Being a parent is tough stuff, we know. But thanks to the innovation and intuitiveness of moms and dads in the trenches, these DIY organizing hacks will help you keep your sanity (and maybe even save some money).
1. Convert an old crib into book storage
Image: DIY Home Sweet Home
It’s hard to part with your baby’s crib. It means they’re growing up, and that’s a bitter pill to swallow. But this sweet hack allows you to extend the life of your baby’s crib so you can hold on a little longer.
2. Use hanger labels to map out outfits for the week
Image: I Heart Organizing
This easy-to-create label set takes the guesswork out of planning your kid’s wardrobe for the week, which will make you wonder why you never set up this system before.
3. Give an old dresser new life with chalkboard paint
Image: Kids’ Activities Blog
What did parents do before chalkboard paint? Applied to a dresser, it helps kids keep their clothes organized. And maybe, just maybe, it can help combat the dreaded missing-one-sock epidemic.
4. Develop a meal plan
Image: Kids Stuff World
If moms added up just how many minutes each week we wasted trying to figure out what to make for dinner, well, it’d be an alarming number of minutes. Having a meal plan saves time, money and, you know, sanity.
5. Make a mobile art kit
Image: Stacy Vaughn
Art supplies are notorious for winding up everywhere but where they’re supposed to be, but you can nip that problem in the bud — especially on road trips — with this DVD coloring case.
6. Turn an old dish rack into an organization station
Image: Kinderdi
This is one of those ideas that immediately makes you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” You can use an old dish rack to sort kids’ school work, and the silverware holder even doubles as a pen holder.
7. Add magnets to your kids’ cups
Image: Adventures in Pinteresting
If your kids are anything like mine, they have a special knack for misplacing their favorite cups — and then feigning devastation at the thought that they are gone. Keep track of their beloved tumblers with this insanely easy solution: add magnets to the back.
8. Contain shoe clutter using PVC pipe
Image: DIY Cozy Home
Shoes tend to take over, even if they have a designated space. Which is precisely why we are obsessed with this quick and affordable DIY storage system using PVC pipe. Functional and cool!
9. Start a family binder
Image: Thirty Handmade Days
With only a pretty template and some printer paper, you can ensure your family stays organized in every which way possible — from finances to school holidays.
10. Corral wrapping paper with a TP roll
Image: Mommy Shorts
Kids are expected to hit up birthday parties seemingly every weekend — and sometimes twice. Of course, this means you have a surplus of wily wrapping paper at home. Keep it under control using an unlikely source: an old toilet paper roll.
11. Cut notches in your bathroom cabinet shelf
Image: The Family Handyman
So simple. Yet so genius.
12. Don’t let bibs get the best of you
Image: Definitely Jennifer
Bibs. What can we say about bibs? Either they’re taking over your kitchen or you just can’t find one when you need one. Eliminate those bib conundrums by slapping an adhesive hook onto the back of your baby’s high chair and — voilà! — your bib woes are no more.
13. Transform an oatmeal container into a ribbon dispenser
Image: Curbly
Got a little princess who loves to adorn her ponytail with ribbon? Then you no doubt understand the frustration that comes with trying to keep ribbon organized without your entire life turning into one big tangle. This DIY project cleverly repurposes an oatmeal container to create a cute ribbon dispenser.
14. Turn an unused wine rack into an office supply station
Image: My CA.S.E. Studies
Let’s be real — we all have at least one tabletop wine rack lying around that we’ve since outgrown. Don’t Goodwill it just yet, though. You can easily use it to keep pens, pencils and other office supplies straight.
15. Give old diaper boxes a DIY facelift
Image: Mandy’s Krafty Exploits
If you’re a new parent, you could essentially buy stock in diaper boxes, you have so many lying around. Before hauling them off, consider glamming them up with paint and canvas to create supercute storage bins.
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