My daughter just turned two. The milestone was met with a party, complete with balloons, streamers, cake and ice cream… and a room makeover. I was going to replace her crib with a toddler bed, but that seemed a bit ambitious given the fact that she is very small for her age and still loves her crib. Instead, I decided to change the wall decorations and add new furniture.
The transformation didn’t take much effort, just a little coordination. I needed to get my daughter out of the house (my husband took her to see a Care Bears show) so that I could work efficiently. I had already drawn up a mini blue print illustrating where everything would go. I chose several items from IKEA (I find that their children’s furniture is affordable and functional), including two three-tiered shelving units. You can find these shelves at just about any hardware or furniture store. Each unit is 35 inches tall, just the right height for her to access her toys without yelling for assistance. I put her books and puzzles on the bottom shelf, Fisher-Price Little People toys (school bus, airplane, etc.) on the middle shelf and stuffed animals on the top shelf (just in case they were to fall while she was reaching up to grab them, she wouldn’t get hurt). I followed the same rule with the other shelf; stacking heavier items on the bottom, lighter ones on top.
Next, I quickly assembled a 27-inch, three-tier toy organizer shelf. Its wooden frame holds nine brightly colored plastic bins. This was my favorite purchase. I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it at first, but once I got all of her toys in it and saw how easy it was for her to retrieve them, I instantly knew it was a great buy. The bins are perfect for her Duplo blocks, stuffed toys and art supplies. What’s more, the bins sit on the frame at a slight angle, allowing you to see all the contents without having to tilt them over.
Finally, I purchased a cloth pocket organizer. It’s basically a 54-inch, 16 pocket shoe organizer, made to hang from a door, but I tacked it on to the wall so the bottom of it skims the carpet, that way my daughter is able to reach most of the pockets. I filled the pockets with her smaller toys, stuffed animals, hair accessories, and plastic jewelry. It’s a nice addition that displays her toys well and takes the place of her toy box, which I removed from her room. Whereas a toy box gives you a place to “hide” the mess, it also hides the toys. With my daughter, if she doesn’t see it, it doesn’t exist. The shelves, the toy organizer and the pocket organizer all allow her to see her options. And frees me from constantly having to assist her in opening boxes and containers.
I will detail the new wall decorations I created in: Extreme Makeover—Children’s Room Edition Part 2.