Even though baby clothes are oh so tiny and don’t take up tons of space in a dresser, you’ll still want to ensure that you’re making the most of this piece of furniture so as to streamline your everyday routines. A bit of organizational prep makes your day to day much easier, after all! To help you get started transforming your little one’s dresser, check out the following tips from pro organizers, who share tons of useful insight on folding, sorting, and storage tools that will come in handy each and every day!
This will make it easier to find matching outfits for Baby, which will make getting dressed for the day nice and simple. “I recommend folding tops and bottoms in a file fold method to save and maximize space and separating the sizes out with drawer dividers,” notes Kenzie Harkey of Simply Dare. Not into folding? Rolling works as well, notes Nicole Arroyo of Neatly Nic. Before purchasing any dividers, be sure they will fit properly, though! “Measure your drawers’ height and depth, this will help determine what size drawer dividers/inserts will fit,” shares Maia Barnett of maiorganization. “Some drawer dividers are two and a half to three inches in height, which may be too short for some drawers.”
And when your little one outgrows an outfit, take it out of the dresser. “I would recommend having two baskets in the closet: One should be labeled ‘TOO BIG’ and one should be labeled ‘TOO SMALL,’ suggests Malka Rodal of The Organized Fairy. “This way, it’s easy to pull out clothes or pajamas as they get too small, and this way they don’t accumulate.” You don’t need to physically part with these items right away, though. “Once every couple of months you can go through the basket and decide if you want to put them away for future babies or pass on to a friend,” Rodal adds. Andrea Lewis of The Organised Curator agrees. “Babies grow at an alarmingly fast rate so this is a habit that should be factored into your routine every quarter,” she says.
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When it comes to tiny essentials, Harkey is a proponent of utilizing smaller drawer organizers versus regular drawer dividers. “There are so many small items like pacifiers, baby wipes, rattles, socks, and creams that it's helpful to have modular drawer organizers in the top drawer,” she says.
You may also wish to label your drawers so that you can easily remember what is stored inside each without having to even open them. This method can also come in handy when other caretakers who are less familiar with your home are looking after your little one. “One drawer should be dedicated to diapering supplies, one for clothing, one for crib bedding, et. cetera,” says Stacey Flood of Stacey’s Organizing Solutions.
If your dresser has sufficient space, you can keep blankets in a drawer, but note that you don’t have to do so. “Babies come along with lots of blankets, sheets, and swaddles,” Rodal says. “You want them to be stored neatly so you can find them quickly when you need it.” Unwilling to sacrifice drawer space for these items? “You can consider getting a large basket and roll them up if you don't have the right storage for this,” Rodal notes.
Finally, don’t feel pressured to stock up on every outfit you’ll ever need for your little one all at once. “Buy what you need as you go along,” Lewis suggests. “Keep things simple, and have on hand only the items of clothing you need. The newborn days can be hazy so get yourself organized before your baby’s arrival with just the essentials you need in their room.”