15 Brilliant & Budget-Friendly Nursery Organization Ideas

Think of your nursery as the "Baby Command Center" of your home. It’s a space for sleeping, feeding, diapering, dressing, cleaning, rocking, reading, cuddling, consoling, and playing. That's a lot of baby biz happening in one room! Without a solid organizational system, the nursery can go from shipshape to sh*t show in a matter of minutes. And since your life is already stressful enough, we're sharing some creative hacks and thrifty ideas to help control the chaos. These tips (divided into 5 simple categories) can help keep your nursery neat, tidy, functional, and most importantly easy to maintain.

Here are 15 brilliant and budget-friendly nursery organization ideas.

#1 Get Cent-sibly Savvy with Storage.

The key to a clutter-free nursery? Making sure everything has a place! Get creative with doing it on a dime and use things you probably already have around the house like baskets, cardboard boxes, bins, tins, plastic containers, hooks, crates, mason jars, vases, flower pots, and even plastic bags. (And if you don't have stuff like this laying around, hit the thrift store!). Here are some clever hacks that are also super eco-friendly:

Don’t have the dough for Martha Stewart-worthy matching bins? Lots of diapers means plenty of empty booty wrapper boxes. Spruce them up with some wrapping paper, fabric, or a light coat of paint. Use ones that are all the same size for a super organized look.

Want cute storage for pacis, bows, and other baby bitties? Get crafty with glass jars you end up with when you buy groceries. Think about it: You don’t need to buy empty jars when you’re already buying them with things like spaghetti sauce and salsa in them. Soak them until the label comes off, spray paint the lids (or skip them altogether and tie a ribbon or colorful piece of yarn around the neck), and – voila! Custom containers without spending any money on trendy Masons.

#2 Let’s Get Vertical, Vertical! 🎶

You probably know how many square feet your home is, but that’s just floor space. Don’t forget how much your walls and doors have to offer in regards to vertical space! Yep. Walls are great for hanging photos AND organizing.

Spray paint an old shower caddy and hang it on the wall by your changing station to hold rash cream, lotions, and potions.

Use an over-the-door shoe organizer for socks and onesies.

Nail a beautiful branch or piece of driftwood on the wall and hot glue some clothespins to it. It can be an instant, artistic way to organize and display baby headbands, tiny shoes, or anything that makes sense for you.

Rectangular baskets are quick shelving solutions. (And baskets don’t seem to ever be in short supply at thrift stores!) Just mount the bottom of the basket to the wall. Bam! You have new horizontal space using your vertical space.

#3 Be a Closet Boss.

The closet can be your closest friend or a cursed enemy. Set it up right and it’ll hold a lot of stuff in an easily accessible way. Neglect setting it up and it’ll hold a lot of stuff that’s an avalanche of chaos when you open the door. Maximize space using these tips:

A 10-shelf hanging closet shoe organizer is only ten bucks at Target. Do you know how many baby things can fit in those ten shelves? A lot. And it’s shelves, not one giant pile, so it’s sooo much easier to keep organized.

That single rod in a closet for an adult makes perfect sense. For a baby? Not at all. Their clothes are a fraction of the size. Install a second one for double the hanging capacity.

If you have the room, put a dresser in the closet. Since it’s hidden in the closet, you don’t necessarily need to worry about aesthetics, so you can find one on the cheap at a thrift store if you need to. (And speaking of dressers, make DIY drawer organizers using cardboard. There are tons of tutorials online and it’s a great way to upcycle those diaper boxes!)

#4 Work Smarter, Not Harder.

There’s nothing more budget-friendly than free. Use your noggin to ultra-maximize space and organize like a pro.

Fold or Ranger Roll clothes. Keeping drawers of baby clothes more organized (or any drawer of clothes more organized) is so much easier when the clothes are placed using a “file” method, as opposed to on top of one another. You can go the Marie Kondo KonMari method of folding which is mindful, kinda meditative, and results in a picture perfect drawer. Or, you can try the Ranger Roll, an old military trick soldiers used to save space and help keep their uniforms wrinkle-free during travel. As a vast oversimplification of the process, spread out the item, fold it over, and roll it up.

Strategically “hide” things. Tuck things under the crib. If you have baskets or bins that look messy, toss a nicely folded blanket on top to hide what’s underneath.

Ditch the duds. Babies outgrow clothes, toys, books, and other essentials faster than you can keep up–and this makes for a cluttered mess in the nursery! As your baby moves up a size or no longer needs certain items, toss them into a dedicated basket, box, bag, or bin). When it’s full, decide what to donate, sell, or save. Psst: If you have leftover diapers, consider donating them or offering them up to a family in need.

Put a label on it. Take your organization to a new level and label EVERYTHING. Whether it’s dresser drawers, bins, baggies, or closet dividers, you’ll save time and sanity as you tidy. You don’t need to buy anything fancy to do this. Use clothespins, homemade tags, or even sticky notes to get the job done. Check online for inspo!

#5 Remember to Keep it Real.

Listen, we know you have great aesthetic ambitions for your nursery. But, above all else, it has to be practical and comfortable for YOU. Relocate the hamper next to the changing table rather than hiding it away in the closet. Instead of storing them in a drawer, keep your baby’s go-to lotions and potions within arms-reach. Stash burp cloths in several different places so you’re never scrambling to find one after a big spit up. In other words, adjust as needed!

How do you keep your nursery clean and organized? We want to know! Share your ideas in the comments.