29 Storage Hacks Every Parent Needs

Whether you’re stepping on a sea of toys or your garage is stuffed to the gills, we have 29 storage hacks that will organize your house. From garage storage ideas to toy storage ideas, scroll down and find our life-changing favorite parent hacks that are clever and easy to do.

photo: Carolyn Dalgliesh

Streamline School Mornings

Rise and shine! It's time to streamline that morning routine. We love this brilliant hack by Systems for Sensory Kids that makes the back-to-school morning routine as easy as 1-2-3! You'll need a container, cups and labels (waterproof is best) to get your little learner ready for school.

photo: 8 Foot Six

Terrific Bathtub Toy Solution

Squeaky clean! As far as cool bathroom toy storage ideas go, this one's easy-peasy. Mama Shannon over at 8 Foot Six, upcycles a hanging fruit basket to organize tub toys (genius!), which leaves you more space for other things.

photo: The Organized Mama

Clothing Drawer Hack

Waste no space! Help half-pints get ready quickly on school mornings with The Organized Mama's twist on storing kids clothes: you can fold clothes for easy outfit picking and make more space when you use bins inside the drawers.

photo: Hello Baby Brown

Play Kitchen Storage

Help little cooks organize their play kitchen with this sweet toy storage idea. Hop over to Hello Baby Brown for her clever use of a tiered rack that keeps cookware and toy food off the floor and within easy reach of little hands.

photo: Days with Grey

Perfect Puzzle Hack

Missing puzzle pieces? We have the hack for you. Follow the simple steps over at Days with Grey to organize all those stray (or mixed up) puzzle pieces. By taking a photo of each puzzle, then placing the pieces in a container from around the house, you'll have a perfect puzzle storage solution.

photo: Shades of Blue Interiors

Stuffed Animal Corral

We got this stuffed toy storage idea straight from the horse's mouth. You'll need to be a little handy to complete this project and can follow the step-by-step over at Shades of Blue Interiors. Your tots can have easy access to their favorite toys through the paracord and keep their rooms clean to boot.

photo: KFUNdamentals

Clever Crayon Holder

Work of art! Finding the right crayon color during art playtime can be simple with this crayon hack from KFUNdamentals. Just grab a plastic popsicle holder and let little artist sort and draw.

photo: Oh Joy!

Genius Diaper Holder

Double-duty! Master changing diapers with this creative storage hack from Oh Joy! Use a shoe holder to hold diapers and baby wipes for ease of use and plenty of room. It makes changing little ones a breeze.

photo: Crazy Little Projects

DIY Bookshelf Crates

Stack it up! Do you need a book and toy storage idea for your kid's room? With a few crates and colorful paint, you can make a vibrant storage solution and keep a clean and easy-to-find space. Find the how-to over at Crazy Little Projects.

photo: Old House to New Home

Dress Up Storage

Kiddos can’t get enough of dress up, but finding ways to store all of the costumes and accessories in one place is almost impossible. Luckily, this DIY Dress-Up Storage Center from Old House to New Home is an awesome fix. This piece will require some legit construction, but the final product is totally worth it!

photo: Domestic Charm

Outdoor Toy Buckets

If your kids love playing outside, you probably know the struggle of organizing all of their outdoor toys. These labeled metal buckets are as far as toy storage ideas go from Domestic Charm to keep all of their goodies together without bringing them in the house.

photo: Hey Let's Make Stuff

Peg Board Craft Storage

To keep everything at your family’s fingertips, try this unique peg board hack (a perfect garage storage idea!) created by Cori over at Hey Let’s Make Stuff. Simply trace the outline of your most used items such as scissors, mason jars, rulers, etc., and use the holes in the board to mount each item. This is a cute way to make sure everything goes back where it belongs.

photo: Kojo Designs

Magnetic Lego Strips

LEGO storage might be the ultimate organization challenge, but all you really need is a few key items from IKEA and some sticky glue to create these amazing magnetic strips to store all of those itsy bitsy bricks. Head over to Kojo Designs for all the details.

photo: A Girl and a Glue Gun

Barbie Shoe Organizer

Kimbo of A Girl and a Glue Gun's awesome Barbie organizer is similar to an over-the-door shoe organizer, but it is customized to fit the height and width of each doll. There is a bit of sewing involved, but in the end, you’ll have a unique holder for easy storage.

photo: Boon

Stuffed Animal Storage Bag

Kids love their plushies! Over the years they just keep multiplying, but storing them is actually simpler than you think. Try this stuffed animal toy storage idea from Boon to store all of your kids' fluffy babies and convert them into a comfy seat in seconds.

photo: Polka Dot Chair

Family Lockers

If you struggle with keeping your foyer or mudroom free from clutter, Melissa from Polka Dot Chair has an ingenious solution. Follow her instructions to transform a few Ikea bookcases into family lockers that can house everything from shoes to gym bags, backpacks, coats and so much more.

photo: How Stuff Works

DIY Crayon Caddy

Every mini-Van Gogh needs the right tools, which means your house is full of crayons. Follow this genius hack from How Stuff Works, and you’ll have a DIY crayon caddy that makes those pesky little coloring must-haves super easy to store.

photo: VanHook & Co

Book Baskets

This hack from VanHook & Co. is here to save the day. This budget-friendly idea only requires a couple of $4 Ikea wastebaskets. All you have to do is secure the baskets to any wall or door, and you’ve just created a cool new storage system.

photo: A Girl and a Glue Gun

Toothbrush Holders

Kimbo from A Girl and a Glue Gun offers up a creative way to use mason jars to keep everyone’s toothbrush-ing must-haves organized. All you’ll need is a mason jar for each kid and name labels to make sure each little rascal gets their products back in the right place.

photo: Karen Mother of Three

Doll Clothes Storage

What’s adorable, tiny and almost impossible to store? You guessed it, doll clothes. No worries, we have the perfect solution brought to you by Karen Mother of Three. All you need is a bamboo stick or wooden dowel and a plastic laundry basket. Take a peek at the full tutorial here!

photo: Perfection Gone Astray

Soda Box Can Storage

It’s always hard to find kitchen storage, and something that can take up a lot of room is canned goods. An easy way to save space and stay organized is by using a magazine holder or a soda box to create the perfect DIY can dispenser. Check out the fantastic tutorial on Perfection Gone Astray to make yours today.

photo: HAPPYnings

Shower Caddies for the Trunk

Your little ones have made your car their second home, and with that comes a whole lot of stuff. But that doesn’t have to mean the end of the organization in the mommy-mobile. According to HAPPYnings, it’s all about shower caddies. That’s right, those funny things with the big pockets that you hang in your shower. It turns out, they’re a pretty fantastic organizational tool for everything from hair brushes to sunscreen and so much more. Use these dollar store finds and large labels to keep your car in order.

photo: Amazon

Swoop Bag

If you’ve ever felt the pain of stepping on a stray LEGO, you know that proper toy storage is an absolute must. One of our favorite ways to store your little one’s toys is the Swoop Bag. This versatile bag lays flat and can be gathered up quickly to store the tiniest of toys. Of course, this is perfect for classic faves like LEGO, cars, train sets and more.

photo: Aimee Geroux

Coffee Pod Play Dough Carousel

Who doesn’t love play dough? But, storing all of those little canisters so your fam can play with any color, any time is just really complicated. Not anymore! Brilliant Mama Aimee Joraux has got you covered. Her idea to use a coffee carousel for play dough toy storage is a brilliant idea that is nothing short of pure genius.

photo: Home to Heather

Laundry Bags

Storage is great, but what good is it if you can’t find what you need when you need it? This simple fix from Home to Heather will allow you to do just that. All you need are mesh laundry bags, and you’ll never have to rummage for those bouncy balls again. Store toys cars, dolls, balls, and anything else you can think of in these lightweight bags. But here’s the best part, if they get dirty, just throw them in the wash.

photo: The Inspired Home

Bathtub Baskets

Bath time is the ultimate playtime but by the end, the toys are everywhere. If you don’t know how to organize all of your bathing beauty's splash-able friends, take a page from The Inspired Home. Their fix is quick, easy and it won’t break the bank. Grab four baskets, shower hooks, an adjustable shower rod and presto! You’ve got a colorful, organized, space-saving bath toy organizer.

photo: The Thriftiness Miss

Plastic Bag Storage

You can never have too many extra plastic bags, but they always seem to disappear just when you need them the most. One of the easiest ways to make sure they’re always at your fingertips is by sticking them in an old cleaning wipe dispenser. Even more, decorate and label the dispenser for fun. You can match it to your color scheme.

photo: Little Bit Funky

Shower Rod Under the Sink

Shower rods aren’t just for your bathroom, they can be a game changer in the kitchen too! Take it from Crystal at Little Bit Funky. Use her brilliant idea to create hanging storage for all of those pesky spray bottles with a rod under your sink. See how it's done by clicking here.

photo: Ethan John via Flickr

Labeled Jars

Try storing your favorite art supplies in mason jars. Remove the lids from these adorable glass containers, and add personalized labels to keep just about anything organized and easy to access.

— Natasha Davis and Nikki Walsh

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