Are hand-me-down clothes a blessing or an organizational curse?
The truth is probably both!
It is really great to get hand-me-downs from friends or family members.
It can save both time and money – sometimes!
If the hand-me-downs are not stored and organized in the right way, they can be a bit of a nightmare to deal with.
The key to making the best use of hand-me-downs is to know what you have and know where they are.
In other words, you have to organize hand-me-downs in order to use them to the fullest.
Otherwise there’s the risk of purchasing duplicate items and that would partially defeats the purpose of the hand-me-down concept.
So how do you make the best use of hand-me-downs?
Read on to discover the best techniques for organizing hand me down clothes for kids in four easy steps.
Step 1: Sort
Sort through what you have and divide clothes, toys and books into ages and stages.
Makes piles by size for clothing.
Step 2: Review
Determine what you’re going to keep.
Look for stains, rips, tears and items that are too worn out to keep.
Also keep in mind the styles of clothing your children prefer to wear.
Weed out these items now instead of waiting to get rid of them later.
Make sure to really evaluate what you want to keep and what your child will actually wear or use.
Pass along to others anything that your kiddos won’t use.
Put outfits together and note what you need to complete an outfit.
Too many separates makes for a messy closet!
Step 3: Containerize & Label
My favorite storage solution for hand-me-downs are large Rubbermaid roughneck totes since they’re large enough to hold about one size of clothes for all seasons until about size 8.
They’re easy to label and update the labels as the contents change.
Even when stuffed, it’s not hard to move and stack them.
Plus, the totes seal nicely, and keep the contents dry and clean.
Make sure to label the container so that it won’t have to be opened to see what is inside.
I like to label the containers with the size of clothing inside, or the type of book (board, chapter, etc.).
Need a fantastic set of labels to make this whole task even easier?
Check out this nifty kid clothing organizing kit I’ve designed.
It has an awesome inventory system so you’ll never forget what clothing you already have on hand.
Also makes labeling the storage bins a breeze!
Step 4: Stow & Store
Finally, put the bins into storage until you need them.
They’ll be ready to use then, and you’ll thank yourself for being so organized!
Make sure to visit your bins as the seasons change or your children begin to outgrow their current wardrobe.
Over to you!
Are you blessed or cursed with hand-me-downs?
No matter how you feel, now you know how to keep them organized!
