Skip to main content

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Declutter your nursery: Our top tips

The key to a decluttered nursery is carefully choosing what should be in the nursery, then arranging and storing those items effectively. We have some excellent nursery storage ideas that will help you keep your baby’s room tidy and feeling airy.

A chair and dresser In a nursery
virtua73/Shutterstock

Organizing your nursery

First, start out with the bare basics and think hard about what you really need. Are there other closets in the house where you can keep their winter clothes in the summer? Can those toys and books go in the living room? Can extra boxes of diapers not yet opened go in the basement? And even beyond those items, look at the furniture choices. Do you need a floor lamp, or can you use a nightlight? Can the top of the dresser be used as the changing table?

Related Videos

Once you know what you want to keep in the nursery, it’s time to declutter by having the perfect storage place for each thing.

Nursery wall storage

Look for solutions that don’t take up floor space, like wall storage. Keeping the floor clean, clear, and open will make the space feel bigger, and having storage options off the floor will make it easier to keep the area picked up because you’ll have somewhere to put everything.

Door organizers: One spot you may not have thought of as functional is the back of the door. Look how much you can fit there with this 3 Sprouts Hanging Wall Organizer.

You could designate an over-the-door organizer for just toys so that if the baby pulls things out of it once they’re mobile, it won’t be dangerous like diaper cream or frustrating like finding they’ve thrown clean diapers everywhere. Don’t just use the door to the rest of the house — also hang organizers on the outside of the closet door. This would be the perfect place for shoes, booties, socks, hats, bows, tights, bandanas, bibs, and headbands that could easily turn into piles of clutter.

Toy hammocks: Toy hammocks are perfect solutions for toy storage. While most of your baby’s toys should be kept out of the nursery to designate it as a sleeping area, you likely have some stuffed animals you’d like them to have nearby. These storage hammocks can be placed in any unused corner either close to the floor, so your baby can access it on their own once they are crawling and walking, or high up near the ceiling where only the parents can choose to bring them down one at a time without creating a mess.

Shelving: The final piece of wall storage we recommend is shelving. These are popular for books but can also be used for toys, a night-light, a white noise machine, or other items. It’s best to only keep a few bedtime books in the nursery and stick the rest of the books on a larger bookshelf in the living room.

Off-wall nursery storage

Closet organizer: Besides using wall space, you can also take advantage of closet space with a caddy that hangs from a closet rod inside. This could be a good option for bedding, sleep sacks, swaddles, receiving blankets, and burp cloths.

Hamper: One of the only items you need in a nursery that will take up floor space besides essential furniture is a hamper. Look for one that is tall and narrow instead of wide, so it will take up less floor area. Also choose one with a lid to keep the mess out of sight.

Under the crib: One of the easiest places to find extra storage space is under the crib. If you don’t have anywhere else to store clothing they are too little for yet or are out of season (like puffy coats only for cold weather or swimsuits only for beach weather), this is an out-of-the-way area for things you don’t need to access as often.

Keep things fresh

Babies outgrow clothes and accessories quickly, so to keep clutter at a minimum, keep the rotation of what they need right now in circulation. Once they transition into swaddles, put them into storage for your next child or sell or donate them right away. Keeping items you don’t need anymore in the nursery is one of the easiest ways for clutter to build up. Onesies in a 0-3 size, pacifiers, unused size 1 diapers, and so on can all move out the door as soon as they’re not needed.

Whether it’s once a month or every three months, have a regularly scheduled “spring cleaning” year-round to reexamine what’s needed in the nursery.

With these storage hacks, you’ll be on your way to a decluttered nursery in no time. Enjoy all the moments along the way with your newfound floor space to play on.

Editors' Recommendations

Baby’s first haircut: Everything you need to know to get through this milestone without tears
How to handle your baby's first haircut
Baby getting a haircut

The first year of your child's life is filled with milestone moments, from their first smile to crawling for the first time to taking their first steps. For most parents, that first haircut is another milestone that can be emotional for both parents and child. The notion of cutting your baby's hair for the first time can bring you both to tears.

Whether you plan to pick up the scissors yourself or take your infant to a pro, a baby's first haircut can be an emotional time for everyone. Before you go DIY or make that first salon appointment, check out everything you need to know before your baby's first haircut.

Read more
5 amazing kid hairstyles for 10-year-old girls that are easy to do
We have kids' hairstyles that look adorable and don't take long to do
Mom fixing daughter's hair and putting it in braids

Looking for the perfect way to keep your child’s hair out of her face and eyes, but aren’t exactly a pro at kids’ hairstyles? You can keep your favorite girl fashionable and cool in any season with these easy kid hairstyles that take minimal skill and hardly any special products. She’ll love the way she looks (and you will, too!), and all her friends will be begging for the same hairdo.

Ready to be the most popular parent on the block? Check out these five amazing kid hairstyles for 10-year-old girls that are oh-so-easy and breezy. And not a single parent needs a beauty certification to do any of them.

Read more
Why you and your baby need a car mirror
Can't see your newborn when you're driving? Get a baby car mirror
Mom looking in the back seat

Finding out you're pregnant is such an exciting time. Whether it's your first baby on the way or a new sibling, you're overwhelmed with joy. One of the best things is making those shopping lists for all the things you're going to need for your little one. An item that should definitely be on your list of must-haves is a baby mirror for the car. A baby car mirror will end up being one of the most useful items you'll own as a new or veteran parent.

So what makes a baby mirror for the car so essential? Since your baby's car seat will be rear-facing for a little while, a car mirror allows you to look into your rearview mirror and see your baby's mirror, which is focused on the baby. You can take a quick peek and make sure your little one is resting fine without having to pull the car over and get out to check to on them. Basically, it saves you the dangerous task of looking backward and straining to make sure your pint-size passenger is safe and content or from pulling over onto the side of a roadway.

Read more