The closet next to our front door was an obvious place for our coat closet when we first moved in. But since our definition of “coat closet” seems to include random stuff like cleaning supplies (vacuum, dust buster, etc) as well as miscellaneous files and bags, we quickly realized that it was smarter for us to use the deeper closet under the stairs for that stuff instead. It’s slightly closer to the garage anyways, so it’s actually a more convenient spot for daily coat access (not that I’m ready to admit summer’s over yet).
But that left this lonely guy next to the door without a job to do. And what’s the opposite of having a job? Playing with toys. That’s what.
Well, not so much playing with them as storing them. I’ll get to the “why?” of this toy closet in a moment, but let me start with the “how?” since it was kind of lacking in the shelving department. We considered building some more shelves like the existing one up top (i.e. nailing wood braces to the wall and resting a board on top). But we decided we wanted something with more flexibility (so that we could alter the shelf spacing over time). So after perusing the options at a couple of stores, we landed on this Rubbermaid option at Home Depot (but with wood shelves, not wire ones).
Installation was pretty straightforward. Pun intended, since you do have to be careful about keeping your tracks straight and level when hanging them so your shelves don’t look all wonky. I used my laser level to help me mark my drill spots so they lined up and the shelves would be nice and straight.
Rubbermaid sells a hardware pack that comes with anchors and screws, so it was kind of a no brainer. I just drilled a hole in the wall at each spot, tapped in the anchor, and then screwed the track securely in place.
When placing the second track I again wanted to make sure it was level with the first. Don’t mind the green slime on my yardstick. It was a victim of this paint spill in the garage.
Once both tracks were in place, I clipped in the brackets and rested the shelves right on top of them. Our closet was just an inch-ish narrower than the 36″ stock white shelf they sold, so it did require a quick cut on the table saw for each one.
Certainly not the sexiest shelving unit I’ve ever laid eyes on, but considering it took me about an hour to install and it’ll be behind a closed door most of the time, we’re satisfied customers. Especially since it made this closet approximately 89.542% more functional, and we can move the shelves to be closer together or further apart, depending on what we’re storing. Here’s the cost breakdown:
- Four 12″ x 36″ shelves: $14
- Eight 12″ brackets: $28
- Two 48″ twin tracks: $13
- Two hardware packs: $4
- TOTAL: $59
With “construction” done, Sherry gave the existing blue shelf and baseboard a couple coats of white primer and paint and then loaded in the toys after everything dried.
We know some of you might be scratching your head at this. A toy closet in the foyer? And with things she can’t even reach? Plus, where can I get one of those panda hats? Well hang on to your bear-less heads, for I will explain…
Clara’s at an age where it’s tough for more than a few favorite toys (like her play kitchen or her dolls) to keep her interest for more than a minute or two. So she can be that typical three-year-old tornado that burns through an entire jumbled basket of cars, balls, puzzles, and games in five minutes. We also have a few things that we don’t keep readily accessible to her since they’re supervised activities, like painting, markers, play-doh, etc. So that’s where the idea for this toy closet, er, toy library comes in. We figured we could still keep a basket of her favorite toys out in a few rooms where she plays (along with larger things like her dollhouse and play kitchen) but the rest of those easily-dumped-and-ditched items might feel more special and exciting to her if they’re not always jumbled up in a basket that’s right under her nose.
We call it a “library” because it’s meant to have the same effect that library books have on her versus the books that we have around all the time. Library books seem special and new, keeping her excited and attentive longer. So we’ve taken a bunch of her existing toys and activities out of the everyday access spots and organized them in this closet (which is centrally located, so it’s actually a convenient spot). Here’s how it works:
- Clara often plays with a few favorite toys that are still out in baskets, but if she decides she’d like something from the closet, she just asks us and we help her get the item that she wants
- She can only “check one thing out” at a time, so one thing must be returned before another is taken out (this is already really inspiring her to clean things up before asking for something else)
- We hope this will work for us long-term (growing up Sherry and I both had a closet with shelves full of board games and movies, so we think even for older kids this could come in handy – especially since we can adjust the shelf spacing).
We debated organizing with cute image or photo labels (since Clara can’t read the words yet) but since it’s a grown-up guided activity (meaning we’ll be the ones getting things off most of the shelves for a long time since they’re out of her reach anyway), we stuck with text labels for now. Sherry even repurposed a frame to make a little “menu” of what’s inside so she can quickly offer up some suggestions to Clara without digging through all the baskets and bins to remember what’s in there.
The toy library closet has actually been in use for a couple of weeks now (we wanted to wait to report on how it’s working for us – just in case it was a huge bust and we decided it was a better tool closet or something), and so far it’s working even better than expected. I sort of anticipated this being one of those “a 3 year old won’t bend to your need for systems and order, Petersik!” moments but Clara actually loves it. It seems to be helping with her attention span and how long she plays with things (we’ve had a couple marathon marker coloring sessions lately) – and it’s definitely helping her better grasp the concept of cleaning up one mess before making another.
So yes, we may be the weirdos who greet our guests with a basket of finger paints and an over-sized dinosaur puzzle, but the former library employee in me is quite proud of our little closet. Ooooh, maybe we should make library cards?! Too far, Petersik. Too far.
If you’re In the mood to peruse more shelf projects and ideas, this post has a collection of 16 DIY shelving ideas.
Psst- Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint color we used? Just click on this button:
Amber Michael says
Thank you so much for this!!! I’m going to do this in the closet of the bedroom we’re turning in to our studio office! Such a great idea!!!
Rachel says
I’m really impressed at not only your shlelving prowess but also the fact that the closet isn’t overflowing with toys. Is that all for photos or do you really keep things that simplified in the toy arena? (Please say all for show, please say all for show…)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s really all we have in there! Haha! But we do have a basket of favorite toys in the living room and in Clara’s room so those are readily available. She also has a play kitchen and a dollhouse and a chalkboard around the house as well as a drawing desk, so those “stations” are definitely play zones too, so it’s not all tucked in the closet :)
xo
s
Christina says
Toy rotation goes a long way in helping kids actually engage in a meaningful way with what they have. Less is always more! We take many long car trips and I do basically the same thing. Each has a travel bag, but can only have one thing at a time. They have nothing for the first 1-2 hours, but then we set a timer for 30 minutes before they can make another choice. Often times in a 8-12 hour road trip they only choose to change it up 3-4 times. No movies or video games necessary ;)
Sarah says
Our 70 year old colonial does not offer us a closet on the main floor, but we luckily have a playroom. That room has been filled to the brim with small shelves, baskets, etc. and after another fun play date yesterday where EVERY basket was dumped on to the floor, I am in need of a change. With our two year old being such a climber, I think installing shelves would be a bad idea. Thanks for the inspiration to simplify a bit. Off to search Craigslist for an armoire (we can secure to the wall!)
Allison says
What a great idea! I love seeing what you guys come up with to personalize your home for your family!
Valerie says
We have the same thing! Only our toy library is in the guest room closet since we are short on closet spaces else where :) I find its nice for babysitter and relative who don’t know what to do with our two year old. take her to the closet and sh will pick :)
Tiffany says
What a beautiful home! Wow! I just found my new go-to blog for home inspiration!
We will be moving into a very large townhome soon and I am so excited to start painting and decorating!
Gabi says
We just converted an under the stairs closet into a kids’ haven! It has two different heights, and the kids’ play kitchen fits into it! They call it their apartment. Complete with tiny kid sized door :). They love it and when company comes over I can toss all their toys in and close the door. I will email a photo.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome!
xo
s
Bethany @ Dwellings By DeVore says
Such a great idea!
Angela, blue i style says
This is such a great idea. We have a play area in our basement with the majority of the toys, as well as baskets throughout the house with a few toys in each of the other rooms where our boys play (well, really only one boy is old enough to play, but it won’t be long…). But we also have an underutilized closet in the basement (it’s one of four “elevator closets” in our house – long story, but you can read the explanation here if your curious: http://www.blueistyle.blogspot.com/2013/08/BabyLinenCloset.html). The basement elevator closet would be a perfect place for a “Toy Library” and I especially love the idea of having a list of toys to reference and the concept of checking out one thing at a time. Our oldest is only 20 months old – so this project is probably better a year or so down the road, but I’m adding it to my long to-do list! Thanks for the inspiration!
Bridgit says
I did not read other comments to see if someone has mentioned this — but I really hope you paint the brick to match the color of the siding. It would flow so well and look great with the happy blue door and black shutters!
Kate says
We live in a small villa so don’t have much spare space so have a small billy bookshelf from ikea with doors on in the lounge / dining area that miss 3 calls her craft cupboard. It’s got all her textas, glueing, beading, coloring in books, water beads etc in. She knows she has to ask before she gets an activity out of it. It’s the Childcare worker in me that has it all set up perfectly and organized with photo labels on. Can’t wait until we get a bigger house and can have a whole cupboard for it all :o)
Katie says
Question: are the shelves secured to the braces at all? Was just looking at the materials you used at Home Depot & notices the braces don’t have a lip or anything on the front to hold the self kind of secure (or do yours have a lip on th maybe???) wondering of the shelf just rests on there loose or is held in place somehow.
YoungHouseLove says
The brace is pretty deep so it seems to feel secure without any lip. We wondered about that too but after installing them and using them for a few weeks they work well.
xo
s
Nicole says
That is a fan-freakin-tastic idea! I try to do the toy rotate, but it never works like I plan… a toy library is genius! And hurrah for it making the toys into longer lasting entertainment – we have that same problem too.
Kelsey Yoki says
Such an awesome idea! I love it!
Sally says
Cool! I don’t have kids, but I installed similar shelving in my guest room closet to store my camping gear and craft supplies. It’s been like that for a couple of years and is working great.
Bailey says
I think it’s great, especially if it works for you guys! I doubt anyone will be judging you haha. Awesome that this storage project also doubles as a learning project for Clara. So clever!
Bailey
http://akabailey.blogspot.com
Alexandra says
I love it! glad Im not the only one with kids toys and games in the closet! Ours is full of out of rotation toys, kind of like a library, but yours is organized so much better! I think I might have to steal the “menu” idea and re organize a little. Our closet is really wide, so i built wood shelves in it with a shoe shelf on bottom and space for coats on the side. So it does both jobs, since we only have one entry closet.
I think this is perfect though, and I love those types of shelves, we have some in other areas, and they are so versatile
laura londergan says
LOVE it & just wanted to say “great minds think alike”. I did this when my daughter was ONE in my front foyer right by our front door and it was STOCKED full of toys and still is! The system works great & we are still using it to this day! And guess what? . . .my daughter is TEN! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so awesome to hear!
xo
s
Casey says
Ive been in homes where the coat closet was nowhere near the front door. You can either put a coat rack for guests in the front hall, or just offer to take their coats when they visit (like a good host should!)
Bonnie says
Inspired yet again by YHL… Turned a grossly underutilized closet into a “game closet” and secret hideaway (named by 7yo as the “Reading Paradise”) complete with camping lantern and thrown together with only scrap surfaces and wood found in the garage. Free project = hours upon hours of fun for an only child.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome Bonnie!
xo
s
Betty819 says
What is the laser tool that John was using to install the closet tracks? I’m glad I’m not the only one that does not like those wire shelves. Did John buy the shelfing already cut to size or cut it himself and painted it before installing? I have a handyman’s name/number that I want to see if he is available to do some handyman jobs for me..since my DH isn’t physically able to do things like that anymore. I need to sit down and write down all I want to hire done and sit down with him and get him to write a proposal for each project. Our home was built in 1977 and the builder installing sliding closet doors that reach from ceiling to floor and they are a pain in you know where. I want him to not only replace the wire shelves but install new doors too. It will be a little bit carpentry work involved as he will need to build a header after he takes the doors out..buy the new door and then install. I think bi-fold would be better then ones that open up because they wouldn’t be blocking the hallway when opened.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a laser level. He loves it! I think it’s by Black & Decker.
xo
s
Katy says
Help please! So I decided to do this to my closet. I have my 2 twin tracks, I’m doing 3 shelves (yeah HD for cutting them for me!) so I have 6 bracket, and I got the hardware packs for the twin tracks. The hardware pack doesn’t have any install directions. I have 6 anchors with 6 corresponding screws, and then 4 other long screws and 4 other short screws, and then a black pin thing, oh and 6 black circle stickers and 6 white. The only directions on the packets are to insert the pin into the anchor to engage drywall. I can’t find any directions online either. Please help. #29weekspregnant. #wannabediy
Katy says
I know roughly how to install the dry wall anchors from this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV3Sb77VLy4 but I’m at a loss as to the other screws.
YoungHouseLove says
My memory is that they give you a variety of options, since everyone’s scenario is different. If you’re lucky enough that your tracks line up with a stud (i.e. the screw doesn’t easily just slide into the wall after you’ve gone through the drywall) you’ll only need the screws, not the anchors (when in doubt, use the longer screws). Without a stud, you’ll need to drill a pilot hole (sorry, don’t remember the exact size) just big enough to push the anchor through. The pin may be to help fold the anchor so it can fit through the hole. Not sure what “engage drywall” means – maybe to help make a starter hole or mark your spot? I would attach each track at the top, bottom and middle-ish (given that you have 6 anchors). The circle stickers are to put over the head of the screw once everything’s installed so that you can match the color of your track rather than seeing a silver dot. Sorry I don’t remember more clearly!
-John
Katy says
My dear husband called at lunch… I was still freakin’ out. He asked if I had made any holes yet. I said no, just kept marking up the wall with pencil marks and searching on line. He said he would come home for lunch and install the tracks. Hooray! They’re in! I figured all the other screws are to secure the shelves to the brackets but I can’t figure out how to do that either… But at least I can load all the games, puzzles, and art crap in there for now until he can do it later. I LOVE reading your blog, but I just don’t think I’m cut out for any of this stuff… Oh well. Married the right one!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad it’s working out!
-John
Katy says
Thanks!