Toy Storage Solutions - tidy home, tidy mind!
Keeping the family house, your home is one of our core objectives so we wanted to share different, clever and stylish ways to store toys.
Baskets & Bags
We love these African handmade baskets from Artisanne for a boho chic vibe which can also migrate on to use as a log or throw basket later on. With a flat lid design and integrated handles these baskets look very discreet in your home. Our babies have also spent countless hours pulling things out and popping them back into the basket – providing extra entertainment which always gets a tick in our book!
Totter & Tumble Keeper Playmat with Artisanne basket
With a similar aesthetic, we think these Bosie baby baskets are also gorgeous! Designed as a moses basket - they can grow with the child and double up as toy storage. A perfect spot to keep all those teddies and fun to role play with dolls! Handmade these are great quality and have fantastic longevity - thanks to their natural fibres they will stand the test of time and style.
Image credit: Jacqui Walker for Bosie Baby
If you are looking for something a little more contemporary, these stylish Nobodinoz toy bays are made from bamboo and with a useful drawstring making containing and carting toys from the nursery to the living room or playroom, so easy! Also great for being able to shift around allowing a quick clean behind those otherwise “secret” spots that snacks always seem to fall into or get hidden behind!
Totter & Tumble Wanderlust Playmat with Nobodinoz toy bag
Furniture
When it comes to cabinets and draws, in-built storage would be our dream scenario but failing that here are some solid solutions. We think this one from Great Little Trading Company is really good with nifty spaces underneath to put items in buckets or boxes but also shelves for those larger toys that can be left in tack and on display. Would also make a good spot to keep all your books lined up and easily accessible for little hands to reach.
Image credit: Home by Lydia Totter & Tumble Nomad Playmat
For book storage we also love this flat wall-mounted book shelf from GLTC where your little one can explore and choose themselves which book to read. They also sell individual shelves that you can self-mount which may be better if you have some larger books - so that you are not limited by the height of each shelf.
Image credit: Great Little Trading Company
Toyboxes, chests and trunks all look very smart – we love these beautiful ones from Dragons of Walton Street a real luxury that you would keep forever, as they are each hand-painted which allows for bespoke designs and personalisation with lettering of your choice! Ottomans also serve a similar purpose and can be used as additional seating too whilst having a longer life cycle as can be used elsewhere as your little one grows up.
Picture credit: Dragons of Walton Street
Wall Storage
We are big fans of maximising floor space - inspired by Laura at Pop & Punch in our Family spaces blog where she hooked up her beanbag to the wall! Here are a handful of nifty solutions to keep your floor space clear of clutter:
1. Coat pegs - great for hanging Mini Rope Storage Baskets and bags off or even smaller pots too which can be used for various pens in. What a great storage hack - no need to lift or move anything when hoovering and always easy access!
2. Magnetic bars - usually used in the kitchen for knives, what a fun way to keep all those cars lined up on an easy access strip and raring to go! These certainly will save the soles of your feet.
3. Open baskets - you can attach these direct to the wall or hang them off a rail. With this versatile shape, it allows for different types of toys from teddies to books or general bits and pieces! Total plus that it's wired, as not only sturdy but clear and easy to see what is where! If you prefer a softer aesthetic - you might like these rattan hanging baskets from Project Nursery - far right image below.
Picture credits (left to right): GLTC , Just a Girl and her blog, Project Nursery
Combination storage
Whilst plastic is less desirable, we cannot go without saying that clear boxes are actually really useful to help categorise toys and help you see what’s what, and where to find it or tidy away to, quickly! As they say - tidy house, tidy mind.
Totter & Tumble Nomad Playmat
We have searched high and low for clear, recycled plastic boxes but currently no luck! We have eyed up these Really Useful Storage boxes who have a eco-friendly mandate. We like this size as holds toys of all shapes and sizes and love that they also have longevity as can be used for clothes storage later on. They also do smaller ones, great for all those arts & crafts bits and bobs and having a lid helps keeps little hands from pulling everything out at once!
Totter & Tumble Seafarer Playmat
We’ve covered most options – but of course not forgetting what to do with your playmat! We hope you love the design as much as we do which means it can be left out without specifically being deemed for the children. Should you wish to pop it away – we suggest just rolling it up and slipping it somewhere discreet – under the sofa, a bed or any sweet spot you can find. As it’s just in one piece – its quick to lay out or pop away. We are clearly biased but anything that saves time and doesn’t take an age to lay out the perfect pattern is the one for us!
We love seeing your little ones enjoying their Totter+ Tumble playmats - remember to tag us @totterandtumble #totterandtumble so that others can take inspiration from your home set ups too!