About a year ago, Don (my 3, almost 4 year old) got his first Lego set- he loved that thing and I loved building it with him. Needless to say, we were hooked. He got sets for his birthday, Christmas, and just for fun. And finally, we had so many sets I just didn’t know how to deal with all the chaos that are teeny tiny Lego parts.
Guys, they were everywhere! Like a tornado hit my house! Pieces were getting lost and I hated the chaos that I felt with the hundreds of pieces scattered everywhere. It was time for a solution!
how to organize Legos
So I set out to organize them! I think the first step in Lego organization is to be honest with yourself about how you use them. For us, Don likes to play with the built sets and sometimes break those sets, but he still can’t build without help. So, since an adult is always building with him from the original instructions, I decided that sorting them out by color would be the most efficient way to organize them.
getting the right containers
To start off, I went in my kitchen and grabbed Tupperware and started sorting the pieces by color. That gave me a good idea of how many pieces of each color we had. To be honest, I sorted the Legos by color over 2 weeks. I’d sort the colors, buy a few bins, see what was left, and buy more bins. It was a bit of a process. Here’s the containers that worked for us.
acrylic shoe boxes
I’ve had 4 acrylic shoe boxes on hand for over 10 years (you can get the same ones here). I used to use them for shoes, but found that I don’t use shoes when I put them away in the box (I’m lazy with shoe storage I guess).
So I repurposed the shoe boxes for Legos. I used these for grey, white, black, and Lego bases- the biggest pieces that really clog up other bins when stored with all the small Legos. These are SUPER nice to use because they stack and you can easily open and close the drawers. Plus they’re clear so you can look at the bottom where the tiny pieces tend to settle.
condiment bins
Now that I had the first colors settled, I needed something for the next largest number of Legos. For this, I found condiment holders with acrylic bins- I think these were made for hotel continental breakfasts. This is where I store the red, blue, yellow, green, brown, and beige Legos. Again, you can hold up each bin to search the sides. Plus the wood base is really pretty!
tea boxes
For the last colors, where there aren’t very many of any one color, I sorted them into tea boxes. These boxes are made to organize tea bags, but work nicely for Legos. They aren’t clear all the way around and can be a tiny bit annoying to dig through, but they are beautiful and since there’s not that many colors in here, it’s not that big of a deal. Oh, and they’re affordable too- $11 per box.
cutlery tray
I’ve organize the wheels and people in two cutlery trays. The people tray has animals, food, outfit stuff (hats, backpacks, hair, etc.)- all the stuff that makes the sets come to life. This bin ends being my son’s favorite to play with. These are nice and shallow so they’re easy to sort through.
file sorter
Lastly, I needed to sort the Lego instructions. For this, I bought an inexpensive file sorter (though I wish I had bought a more sturdy one since we’ve almost outgrown this folder). Inside, I labeled each tab and sorted the instructions. I have a section for cars, construction vehicles, houses, etc. This makes it SO easy to find each instruction book.
white bin
We used to just throw all of the Legos into a bunch of bins. We still have one IKEA box leftover and this has all of the in progress pieces and parts Don likes to play with. I use these bins from IKEA for a bunch of the toy storage because they are SUPER affordable, stack, and I really like that they are white (why do kid storage have to be lots of bright colors?!).
To make the label on front, I took a picture on my phone of the contents of the box with ABC magnetic letters that spell LEGO. Then, I use my Prynt (a small portable phone printer) to print the picture. The picture has a sticky back that I just put on the bin. Super easy and it helps my son know what bin holds what toys.
built sets
On the bookshelf inside the console, I have a shelf set aside for fully built sets. I’m trying so hard to have a spot for everything in this house, even Lego cars ;).
For me, the trickiest part of organizing the Legos was finding the perfect containers. Sorting them by color is a little tedious, but easy. Plus it does make it much faster when looking for pieces to build sets. We’ve spent WAY more time playing Lego now that they are organized in a quickly accessible way.
video
For me, seeing everything in video format is SO helpful! Hopefully this will give you a good overview on what I did.
If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. P.s. I’m trying to build that page up, so if you’d subscribe, I’d really appreciate that!So there are my best Lego organizing tips! Let me know in the comments how you organize your Legos.
p.s. if you missed any of the playroom posts, you can catch up here-
Have you missed any of the posts from the playroom makeover? If so, you can catch up by clicking on any of the below cards: jungle themed playroom reveal! I share toy storage and organization ideas. This is a room for toddler boys with a more modern and sophisticated design and grown up furniture, rug, and decor. A small space with DIY ideas for decorating and displaying art. DIY play kitchen. How to make a kids play kitchen from a wooden entertainment center. A retro makeover with the best ideas for how to redo one for a toddler on a budget with interior food storage. Mine is for my son's new playroom so this is perfect for boys. how to install crown molding. Ideas with my best tricks for how to make this easy. You'll want to make sure to use a crown stop (or jig) to get the corners perfect. I have a video tutorial to illustrate my tips. Plus simple ways to cut crown molding for an angled ceiling. Click through for a modern before and after for crown molding in my playroom. how to make a kraft paper roller- a super easy DIY tutorial with a video. These retail for $150 other places, but you can make one for much less! Plus this is a shelf, so that's extra function! I share step by step instruuctions for making this functional dispenser. DIY dress up rack. Perfect for kids who love dressing up. You could also use it for hanging clothes. These wood dowels and PVC pipes are a great storage solution and actually a simple project to make! I made this for our play room, but it'd be great for any small spaces. Click through for the video tutorial how to install a shiplap ceiling with this easy DIY. This look was made popular by Joanna Gaines and gives the perfect farmhouse look while adding dimension and interest to a space. I share a video tutorial for how I install it in a bedroom and playroom using real shiplap. how to caulk baseboards and windows trimlike a pro. Quick and easy steps so your project will look professional (and be less of a mess)! Plus a video tutorial of this DIY how to install baseboards. A DIY video tutorial with simple tips for installing tall white trim the easy way. Step by step instructions for putting in base board millwork How to lay laminate flooring- an easy DIY that I promise you can install! I share all the information you need with a video tutorial. Tips and step by step instructions so you can do it too! Stop by for every detail you need! how to paint a room super quick. Painting: How to Paint a Room Fast... Awesome tips from a pro painter. Painting with a roller- a DIY video tutorial with tips on how to paint a wall white without streaks. Plus, how to cut in without tape. how to make a mood board without photoshop. This is perrfect for redecorating a room and is exactly what every interior designer does to viduualize a room. I'll show you a step by step video tutorial for how to create a mood board collage with inspiration for how to DIY one yourself. how to install removable wallpaper - a beginner's guide with a tutorial on video. Removeable or peel and stick wallpaper is great for renters in apartments! It works if you own your house too and looks beautiful in bedrooms, bathroom, nursery, dining room, and powder rooms. Click through for my best tips for how to hang. Its an easy DIY and I'll share how to get the patterns lined up straightPlayroom Posts
Jungle Themed Playroom Remodel
DIY Play Kitchen
How to Install Crown Molding
How to make a Kraft Paper Roller - at home with Ashley
DIY Dress up Rack
How to Install a Shiplap Ceiling
How to Caulk
How to Install Baseboards
How to Lay Laminate Flooring
How to Paint a Wall super quick - at home with Ashley
How to Make a Moodboard
How to Install Removable Wallpaper - at home with Ashley
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