Serena managed to find a way to not only organize her daughter's baby clothing in an easy and smart way, but she also made it ultra darling and sweet. Much of it is thanks to the great label she created for the sides of her bins, which she is sharing with all of us today! No more blindly digging through multiple bins for that 2T butterfly printed onesie on picture day. Now you can find exactly what you need in a flash, and spend the rest of your time with your growing cherubs.
If there’s one thing babies are excellent at, it’s growing!
One second they’re tiny newborns napping in your arms – they next they’re on their way to toddlerhood and beyond, leaving a trail of outgrown clothes (and destruction!) in their wake.
For me it seemed one day I was announcing my pregnancy and designing a gorgeous girly nursery, then the next day I had a 2 year old on my hands!
As my daughter slowly got too big for her newborn onesies, I started what my husband called ‘my box of sadness’. I’ll admit – a few tears were shed each time a lovingly handpicked item was discarded into the box never to be worn again by my little girl.
But by the end of her first year it was no longer a box of sadness – it was an overflowing mess!
That’s when I got serious and decided these clothes needed to be organized for future use. And just a weekend later, I’m besotted with our gorgeous baby clothes storage.
Keep reading to see how I did it, and grab your own free printable labels.
THE SORTING GAME
Like nearly every other organization project, sorting was my first step. But with baby clothes, it’s like EXTREME sorting (I half expected Ty Pennington to jump out at the end).
DO sort all clothes into keep, donate/sell, repair and trash piles (see my handy hints at the end on ideas on where to donate and sell unwanted clothes).
DO wash everything. Soak out any stains, and – if you can - dry all items in fresh air and sunlight to ensure their 100% dry and clean before being packed away. Sunlight is a great bacteria killer.
DON’T worry about ironing, as everything is going into storage, but fold everything neatly and compactly for easy storing.
DO repair anything that is broken/missing buttons. The last thing you want is to be hauling these clothes out for the next baby and discovering you have a pile of sewing repairs to do when you’re in your third trimester!
DON’T keep or donate broken products, unsafe products or products that have been recalled. It’s just not worth it – safety first.
DO split your items in size and seasons i.e. SIZE 0-3 MONTHS, SUMMER. This will make it easier for storing.
DO include your maternity clothes when sorting. It’s a great time to clean out your own cupboard and organize your own maternity gear for the next time you may need it.
STORAGE WARS
Once you’re done sorting you should have your keep pile ready to go into storage.
one | As my IHeart gal Jen says, "Measure, measure, measure" your space where you want your baby clothes to go.
Handy tip, try not to store your baby clothes in damp areas such as basements. You’re looking for a cool, dry place to keep these baby threads. Ideal places are top shelves of cupboards or under beds; I chose the top shelf in my daughter’s wardrobe.
two | Once you’ve measured your space, choose your storage containers. I chose clear plastic tubs as they stack well, are reusable for future projects, and I can see what is in them at a glance.
As a general rule, space bags aren’t ideal for long term storage. While they’re perfect for the short term – long term use invites mold so they’re best avoided.
three | Next step is labeling your tubs! You can print out our free Baby Clothes Storage labels HERE. (There are also labels for Baby Toys and Maternity Clothes Storage.)
They’re ideally printed on adhesive labeling paper which you can then stick on the outside of the container, but if you want to print out on regular paper and tape or contact to the box, that’s fine too. I used Avery White Shipping 2 per sheet Labels (size 199.6 x 143.5mm) and printed two labels to each page.
four | On each label, mark the size and seasonal range of the contents. Then in the Inventory List portion below, itemize everything there. While this may seem like overkill, when you’re looking for something specific it will come in super handy.
five | Archival tissue paper is your friend when storing clothes (especially sentimental ones like this!). It won’t break down like regular tissue paper and will protect your favorite items. I didn’t wrap every piece, but wrapped vintage, much loved and treasured items to ensure they survived well.
six | For other items, like shoes or accessories, I boxed them up separately so they would be easy to find in the larger storage container, while also not damaging other clothes inside.
seven | Lastly, I added a few sprigs of fresh lavender wrapped in a sheet of tissue at the top of each box. It acts as a natural insect repellant and keeps clothes smelling fresh. (And much better than moth balls!)
HANDY PLACES TO SELL OR DONATE BABY AND MATERNITY ITEMS
For those items you don’t end up storing, here are some great alternative ideas:
- Loved Twice collect gently-used baby clothes, sort these precious garments into boy and girl wardrobes-in-a-box, and distribute them exclusively to disadvantaged babies through social workers in hospitals, shelters, and clinics.
- Schoola turns your baby clothes donations into funding for schools.
- Baby2Baby provides low-income children ages 0-12 years with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. They accept gently used items in everything from baby clothes, toys and maternity items.
- Terra Centre is a non-profitable organization helping pregnant and parenting teens develop the self-reliance and skills to be successful parents. They accept gently used baby clothes and equipment.
- The Uplift Project accepts donations of maternity bras (and regular bras) where they are given to women in disadvantaged communities.
- Don’t forget your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.
- SELL baby and maternity clothes on local facebook pages in your area. Sell new or excellent condition items on their own, and sell used multiple clothing items in bundles. It’s an excellent way to give the clothes new life!
- If you’d like to use your unwanted clothes to do good, sometimes it’s better to sell them on eBay/Craiglist/Facebook then donate the proceeds to your favorite women’s or children’s charity. This way the charity themselves can get what they really need and don’t have to sort through physical donations.
FINAL TIPS
One second they’re tiny newborns napping in your arms – they next they’re on their way to toddlerhood and beyond, leaving a trail of outgrown clothes (and destruction!) in their wake.
For me it seemed one day I was announcing my pregnancy and designing a gorgeous girly nursery, then the next day I had a 2 year old on my hands!
As my daughter slowly got too big for her newborn onesies, I started what my husband called ‘my box of sadness’. I’ll admit – a few tears were shed each time a lovingly handpicked item was discarded into the box never to be worn again by my little girl.
But by the end of her first year it was no longer a box of sadness – it was an overflowing mess!
That’s when I got serious and decided these clothes needed to be organized for future use. And just a weekend later, I’m besotted with our gorgeous baby clothes storage.
Keep reading to see how I did it, and grab your own free printable labels.
THE SORTING GAME
Like nearly every other organization project, sorting was my first step. But with baby clothes, it’s like EXTREME sorting (I half expected Ty Pennington to jump out at the end).
DO sort all clothes into keep, donate/sell, repair and trash piles (see my handy hints at the end on ideas on where to donate and sell unwanted clothes).
DO wash everything. Soak out any stains, and – if you can - dry all items in fresh air and sunlight to ensure their 100% dry and clean before being packed away. Sunlight is a great bacteria killer.
DON’T worry about ironing, as everything is going into storage, but fold everything neatly and compactly for easy storing.
DO repair anything that is broken/missing buttons. The last thing you want is to be hauling these clothes out for the next baby and discovering you have a pile of sewing repairs to do when you’re in your third trimester!
DON’T keep or donate broken products, unsafe products or products that have been recalled. It’s just not worth it – safety first.
DO split your items in size and seasons i.e. SIZE 0-3 MONTHS, SUMMER. This will make it easier for storing.
DO include your maternity clothes when sorting. It’s a great time to clean out your own cupboard and organize your own maternity gear for the next time you may need it.
STORAGE WARS
Once you’re done sorting you should have your keep pile ready to go into storage.
one | As my IHeart gal Jen says, "Measure, measure, measure" your space where you want your baby clothes to go.
Handy tip, try not to store your baby clothes in damp areas such as basements. You’re looking for a cool, dry place to keep these baby threads. Ideal places are top shelves of cupboards or under beds; I chose the top shelf in my daughter’s wardrobe.
two | Once you’ve measured your space, choose your storage containers. I chose clear plastic tubs as they stack well, are reusable for future projects, and I can see what is in them at a glance.
As a general rule, space bags aren’t ideal for long term storage. While they’re perfect for the short term – long term use invites mold so they’re best avoided.
three | Next step is labeling your tubs! You can print out our free Baby Clothes Storage labels HERE. (There are also labels for Baby Toys and Maternity Clothes Storage.)
They’re ideally printed on adhesive labeling paper which you can then stick on the outside of the container, but if you want to print out on regular paper and tape or contact to the box, that’s fine too. I used Avery White Shipping 2 per sheet Labels (size 199.6 x 143.5mm) and printed two labels to each page.
four | On each label, mark the size and seasonal range of the contents. Then in the Inventory List portion below, itemize everything there. While this may seem like overkill, when you’re looking for something specific it will come in super handy.
five | Archival tissue paper is your friend when storing clothes (especially sentimental ones like this!). It won’t break down like regular tissue paper and will protect your favorite items. I didn’t wrap every piece, but wrapped vintage, much loved and treasured items to ensure they survived well.
six | For other items, like shoes or accessories, I boxed them up separately so they would be easy to find in the larger storage container, while also not damaging other clothes inside.
seven | Lastly, I added a few sprigs of fresh lavender wrapped in a sheet of tissue at the top of each box. It acts as a natural insect repellant and keeps clothes smelling fresh. (And much better than moth balls!)
HANDY PLACES TO SELL OR DONATE BABY AND MATERNITY ITEMS
For those items you don’t end up storing, here are some great alternative ideas:
- Loved Twice collect gently-used baby clothes, sort these precious garments into boy and girl wardrobes-in-a-box, and distribute them exclusively to disadvantaged babies through social workers in hospitals, shelters, and clinics.
- Schoola turns your baby clothes donations into funding for schools.
- Baby2Baby provides low-income children ages 0-12 years with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. They accept gently used items in everything from baby clothes, toys and maternity items.
- Terra Centre is a non-profitable organization helping pregnant and parenting teens develop the self-reliance and skills to be successful parents. They accept gently used baby clothes and equipment.
- The Uplift Project accepts donations of maternity bras (and regular bras) where they are given to women in disadvantaged communities.
- Don’t forget your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.
- SELL baby and maternity clothes on local facebook pages in your area. Sell new or excellent condition items on their own, and sell used multiple clothing items in bundles. It’s an excellent way to give the clothes new life!
- If you’d like to use your unwanted clothes to do good, sometimes it’s better to sell them on eBay/Craiglist/Facebook then donate the proceeds to your favorite women’s or children’s charity. This way the charity themselves can get what they really need and don’t have to sort through physical donations.
FINAL TIPS
- Try to check on your stored items every 6 months – just to make sure they’re staying in good condition in their current storage.
- If the time comes to say goodbye to your baby clothes and you can’t bear to part with them – you’re not alone! Grab your favorite items and make them into a keepsake baby clothes quilt. This way you get to keep all your baby clothes in a sentimental heirloom piece you can pass down to your kids.
- Don’t forget reverse storage! If you’re lucky enough to be the recipient of hand me downs and gifts for your child to grow into, use the same process as above for storing clothes. Download the printable labels and follow the storage steps above, so you can see at a quick glance the clothes you have available as your little one grows into them.
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Hi! I'm Serena - self confessed neat freak, animal lover and baker of cookies. I'm the editor behind Pretty Fluffy - an online home for dog owners where dedicated animal lovers can find stylish products, modern advice, health tips, recipes, DIYs and inspiration for living well with their pets. I'm the author of the best-selling recipe book 52 Weeks of Treats, and have contributed to Everyday with Rachael Ray, Modern Dog, and many other publications - but my favourite will always be IHeart Organizing! If you like cute animals, pretty stuff and the overuse of dog emoji you can follow along with me on Pinterest and Instagram.
Thanks for sharing! I have been lucky that my SIL is due a year after me, so it has made it somewhat easier to pass the clothes along. It gets overwhelming though quickly, so definitely using these labels!
ReplyDeleteA pleasure! You're right, it can become a mountain of clothes in such a short time :) So glad you will enjoy the labels.
DeleteWould you please ask Serena what font is used for the words "baby clothes"?? LOVE the calligraphy font!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't get why Space Bags are not ideal for long term storage. They are sealed, no oxygen and there should not be any moist, if you stored things properly. In my view, it's a lot easier for mould to grow in a bin than inside space bags...
ReplyDeleteI think if used properly, they are probably just fine. But if there is any moisture in the fabric from previous washes, sweat, stain removal, being stored in a humid or damp place, etc... then there is a chance for mold/mildew inside of the bags.
DeleteHi MaCattai, you and Jen are right! From the research I did if there was any moisture in the clothes (even a minuscule amount), a space bag environment with no circulation of air would be more likely to damage the condition of the clothes over a longer period of time. However that said loads of people use them everyday with no issue, so if they're used well and the clothes are checked on every so often I'm sure it's ok :)
DeleteHi Teresa! The font is called 'Midnight'. It's so pretty xx
ReplyDeleteGreat post! You included storage, loved the donation suggestions, and even what to do if you can't part with the clothing! I would add one step that I did a few years back (btw, I did the exact thing as you, same listing out, same bins etc)-if you're planning on having more than one child. When I put my daughter's clothes away, I separated anything that could be use for a boy (same bin, just labeled off). Sure enough, my second baby WAS a boy, so my system came quite in handy! I was able to go in a pull the smaller stack out without rummaging through all of my daughter's clothes and ruining my other folded stacks!
ReplyDeleteLove this, thanks for the additional tip Christy!
DeleteGreat post! I wanted to add one tip for parents who are handing clothes down from child to child that my genius mom came up with: Mark clothes for the eldest (or largest) child with a single dot, using a sharpie or laundry marker on the tag or unobtrusive spot on an inside seam. Child #2 gets two dots. Child 3 gets 3 dots, and so on. Voila! no mixing, or trying to remember which tee-shirt or underpants goes in which kids' dresser....
ReplyDeleteHi Serena, what size bins did you use?
ReplyDeleteWhat bins did you use? Where did you get them from and what size were they exactly? Looking for stackable bins similar to the ones you have pictured. Thank you!
ReplyDelete