How to Organize a Nursery

If you’re a new mom, you know how quickly a nursery can go from calm to chaotic. Learn how to organize a nursery to make it a peaceful and functional space for your baby in this video by The Design Network:

Start by organizing the change table. It’s critical to have all of your essentials at hand, but that’s also an easy way for clutter to accumulate. On the top of the change table, keep things simple with a change pad, diaper wipes, and a wipe warmer. Hang other necessities like soothers, diapers and personal hygiene items on a nearby rack.

When it comes to changing tables, a dresser is a better option than a console-style changing table as it gives you lots of places to hide essentials away. This is where you can store items like diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, folded burp cloths, bibs, blankets, towels, crib sheets, and onesies (you should probably have three times as many onesies as you think you’re going to need). If you have fitted sheets, rolling instead of folding them will make them look more organized. Use individual baskets to keep everything nicely sorted.

Of course, every change station needs a disposal solution. Using a trash can that’s quite small will ensure that it’s being changed regularly and keep odors under control. Tuck extra bags into the trash can so there’s always one on hand when you need it.

The toy situation in any baby’s room can easily get out of hand, so it’s important to have storage solution for every kind. An open storage basket with cute stuffed toys adds to the room’s decor. For oddly-shaped toys or toys you prefer to keep out of sight, use storage ottomans; the soft edges make things safer once your baby starts to move. Keep educational toys on display so that your baby will be more likely to play with them in the future.

You’ll also want to keep books on display to foster a love of reading. You can make some simple DIY bookshelves yourself in just a few steps:

• Affix one square length of wood to the wall using some anchors, using a level to ensure it’s straight.
• Use some screws to affix a thinner profile piece of wood on top.
• Paint the wood to match the room decor.

To organize the closet, start by emptying everything onto the floor and divide it by category.

• Arrange a number of different size bins inside the closet, transferring a pile into each of the bins and labeling them accordingly.
• When hanging clothes, using the same type of hanger makes everything easier to see and keeps everything visually organized. Hang DIY tags made from 3-D letters from a craft store onto the rod and label them with the baby’s age so you can see what comes into rotation as your baby grows; this also helps you keep track of gifted items and hand-me-downs.
• Managing laundry for an infant can be a full-time job. Create in and out bins in the closet = “in” for clean unfolded items and “out” for dirty items.
• Leave some empty bins for overflow seasonal storage and room to grow as you really can’t predict what’s to come.

Lastly, make the space a little more inviting with a few touches of decor. Add plants, layer in lighting, and bring in comfortable seating.