12 Great Ways to Use IKEA for Toy Storage

The battle to wrangle toys is – let’s face it – an ongoing one as holidays and birthdays roll around multiple times every year. But I feel like IKEA’s designers see my plight, because with every new catalog the ever-expanding collections of thoughtful play, organization and storage-friendly options seem to only improve. And even then, they’re really only limited to your imagination! You can take inspiration from the original concept or product, but the way in which you arrange it, stack it, hang it, paint it, or situate it into your home might just be the next IKEA hack to go viral.

So, today I’m sharing 12 ideas that start with an IKEA product and go on to arrange everything from clothes to toys, art, and school supplies – ideas that make kids’ rooms and play spaces fun, inviting and (hopefully) inspired to keep clean!

IKEA’s FLISAT doll house and wall shelf is an all-time favorite for good reason. It can go from doll house to bookshelf to cute cubby storage. As a dollhouse, there are endless ways to trick it out, by painting each “room” or adding wallpaper samples to the wall, then populating it with your child’s favorite mouse or doll collection. If you’re limited on floorspace, then simply can mount it to the wall. 

Also within the FLISAT collection, I’m adding this new toy storage bin on casters for go-anywhere play to our cart. This deep, sturdy bin, complete with a coordinating rope handle, makes it easy for kids to transport everything from a bin full of train tracks to blocks of stuffies. I love the solid pine and green wheels, but it can be easily painted to accommodate more colorful sensibilities.

Name a place in the house where you can’t find a place for something from IKEA’s solid wood IVAR series. From the kitchen to the garage, living room and even the bathroom, these shelving units, drawers, and cabinets are versatile enough to tackle any organization conundrum. Children’s rooms are no exception, and I especially love this shelving unit and cabinet combination, ideal for toddler clothing storage, which can easily transition to toy storage as kids (and their clothes) grow up.

Whether Lego bricks or train tracks, these two classic toys always seem to require thoughtful storage solutions, like plenty of storage room and dedicated surface play area. The DUNDRA activity table does all of the above. The table not only accommodates playtime but also has a wide, deep spacious drawers for tucking away said toys. Kids can stand at the table, or you can tuck a couple of FLISAT stools around, too.

Another cult favorite from the FLISAT collection is this wall-mounted bookshelf, which does the trick mounted individually or in multiples, whether books, art supplies or toys. For a complete bookshelf system, line an entire wall vertically and paint in your color of choice.

The SMÅSTAD bench with a pull-out storage drawer is the kind of piece that can conceal kid-related belongings in the entryway, mudroom, living room or bedroom. Not only does it come in several colors, but kids and their parents can trick it out with an optional bench pad (the perfect cozy perch for book worms) as well as optional handles and pulls.

IKEA’s BEKVÄM solid wood spice organizers are way under-utilized in children’s space. At $6.99, the price can’t be beat for accommodating mini collections of books, toys, art supplies, and plates in play kitchens. Seen here, parents mounted a trio to a pegboard for stowing easy-to-reach supplies in this genius workstation. 

Bet you’d never associate knife storage with a kid’s room but here I am desperate to do anything to corral all of those toy cars. In all seriousness though, I’m obsessed with using the KUNGSFOR magnetic knife strips as a functional, artful way of displaying those cars that my kids love so much. If you have an abundance, edit your favorites to the metal strips and tuck the rest away. 

In other completely relatable kid storage problems, is the all too familiar “we’ve run out of floor space” scenario. So once again IKEA has come to the rescue with a series of SKÅDIS pegboard vertical solutions that especially accommodate the kid with an art supply problem. Boards can be linked together to cover a larger space, and there are plenty of accessories, from cups to lidded containers, shelves, hooks, and pockets.

The only thing better than a cozy bed is one that doubles for close-by storage, and SLÄKT delivers in a big way. The bed fit fitted with four (yes, four!) drawers and two smaller open shelves. The handle-free, no hard edges are intentional designs so that kids can dangle their legs, jump on and slid off easily without obstruction. In other words, your kids are sure to approve of this bed, too.

The only thing better than storage is concealed storage. Okay, sure, as parents we want toys organized and tucked away (preferably without having to ask one thousand times) but frankly we’d like the whole package to look pretty, too. Enter this colorful hack of IKEA’s BESTÅ storage cabinets and shelves. Cued up in a pretty line, these beauties feel fresh and bright in colorful coats of paint.

Who isn’t obsessed with IKEA’s TROFAST storage? Not only is it available in multiple configurations for floor and vertical storage, but it’s available in white and wood finishes and now, plenty of new bin color options, too. All of the above makes it a cinch for parents and kids to stay organized but still, we love to see a good TROFAST hack. This desk slash art station combo is an all-around winner and so seamless you’d think it was designed this way. Simply color the desk and unit in the same color, add a pair or stools and desktop storage options and your kiddos are in business.

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