Tips on Storing Outgrown Clothes

I've got the same problem. I've found that the plastic storage bins are the best for me as long as I label them clearly. I've found that no matter how well sorted and organized the clothes are I still go thru 2 or 3 bins to find all that I want. With children ages 1, 3, and 5 I'm finding that they are not growing consistently with the seasons and that different children like different things. My latest system is to have an under the bed storage bins. One for things they out grown and one for consignment and one for out of season that they may still wear (this is usually spring &fall gear). When the bins get full I sort thru and put in the final storage bins in the attic. I'm still looking for the 'cheap' bins. Good Luck!

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Yes, I agree all same plastic clear bins. If you find more than one size in one tub, put them in individual labeled plastic bags inside the bin, as well as seasonal clothes.

I tried the vacuum bags and when I unsealed the bag, I had a hole the size of the vacuum hose in my husbands favorite sweat shirt.

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I use clear plastic bins and put a paper facing the outside telling me what size/season the clothes are. I like the papers b/c I can rearrange bins without scrubbing marker off the outside if I have to. I also like being able to see the clothes inside if I think I have something a friend needs to borrow.

I also make sure to keep an open box in my kids closet so I can just toss things in there as they outgrow them (makes the 'sorting through everything in the dresser' a little less daunting). Also, we all know that some clothes are sized differently so if something says 24 months but really fit my 12 month old I put it in the 12 month box so we don't miss out on it the second time around!

We have moved 3 times in the last 3 years and these totes have made life a lot easier in that time when we had our second daughter, just grab the next size!

I've bought all our bins at Target, I can add to the collection with same/similar pieces and I'm always there anyways. I'm sure their prices are low and a since I'm saving myself time and money by not searching all over I don't mind if I find out a similar bin is 35 cents cheaper somewhere else.

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The best tip anyone ever gave me (and this worked for moving too) is that you should put the labels on masking tape so they are easy to remove and you can use the same containers over and over. If you do use diaper boxes which do work well since they have handles and are cheaper, just seal them on the top with an old plastic grocery bag so bugs and dust won't get in. I got some of my bins at Lowe's or Home Depot when they were on sale, but the rest were on cheap sale right before kids went back to school and they had a bunch of different colors which I used to color code for each kid.

I used the smallish-medium sized storage tubs from Walmart. The dark green ones. They have been around forever. They fit under the day bed perfectly and I write on the sides things like: Girls Winter size 12 months-18 months, or boys newborn Winter.

I like them being out of sight and anyone seeing them not being able to see if they are neatly folded and stuff. It won't hurt them to be stored anywhere dry, like a basement or attic. They just need to be washed as soon as you take them out.

I use the under the bed storage tubs too. The twin bed in J's room is low so those fit under it nicely. They hold a whole wardrobe ahead for each child. Right now K has spring and Summer clothes that fit her int he Fall and also a size too big that are hand me downs. J has the Christmas decorations and wrapping paper in the ones under his bed. The longer under the bed flat tubs fir the paper and stuff better than the taller tubs.

My husband was able to get computer paper boxes for free at work if he asked, and that's what we used. In the bigger sizes (10ish and up) I had to use more than one box per size. They have nice lids and were free. I have re-used them for many, many years and they hold up well.

I use clear plastic bins from Walmart...I think they're the 58 quart size. I sort my clothes by size so 3 months, 6 months, etc. Then I just slip a paper in a couple of the sides labeling what it is (i.e. Girl, 9 months) I've found by doing it this way, I don't make a mess of my bins because they aren't permanently labeled, so I can rearrange in the future as needed. I also try to only keep one plastic bin in each size, so i pick my favorites and anything that doesn't fit in the bin, I give away. I figure with "style" changes and the fact that when I have another one I know I won't be able to not buy a few new things that one bin is enough. Hope that helps:)

Put the vacuum bags in the plastic totes for easier stacking AND putting the most you can in the totes! Sort into size and season (size 2t Summer, size 3t Winter, etc). Write on the outside what is in the totes.

Right now, WalMart has red and green totes on sale (after Christmas....not 50% off, but real cheap). You can always go back and get more later, but maybe not as cheap or in the same color.

You could also sort size or season by color of totes! I have many totes of different colors, using color to sort. Red for Christmas stuff, black for Halloween, green for St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras, and clear for DS's stuff.

There are giant zip lock bags that work well. They are extra thick and I think are meant for things like sports equipment but they work well for clothing. Since you compress them to get the air out, they will only be as big as the volume of clothing you have so it's easy to store by season and size. And they are way cheaper than buying storage bins.

At Costco, they have plastic bins... like in a 3 pack that is much cheaper than other stores.
These are for those bigger sized rectangular plastic storage "bins" with the flap top. And it can be stacked.

But make sure, that because the bins are not air-tight... that bugs may get into them... and store the clothing in a dry area, to deter mildew.

I plan on 5 kids total so my system M. no work for you.
1st, I get rid of anything girly. Yes the next kids might be a girl, but really, a girl in a baseball uniform at 3 months old is acceptable with a bow while a boy in a pink tutu is socially unacceptable.
2nd i get rid of anything that my kids never wore. That is right if it still has tags, I sell it on ebay. A little wear, I keep it, but I have found that there is a reason I didn't want little one in the outfit to begin with (Someone gave me the CUTEST little onesie that didn't snap at the bottom in a newborn size... Really, I don't want to fully undress my baby to get to the wet diaper, SOLD it on EBAY! someone elses problem!)
3rd thing is that I then pare down to about 15 to 30 outfits per age group/size. Grandparents will always buy clothing for the new one, so if you like 25-45 outfits per size, like I do, then you won't have to get rid of more after the kids get gifts.

Storage wise, I keep them stored by age for the 1st year and then just orginize by clothing type (pants in one box, socks in a ziploc, old shoes, and shirts, each in their own place) this is VERY helpful when you have multiable children and everyone hits a grown spert all at once. Right now I need to get the 4t and 2t clothing out and put away the 3t and 12 month stuff. I want to have the next baby in about 12 more months so I can then just keep adding to the clothing.

What I store in are 40 gallon totes. We actually did this because we had shelving that came built into the house and it was the PERFECT size (Sadly the sales on storage is right after X-mas, like the week right after so you JUST missed it!). The person I took the idea from also had many children and she found that some of her kids were chubby in the middle while others were stick thin so sizes didn't really matter much.

I do file boxes, which I started when we were in a much smaller house, but have liked. I do one box per size per season. Outer wear (coats and boots) get an extra. I only keep what I would actually use again, and use the rest for gifts (new and unused) or sell on eBay (new or used). I have found this amount mostly works, although I have one kid who is incredibly hard on clothes, and sometimes does not have enough, but if you're in a good loop for hand-me-downs, or have Freecycle, you'll be able to fill in the holes. I have no system for saving shoes, as my oldest boy destroys shoes before he outgrows them, and then I have just another boy and a girls, so the other shoes are passed on. I have thought about switching to plastic bins, but I like to keep the next size up on the shelf in the bedroom closet, so it's handy when the kids suddenly grows and you need something in a hurry, and I've found that the file boxes work well for that.

For switching out clothes, I have a bin in my daughter's closet (for now), and all the clothes that no longer are needed for whatever reason go in there. When it's full, I sort what I'm saving, what needs to be turned into rags, and what is ready to pass on. I keep a kitchen size trash bag of boys and girls, and when that is full, I pass it on. At some point, she'll probably want all of that out of her closet, but it works for now. GL! Have fun!

I save the stuff I love and the stuff that costs a lot and isn't really a trend...like jeans/coats.......I have mine in a vaccuum bag under my daughter's bed....The rest gets given to those around me who may benefit, Goodwill or sold.....

We use big plastic bins as well. We get ours at walmart. The kind that latch on the side are the best because if it's full you can still seal it and it won't com e off. The ones we buy are about $11 a bin and we just buy them as we need them. They do go on sale once in awhile. For our daugter we use big onces and store her clothes, shoes, socks buy year. So if we have another girl we can just pull out the first year and be done!

If you're looking for a plastic tote that's really durable, the Rubbermaid Roughneck line is the best I've found. I got some over 10 years ago and I've used other clear plastic ones since and those (clear plastic ones) have almost all broken but the Roughneck ones are still in good shape. They come in a few different sizes so you can use what best fits what you have. I just label the outside with masking tape so I can change it if I need to and keep a different side in each container. I usually get these at Target, although I've seen them at Wal Mart before too. They've been around for a long time, so I'm sure they'll still be around for a while.

Good luck!

yes the clear plastic bins work the best. I just get the Sterilite ones at Walmart. Buy the cheapest ones but not necessarily the smallest. I usually get the 70 quart size. The 50 quart is usually too shallow for what I need. I label every bin with the size it contains and face that side out to the front. As much as possible I also try to lay the clothing flat in layers. It helps to keep them from looking all wadded up and I can just "flip" through them when I want to see what's in there.

I weed out the clothes. I save my favorites or things that are not easily replaceable and get rid of the rest. You can sell a whole box of clothes on craigslist or ebay. I'd rather have the free space and get some new things later if I need.... you never know the season or sex of the new baby anyways, so all those clothes you save may not be used.

I use the rectangular storage bins, and label them by size or season and stack them in the top shelf and side of the closet. Storing in the garage or attic only makes them more susceptible to mildew/bugs.

I get mine from Walmart, Target or Joanns. They go on sale a lot and are always there.

I use clear plastic bins from Costco, sometimes the mailer has a coupon for them. I think they are usually $16 for 2, and I think it's the 32 quart size. I agree putting an index card inside with the description of what's in there works well. Then we set up the garage shelving especially to accommodate the bins, where you can put the shelves at whatever height works best, but a lot of them are stacked on top of each other inside the house too. So worth it to be able to just pull the next box down! I think it is a good idea to get all the same kind of box so they stack well.