Making Use of a Small Kids Closet

You may be surprised as your baby reaches toddlerhood just how much stuff they can accumulate. It is nice to get their room organized where toys are categorized and play space is kept empty. But how do you accomplish this when the closet in your nursery is the size of a phone booth? Here we will discuss tips and tricks to making every bit of space count inside of your child’s closet, enabling you to leave an open, safe place to play in your toddler’s room.
The number one thing to consider is safety. Toddlers can decide to climb just about anything and you need to have their room prepared. Make sure that dressers, changing tables and shelves are anchored to the studs in the walls. Stud-finders are usually around ten dollars and can help ensure that those furniture anchors you purchased are correctly positioned and installed. Better yet, coordinate your closet space so that you no longer need a dresser in the room at all. Changing tables can go once you decide to convert to a big boy or big girl room.
Measure your closet and determine how deep and wide it is. Inventory what you need to go into the closet and determine how far apart shelves need to be. Go ahead and measure, marking with a pencil on each wall, where you want each shelf to go. You can leave room in the bottom of the closet for a laundry basket and your child’s shoes. Put a shelf right above it for books and things that you want in your child’s reach. Above that, you can stack t-shirts and shorts. Shelves are nicer than dressers because you never have to dig for what you need. You will not unfold everything trying to find that cute shirt that goes perfectly with the shorts . Finally you can get organized and stay organized.
The next shelf should go about six inches higher than you need. This leaves room for those great little baskets that hang down from shelves, forming a drawer. These are usually around five dollars and make great spaces for socks and underwear. The next shelf up is for pajamas, special blankets or stuffed animals that are only for bed time. Diapers, wipes, and other essentials can be kept here in an easily removable basket. If you decide to keep diaper cream or medicines in the closet, consider installing a medicine cabinet that locks inside of the closet. Remember, your baby will soon become a climber if they have not already.
Place the hanging bar for dress clothes up high to protect those delicate items and heirlooms. Use childrens hangers to protect delicate fabrics and maximize the space that you have. Place one shelf above the bar for out of season clothes storage and you are done!

About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of childrens hangers. The right childrens clothes hangers really make the difference in kid's retail or home organization. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.

Spruce Up a Kid Closet

Children can accumulate more clothes than adults. They are constantly growing up and out of their clothing. Therefore, parents end up adding to their wardrobe in an effort to keep up with the seasonal needs of their growing child. New things make their way into the closet, but rarely do the old things find their way out. Clothes end up being stuffed further and further back on that hanging rod. It is time to take care of the clutter and invest in a closet makeover.

Revamping a closet does not necessarily take a lot of time or money. You can invest in intricately designed closet organizing systems if you would like. These can include built in shoe racks, multiple hanging bars, baskets, shelves and drawers. But sometimes you may not have upwards of one thousand dollars to invest in your child’s closet. Here are a few solutions to make your kid’s closet interesting, trendy, organized and most of all, usable.

You can make use of very little space with a little elbow grease. First, you want to empty the closet and give away any clothes that have been outgrown or will be outgrown by the time the next season for it rolls around. Also get rid of clothes, shoes or coats that you child simply does not ever want to wear. There is no use keeping it around if they do not like it. Once you get your inventory down to a manageable level, estimate how many items need to be actually hung. Dresses, suits and coat should always be hung. Many children have very few of these and using the entire closet to hang them is a huge waste of a usable space. Purchase an adjustable bar so that you can customize the size down to only what you need.

Next, take measurements of the inside of the closet. You will need height, width and depth. Make a drawing of the closet you have in mind. Include shelving where you can keep baskets. Reserve one or two longer shelves where you can stack jeans, shorts and t-shirts. You may even want to lay out stacks of your child’s clothing to determine how long of a shelf you will need. Buy sanded wood planks that can be used as shelves in the closet. Most lumber places will cut the boards to your specifications free of charge. 2×4 boards make wonderful, inexpensive, sturdy braces for the shelves. Simply drill screws through the 2×4 into a stud behind the wall. Create a place for the shelf and place it on top. You can secure the shelf with screws or leave it loose. If you leave it loose, you can create an adjustable closet system that grows with your child.

The last step is to put baskets on the smaller shelves. Here you can store hair accessories, socks and underwear, basically eliminating the need for a dresser in the room. Investing in some higher quality childrens clothes hangers can really spruce up a boring closet and increase the longevity of your child’s clothes.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of childrens hangers. The right childrens clothes hangers really make the difference in kid's retail or home organization. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.

Spruce Up a Kid Closet

Children can accumulate more clothes than adults. They are constantly growing up and out of their clothing. Therefore, parents end up adding to their wardrobe in an effort to keep up with the seasonal needs of their growing child. New things make their way into the closet, but rarely do the old things find their way out. Clothes end up being stuffed further and further back on that hanging rod. It is time to take care of the clutter and invest in a closet makeover.

Revamping a closet does not necessarily take a lot of time or money. You can invest in intricately designed closet organizing systems if you would like. These can include built in shoe racks, multiple hanging bars, baskets, shelves and drawers. But sometimes you may not have upwards of one thousand dollars to invest in your child’s closet. Here are a few solutions to make your kid’s closet interesting, trendy, organized and most of all, usable.

You can make use of very little space with a little elbow grease. First, you want to empty the closet and give away any clothes that have been outgrown or will be outgrown by the time the next season for it rolls around. Also get rid of clothes, shoes or coats that you child simply does not ever want to wear. There is no use keeping it around if they do not like it. Once you get your inventory down to a manageable level, estimate how many items need to be actually hung. Dresses, suits and coat should always be hung. Many children have very few of these and using the entire closet to hang them is a huge waste of a usable space. Purchase an adjustable bar so that you can customize the size down to only what you need.

Next, take measurements of the inside of the closet. You will need height, width and depth. Make a drawing of the closet you have in mind. Include shelving where you can keep baskets. Reserve one or two longer shelves where you can stack jeans, shorts and t-shirts. You may even want to lay out stacks of your child’s clothing to determine how long of a shelf you will need. Buy sanded wood planks that can be used as shelves in the closet. Most lumber places will cut the boards to your specifications free of charge. 2×4 boards make wonderful, inexpensive, sturdy braces for the shelves. Simply drill screws through the 2×4 into a stud behind the wall. Create a place for the shelf and place it on top. You can secure the shelf with screws or leave it loose. If you leave it loose, you can create an adjustable closet system that grows with your child.

The last step is to put baskets on the smaller shelves. Here you can store hair accessories, socks and underwear, basically eliminating the need for a dresser in the room. Investing in some higher quality childrens clothes hangers can really spruce up a boring closet and increase the longevity of your child’s clothes.



About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of childrens hangers. The right childrens clothes hangers really make the difference in kid's retail or home organization. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.

Nursery Design Tips

Your baby’s nursery can be a really fun room to design. It can be cute and sweet, bright and cheerful, just about anything you can imagine. The possibilities are endless and you may be wondering what basics to keep in mind while you’re going through the design process. Appearance, safety and functionality are the three major areas that you will be focusing on.

Safety is always first and foremost. Most people start by selecting the furniture for their baby’s new room. First, you need a crib. Make sure that the crib you select is up to modern standards of safety. This is especially important if you’re using an older crib. Older cribs may have bars more than two and three-eighths inches apart and can strangle a child or baby. They may also have lead paint on them, a real danger since your baby will most likely be chewing on the rails when they start teething. The mattress should also fit tightly in the crib so that there is no space at all between the mattress and the rails.

Once you have your crib, then you can select a dresser and changing table. These two things must be anchored to the wall. The anchor should be securely in a stud. Babies love to climb up open drawers or handles and the risk of furniture falling on top of them is high. Make sure that all medicines and baby wipes are out of the child’s reach, preferably on a shelf or in a cabinet that only adults can reach. Never allow your baby to chew on baby wipes during changing. Lamps, clocks and radios should be placed up high and the plugs should be covered with an appropriate baby-proofing outlet cover. Excess wire should be secured to the wall or hidden behind furniture where the child can’t reach it.

The next thing to focus on is functionality. Determine what you’ll actually be doing in the nursery. Will you be nursing? If so, you’ll most likely need a rocking chair or other comfortable place to sit. You may want a chair comfy enough to sleep in for nights when your child is sick or just needs you often. An end table can be useful for bottles and warmers, burp cloths, blankets, and other things that you may need while you’re holding the baby. Be careful not to leave dangerous items like a thermometer on the end table where the baby can reach it. If your end table has a drawer that you can put a child safety lock on, then it is ideal. You can keep things that you need that the baby could choke on locked up. This would include things like lip balm, pony tail holders and other necessities that you may need close at hand.

If the nursery is small, consider not buying what you really won’t need. Dressers and changing tables take up a huge area. A lot of people give up going into the nursery to change a diaper after just a few days of having the baby at home. You might invest in a good changing pad instead of an entire table.

Also consider how much room the baby will have to play with toys on the floor. You may decide against buying a dresser and just put organizational drawers and shelves into your baby’s closet. This way everything is out of reach and the room has considerably more space. Keep the closet organized and functional with childrens clothes hangers for all of those precious tiny outfits. When you’re done you’ll have a nice, neat, safe and functional nursery to decorate.


About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of childrens hangers. The right childrens clothes hangers really make the difference in kid's retail or home organization. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.

Transition to a Toddler Room

When your baby starts to outgrow that baby nursery theme that you spent so much time and energy creating, it’s time to update the nursery and create a room that your toddler will love. Building a room around a theme will help your child enjoy their room. Personalize the room and let your child be involved in the design process. This is a perfect time to boost your child’s self esteem and urge them to feel like a big kid.

The first step is to get your toddler excited about the idea. Try transitioning to a toddler bed at this time. Let your child know that this is their special bed and start by letting them pick out their sheets and blankets. By this age, most kids will have a preference when it comes to cartoon characters, trains, airplanes, or other themes. Letting them make the decision about what direction to go will help them transition more smoothly and benefit developmentally from the experience. Once you have the bed design in place, move on to the walls.

New paint can be an exciting addition to a room. You may want to choose the paint yourself if you want it to last through future redecorating, but if you enjoy painting and don’t mind repainting every couple of years, go ahead and let the paint color be your child’s choice. Choose a border that matches the theme. If you don’t want the border to be glued to the wall, choose one that is self-adhesive. These can be easily removed later without damaging the paint. Putting the border at your child’s eye level instead of around the ceiling is a good option for a toddler room. There are also lots of stick-on decals available in many themes at hardware and retail marketer’s stores. These are very inexpensive and can add a lot of personality to a room. Posters are also an inexpensive option and can decorate a space very effectively.

New blinds and curtains can quickly add to the theme. Shelves can be easily hung and can display toys, pictures or other items that also help pull the theme of the room together. Besides the decorations, you want to consider organizing the room to meet your toddler’s growing needs as well. Get rid of those infant rattlers and space-robbing baby gyms. Update with more age appropriate toys and games. Make space for your toddler to work and draw or color.

Update their closet by moving the bar down to their level. Invest in some childrens clothes hangers and encourage your child to start selecting their own outfits and dressing themselves. A hat or coat rack installed inside the closet door down low will encourage your child to start taking care of their own room by hanging hats, bags and coats when they enter the room. Placing a bench in this area will encourage them to put on their own shoes and start to take care of themselves. Your efforts will help your child grow confidently and make life easier for you and your child.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of childrens hangers. The right childrens clothes hangers really make the difference in kid's retail or home organization. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.

DIY Little Boy Room Ideas

Boys can be very active and you want to keep this in mind when you’re designing a room for them. Everything must be organized and easily accessible by your little fellow. Getting organized can take a little planning, but its well worth the effort. Once you get everything in place, you can start decorating. Hiring an interior decorator and making major changes can get expensive. Here are some ideas on how to organize and decorate in a cost effective, do it yourself, timely manner.

First take inventory of everything that you want to keep in the room. Start with the basics. Clothes need to be easily accessible to your and your child. Keep the closet nice and neat with high-quality childrens clothes hangers or childrens wooden hangers. Extra rods are easily added and can make twice the space in your child’s closet. Hang as much as possible to avoid overstuffing drawers. Closet organizers that hang from the rod can be great storage places for sports equipment, shoes or can be used to lay out school clothes for the week in advance. Use high shelves for extra bedding or out of season clothing. Hooks and behind-the-door racks are convenient for hats, book bags, belts and other small items that may not currently have a place to go.

The next step is organizing the toys. This is something that parents sometimes dread, but the effort is well worth it. When toys are organized, it makes cleaning the room a snap. Little boys will play with things that they once ignored and get the most out of the toys that they have. Toy boxes stuffed with every kind of toy is confusing and just looks like clutter when it’s opened. Toys are lost, crushed and parts are separated when they’re not organized. Let’s face it, it happens to everyone and it makes for money wasted on toys that do not get played with.

Divide toys into groups like super heroes, balls, sports equipment, big trucks, little cars, and so forth. Use existing shelves and toy boxes to separate each type of toy. If you have a large toy box, you can sometimes use cardboard boxes inside of it to keep things separated. You can also add buckets and extra shelving to the room for just a little money. Use the space under the bed for larger trucks, train sets and race tracks. Put games with small pieces up high so that you can dictate when they are taken out and ultimately dumped. This will help keep things organized and keep their toys and games together with all of their parts. No more wasted money or time searching for pieces and parts.

If you’re trying to save money, go with a theme that matches the bed spread or the current color of the room. Wall adhesive stickers are a great option for kids who really want a character themed room, but will soon outgrow it. They are easily removed and won’t leave marks on the walls. Kids have fun decorating their own room with stickers and the project will give you something fun to do with your child. Toys or balls hung from the ceiling add a cute touch to the room. Keep a dresser top or shelf clear for the character toys or sports equipment matching the theme to be displayed. Keep as much of the room as possible clear for play space and your little boy will have a fun new room to spend time in.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of Only Kids Hangers, a leading provider of childrens hangers. The right childrens clothes hangers really make the difference in kid's retail or home organization. For more information, please visit www.onlykidshangers.com.