Toddler room Archives - Graceful Order

Picture Ledges as Storage Solutions

November 10, 2015 · by Maria · 3 Comments

This week Graceful Order was featured in a House Beautiful article that shared some creative ideas on using picture ledges as storage solutions. I use a picture ledge in my closet to place my perfumes, and that’s the project they featured. You can read more about my closet organization here.

I also use picture ledges to place my little one’s books. You can check out the details of his room here.

Picture ledges can be the perfect solution for small areas that need big storage!

If you want to see the rest of the House Beautiful article and check out all the cool projects that were featured, you can read about it here.

Thank you House Beautiful and mostly, thank YOU – my awesome readers and supporters!

Big Boy Room Reveal

May 19, 2015 · by Maria · 1 Comment

I have shared my 4 year old’s room before when I posted about Toddler Room Organization, but the existing furniture wasn’t working for him anymore. He had a toddler bed, which basically had the same size mattress as a crib. It was time for a big boy room for Matthew.

We did some window shopping online and I found various pieces that matched the style that I wanted, but none that matched the price point we were looking for. Finally, in a local store we found the right set. We chose this set which came in many colors but we settled on the gray because honestly, not only was it nice but I figured it was the most “forgiving” color. This was a good call because before the furniture delivery personell had driven away, he was already using the bed rail as a car ramp.

We only purchased one nightstand since the room is small and also because we purchased a trundle that opens on the opposite end. Regarding the trundle, I am only storing bedding and wipes along with other uninteresting items inside it. If I placed toys in the trundle, I know that he would be pulling it out all day and I am not sure the bed could take all that “fun”.

All the wall art remained the same. The three pieces above the bed are very lightweight which gives me peace of mind. I am so paranoid about hanging heavy items above beds so I usually opt for light canvas art. The anchor is white cardboard that I spray painted.

On the nightstand I placed his little diffuser. I have diffusers in every room in my home, sans the bathrooms. If you know my 4 year old, you know that lavender is what I diffuse the most in this little room!

His little reading area remained the same but I added his backpack underneath. This is what he will use for school once he starts later this year. The backpack holds a dino and a small firetruck – all the items that he says he needs for school.

Most of his toys are inside these 4 blue bins. I would like to edit the toys even more and get it down to two, but for now this works.

I couldn’t wait to take advantage of all the space that this new bedroom set offered so I filled up his drawers right away. I will do a separate posts on how I organized the drawers and trundle.

And we will see how long this extreme organization lasts. Actually, I can already answer that. It lasted until I turned off the camera. Then he wanted to get dressed like a ninja and pulled out 3 shirts to pull off the look. Sigh. He was a super cute ninja though so totally worth it.

Sources:

Furniture: Rooms to Go

Bedding pillows: Pottery Barn Kids

Toy Bins: Target

Lamp base and shade: Target

Wall art: Target

Hamper: Pottery Barn Kids

Anchor: Amazon (I painted it, it was originally white)

That’s his new little room and he absolutely loves it! What room in your home is next on the list for new furniture?

Toddler Organization

5 Tips for Organizing a Toddler Room

February 26, 2015 · by Maria · 4 Comments

Let’s commence with humor, because humor will make motherhood (and life) a lot more fun.

“When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out.” ~Erma Bombeck 🙂

Earlier this week, I posted about organizing kids’ bedrooms and I had some moms ask for specific tips on organizing toddler rooms. While all the steps from the last post still apply to toddlers, I want to share with you my favorite tips about organizing toddler rooms.

1 – Use a mix of matching containers

While matching your containers will instantly make any room look tidy, they don’t all have to be the same exact container. Closed toy chests work well for large toys, medium bins are great for small toys and open containers work well for storing books. Containers can be stored inside bookshelves or inside kid’s closets. Use toy chests for stuffed animals, blankets or place 2 or 3 open containers inside to sort smaller items. Otherwise, small items will get lost in the bottom of the toy box.

2 – Label bins using text and/or picture labels

When labeling bins for little ones, it’s a good idea to use a picture of the content of the bin, instead of text.

3 – Make items accessible for toddlers

Toddlers will only put away toys if they can access them. And even then, we know it can be a challenge. Even if you have to do some or most of the work (especially if they are toddlers), it will be easier for you to put away their toys if there is a system set up.

Also, they will only play with items they can access so be picky with what you leave at arms length. I choose to keep my son’s DVD’s at a height that he cannot reach because I know that he would take them apart daily if he could.

4 – Create a Reading Station / Nook

My toddler’s room is small, the smallest room in the house. Although a sizable reading station was not possible, a little nook in a corner was. I did not have space for a bookshelf so I added a shelf that could hold a small amount of thin books. He has more books inside his closet but these are the ones he reaches for time and time again.

Consider bins for odd-shaped books. Some books fit nicely in a bookshelf, but toddler books come in all sizes and shapes and sometimes a bin is the best spot to store them.

5 – Have a spot to place clothing they have out-grown.

I keep an open bin at the bottom of my toddler’s closet where I can toss items that no longer fit. I prefer an open bin for this so that it is an easy system to follow. When the bin is full, I sort through it and donate the items.

Beneath the bin I keep boxes of hand-me-downs from my older son, with the following size he will wear. The next size or two he will use go at the bottom of the closet and the rest go on the last shelf of the closet, right up to the ceiling.

We started with humor so let’s wrap it up in the same fashion:

“The quickest way for a parent to get a child’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable.” ~Lane Olinghouse

Isn’t that the truth?

Reading Nook for Toddlers

August 14, 2014 · by Maria · Leave a Comment

If your toddler has a small bedroom, but you still want to create a little “reading area”, check out my contributor post over at A Bowl Full of Lemons blog.

Here is a sneak peek…

Click on over to read more about the reading nook and to check out one of my favorite blogs! I look forward to your comments!

Maria