I knew the toys needed to move, but I didn’t know where to put them. Unlike some of our neighbors, we don’t have a loft or an extra bedroom to stash the toys. Our basement is unfinished & the kids rarely go down there to play. I also didn’t want to put the toys in the kids’ bedrooms, since it would be another reason to keep them up at night & they are occasionally sent to their rooms as punishment.
Then, one day I had an “Aha” moment! The upstairs linen closet would be the perfect place to stash their toys! It sits right between their bedrooms.
![IMG_5237 IMG_5237](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JbdsYhOVhcI/UFHtz1ux5SI/AAAAAAAABUg/TjyBhMBZQ5o/IMG_5237_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I felt pretty confident that I could find a new home for all it’s contents…
![MVI_5233 MVI_5233](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-31_TksENmZ0/UFHt1JM8ggI/AAAAAAAABUw/z8_Ib5YeTsY/MVI_5233_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
until I started taking everything out!
![IMG_5240 IMG_5240](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wBaK-Q0NPpc/UFHt2aD39OI/AAAAAAAABVA/v0ulyHHVN70/IMG_5240_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I moved the extra sheets into bedroom closets. I got rid of the old towels & stored the guest towels under the bathroom sinks. Shoe polish and travel toiletries moved to the master bathroom. The first aid supplies got moved downstairs with the rest of the medicines.
Finally, the closet looked like this:
![IMG_5239 IMG_5239](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-C-oDWBcCaKM/UFHt3WT9GnI/AAAAAAAABVQ/9uoUnziRHjk/IMG_5239_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I measured the depth, height, & width of the shelves & purchased containers that would fit the needs for the various toys I would be storing. Then, I brought up all the toys from the family room & began transferring them to the new containers.
![IMG_5241 IMG_5241](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qb6gkYo6bzg/UFHt4aK6YuI/AAAAAAAABVg/fjcGEA0U71I/IMG_5241_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Then, I made simple labels on the computer with pictures of what each bin contained, placed them on the bins, & organized them in the closet.
![IMG_5246 IMG_5246](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pgE7EbC7ogM/UFHt5usba4I/AAAAAAAABVw/nOtHIW0G-kE/IMG_5246_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_5247 IMG_5247](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fSuzRO7Dn8Q/UFHt65vzcsI/AAAAAAAABWA/86b8YpbH0v8/IMG_5247_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
The good news was that I still had room on the top shelf to store the beach towels & cleaning supplies. I added a hook on the door to hold the beach bag.
![IMG_5244 IMG_5244](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EmdoNzpQ4K8/UFHt8NDqNjI/AAAAAAAABWQ/Ab54sCJuPaM/IMG_5244_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I am loving this toy solution! Not only are the toys far away from where Evalyse plays, but it has also helped keep the main floor much cleaner, since the kids now play upstairs! Once we finish the basement, we will probably reclaim this space as a linen closet, but for now, all is well!
Have you re-purposed any closets in your home lately?
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