Reader Space: A Pretty Place to Play

Organized and pretty?  That is the name of the game around here!  And I love what superstar reader, Cas from Clutterbug.me, created for her kids!

Cas created really effective storage and most of it was thanks to the Dollar Store!  A dolla makes you holla!  Everyone's favorite place to snag a good deal on storage!  Here she is now to share more details:

What is the main function of the space?

"I wanted my three children to have a place to play, create and MAKE A MESS!  I rotate the toys often, so it's always a place they want to spend time and play in."

Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"Love a labeled bin system.  It's easy for my little ones to find the toys they want and just as easy for them to put everything away in it's proper 'home'."

What items did you find were essential in organizing the space, and why?

"My girls love doing crafts, so creating an art center was essential for the space.  I used an old, low book shelf to hold all of their craft supplies in easy-to-access containers.  With all the supplies being visible, they are inspired to really get creative with their masterpieces!" 

What did you do to go the extra mile and "Make it Pretty"?

We went with a "garden" theme to bring some of the outdoors in during the cold winter months.  My husband made the picket fence headboard for the daybed and hung pretty butterflies and flowers in the room.  We recently had a baby boy!  I can easily make the "garden" theme gender neutral by adding some fun bug decals and brightly coloured kites to the space.

What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

My girls made the artwork for the room and I love how their hand and foot print art is also a keepsake for me!  I LOVE organizing on a dime, so I bought the white plastic bins from the dollar store!  To label them, I printed out pictures from Google images on full sheets of clear labels and stuck them right onto the bins.  I've had the same bins for a few years and the labels have held up great!  If we change the toys, we simply peel off the label and print a new one!  With each bin being only a dollar, it was a real budget saver!

How has it impacted your life for the better?

I'm never stressed out about toys being all over my living room floor!  I'm a bit of a neat freak when it comes to the rest of the house, but in the play room, they can just have fun and go crazy.

I completely agree with my gal Cas.  I know not every home is cut out for a playroom, but if you have the space, they are fab sanity savers, for both kids and the parents.

Let's chat quickly about what makes this room so heart worthy!

• It just screams happiness and creativity to me.  I can picture myself sitting in the room and being swept away to a garden tea party where us gals sip tea, paint our fingernails and chat about all sorts of giggly girl things.
• I love that it promotes art and free play.
• I adore that the storage is all labeled to it is simple for the kids to maintain the space.
• Dollar Store bins and labels.  Enough said.
• The overall setup of the room is super savvy too, because there are defined zones for different types of play.
• The versatility factor rocks!  The fact that it can easily be updated to suite both boys and girls was a really smart mommy  move.
• That daybed, how darling is that?  What a great place for the kidlets to snuggle up with a good book.  When can I move in?

A special Thank You to Cas for taking the time to share her darling play space today!  You can find all the details on her blog here.

Raise your hand if you love your playroom more than any space in the house.  Me me me!  What are your favorite playroom tips or "rules"?  What about top tips for organizing toys when an entire room dedicated to play, is not an option?

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!