--they've got to have a system to put all of their things away that is quick and easy to maintain! One thing I cannot stand is a floor unable to be walked on because it's covered with stuff (my father is rolling on the floor laughing right about now! 😆), so it's important to me to have a system in place that my kids can keep up on their own. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in Tater's room. 

I don't know what it is about little boys, but they accumulate a LOT of little toys--toy cars, Nerf bullets, toy soldiers and action figures--but the storage system in Tater's room is so good, it takes him less time to clean his room on average than his sisters do theirs! We put a lot of time and thought into how we wanted his room to function as things were added to his room over the years, and I think it's definitely paid off!

To start with, he has this great big old TV stand that we've converted into a full-on shelving unit. It holds all of his bigger toy trucks and vehicles and the larger parts of his Hot Wheels track that won't fit in a drawer, all neatly arranged on shelves so they're easy to put away and look great when they are. The top holds a few family pictures and his toys that are too big for anywhere else.

The other large piece of furniture in his room is his bed. When we packed up the house for the remodel, Tater's old bed fell apart (it was a relic from my teenage years), so he got a new bed when we moved back in, and boy, was he excited! Because storage is so important to us, we picked a bed that had a built-in bookshelf at the head that fits all of his books and "collectibles" (as he calls them) and underbed drawers to store all of his non-hanging clothes, eliminating the need for a separate bookshelf or dresser. There's even a "hidden" cubbie behind his pillows that he keeps all of his toy weapons in, including his Nerf guns.

Speaking of clothes, his closet serves multiple purposes as well: the top stores all of his blankets/comforters and keepsakes, the middle has plenty of hanging space for all of his shirts and jackets, and the bottom fits a small modular shelving unit with individual bins for all of those small toys--cars, superheroes, and Paw Patrol--with space on top for his large Tonka trucks found at a yard sale several years ago.

And since he doesn't have as many shoes to store as his two sisters (who have to share shoe storage), his shoe hanger also provides space for his small stuffies, keeping them from cluttering up his toy box. 

Large stuffed animals (and he probably has as many as his sisters!) fit into a pop-up laundry hamper in the corner, tucked between his desk (inherited from his father and currently used to store his favorite LEGO builds) and his toy box. 

Wait...You don't see his toy box? That's because it doesn't look like a box; it's that 5-drawer storage unit against the wall, and it does a beautiful job holding all of his miscellaneous toys that don't have any other place to go!

So much for the toy storage. But I'm sure you've noticed all the things inhabiting the walls of Tater's room (I hate bare walls!), and I wanted to tell you about a few of them.

First up is the last of the storage possibilities in Tater's room: these handy wall-mounted hooks that Jimmy made and that store Tater's collection of hats and backpacks. Above them are just some fun wall stickers I picked up at the Dollar Tree and stuck in his Easter basket one year.

Above that and his bookshelf is his collection of travel posters from the Disney movie Planes. These were a free download from the Disney Movie Rewards website--all you do is download and print, though I also like to laminate them.

If you are a member of the Disney Movie Club, then you should definitely check out their free downloads--the ones that don't require any points--you'll find posters, desktop wallpaper, and crafts and activities for kids, just to name a few. I check in every couple of months to see what they have that's new, and I always find something fun for the kids.

Over Tater's toy box are two "posters", but they're actually these great fabric prints I found in the sewing section at Walmart a couple years ago. After washing and ironing, I mounted them in these poster frames, and now Tater has some inspiring quotes from two of his favorite superheroes to see first thing every morning.

Also in the superhero theme is the mobile I made for his 4th birthday with some free superhero downloads I found at Ellie Rose Party Designs. I printed them out and laminated them, then strung them from a wire wreath form and hung it all from the ceiling. 

If you want to make your own version of this mobile or download the pictures for something else, you simply sign up for her blog and you'll get free access to these and all of the other free party printables on her website (and there are a lot!).

I love using decorations I made for their birthdays to decorate their bedrooms--not only does it save me money buying more wall art, etc., but it also ensures that the things they have in their rooms are things that they love, since they get to pick the theme of their parties. It's just a nice way to reuse something without having to store it or throw it away. And seriously, if I take the time to make something for a special event, the last thing I want to do is throw it away after one use--that just feels wasteful! This way, everybody's happy!

As you can see, even though Tater has a lot of stuff in his room, it's actually a very well-functioning room for him. He has plenty of room to play, and when it's time to clean up, it's easy for him to put it all away quickly. In fact, for a 6-year-old, he keeps his room pretty tidy, and it's all due to him having a storage system that is easy for him to keep. Just like Mommy and Daddy intended! 😉