What have you done? Any genius ideas out there, we’ve got a 3yr old and a 3 month old, it’s only going to get worse.

Not impressed with anything ikea homebase argos etc have on offer. Considering getting a handyman in to build something custom. Already sick of standard plastic boxes cracking so heading to the boxes thread.

Got a space 1.6m wide and 0.5m deep so should be able get it all in.

We use an expedit from ikea, although I think the name may have changed recently. Its the one with all the square holes in that you can buy allsorts of different style boxes to put into it. It seems to work well for us.

Wall mounted Ikea storage cube shelves which are split into 4 cubes and hold a storage basket thing… cant remember the ikea name.. Krapvar stuvva junkitus malad or somfink like that..

to be honest if they havent played with em in a while we try and store them here……..

I couldn’t find quite what I wanted from Ikea, and my woodwork skills are limited/poor. So I hacked together a couple of Ikea items to make what I wanted.

Billy bookcase
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60265281/#/00263850

Kallax shelf unit
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20275814/

If you assemble the Billy missing out the bottom shelves and plinth it will slot over the Kallax and then bolt the two together with some of

these
http://www.screwfix.com/p/joint-connector-nuts-m6-x-17mm-pack-of-50/83521
and these
http://www.screwfix.com/p/cross-dowel-bolt-m6-x-50mm-pack-of-50/78664
(may not be the actual correct length)

Might not be what you want, but just saying if you can’t find exactly what you want modification could be an option.

In terms of toy storage boxes, most of the toys are in various Really Useful boxes, mainly the 9L size. Boxes almost 8 yrs old (same as daughter) and none have been damaged.

That’s a good idea Mark, might have to get involved in the world of modifying existing stuff, I can’t get the edges straight if I start from scratch. 🙄

Oh, don’t worry, we’ve got the local charity shop drop off down to a tee. It’s the good stuff we want to store, cars, books, lego, board games, 2million kinder egg toys…

i’m facing the same issues atm…. minivader is nearly 7 and we have a second on the way. need to sort the toy situation and make space for new stuff. to this end, in the easter holiday, i will be converting his existing bed into a mid sleeper with storage running the length of the bed which should (maybe… please god i hope)contain all the lego, tacky gizzets, cars and assorted shite small boys accumulate

Update:

We had a desk with a computer in this space from when we used to have a life and time. Computer is being replaced by a laptop and I built this unit to store16 x 21 litre “really useful” boxes. I hate woodwork and its taken far too long with children to manage at the same time. Anything that doesn’t fit in here is going to charity.

to be honest if they havent played with em in a while we try and store them here……..

We were told by a couple of local charity shops they could only take kids clothes not toys due to H&S (germs etc).

TBH- after MrsH saw how full hora jnr’s bedroom (the biggest in the house) was becoming (I did this to make a point) and the amount of time he actually got to play with them she agreed and started buying less and Uncles/Aunts buying stuff for birthdays etc- its just epic waste and turns them into mini-consumers and anti-eco.

Nice bit of starage there pictonroad.

I must admit we rarely buy toys for ours. The amount they get at christmas and birthdays from family and friends is over the top wasteful consumerism. I don’t want to see them go without. But I see how little stuff gets used before more stuff comes along, needing the old stuff to make way.

It does at least keep the charity shop in stock. Ours have no concerns taking toys. Some also go to the kids play room at the childrens hospital (where the missus works). Due to the reduced immune systems of those children they can understandable only take ‘hard’ toys, not soft toys.

Ours isn’t big enough yet but IKEA Expedit/Kallax plus the fabric cubes (Drona) works well for other parents we know. We have a big one for all sorts of stuff, but a 2×4 (on their side) gives lots of space and is within reach of toddlers so they can clear up after themselves.

ikeahackers.net for inspiration if you want to customise how they look.

Bin bag. Less is definitely more where toys are concerned but its not easy.