Every mom can relate to the constant struggle to organize kids’ & baby clothes. Here’s my organization hack for storing outgrown clothes using my Cricut Joy and dollar store vacuum seal bags.
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Tiny baby clothes are really cute until your kid gets bigger and you’re suddenly drowning in outgrown clothes and not sure what to do with them all. Know the feeling?
My daughter is now a toddler and over the past few years, I’ve created a great system for organizing and storing all of the clothes she outgrows. It’s so nice to have a place for them to go so the clothes in her closet are actually things that fit her instead of having to sift through too-small items to find something to wear.
If you’re like us and have younger nieces to pass clothes on to or want to hold onto clothes for a future child, you’ll love this idea! And I can tell you this system actually stands the test of time because Chloe’s old clothes have cycled through my brother’s house and then my sister’s house and they have both maintained my original organizing system. It’s easy!
My secret home organization hack for outgrown kids’ clothes? Dollar store vacuum seal bags + my Cricut Joy. Let me show you my system (it’s super practical and easy to do!).
More Cricut Joy resources:
- What is the Cricut Joy and what materials does it cut?
- Answers To Your Cricut Joy FAQs
- 5 DIY Labels Made With Cricut Joy
- Cricut Joy Shopping Guide – What Supplies You Need & What You Don’t
<<PIN THE IMAGE BELOW FOR LATER!>>
My System For ORGANIZING & STORING OUTGROWN KIDS’ CLOTHES
Designate A Place For Outgrown Clothes To Collect
First thing’s first, designate a bin or basket for outgrown clothes to collect. A basket in the corner of the bedroom, a cube bin up on a closet shelf, or container that slides under the bed are all great ideas.
Now whenever you come across too-small clothes when you’re getting your kid dressed, don’t (I repeat, DON’T) just put them back in their dresser. Immediately toss them into the bin/basket you’ve designated for outgrown clothes. No need to worry about folding anything neatly, just toss it in. The goal here is to make this an easy step so it’s a no-brainer to do.
This step alone will help you keep your kiddo’s clothes more manageable, plus you’ll actually be able to find things that fit!
Store Outgrown Clothes In vacuum seal bags
Once your bin/basket of outgrown clothes is full, that’s your signal that it’s time to pack them away in storage. If you spend a few minutes doing this whenever your basket fills up, this system takes very little time to maintain which is what makes it work so well for the long haul (kids go through a lot of clothing over the years!).
Fold all of the clothes into piles organized by size. Then fill up a large vacuum seal bag with stacks of clothes (I get my bags for $1 from the dollar store). I put all of the same size in a bag so it’s nice and organized.
Once your bag is full, seal it up and press out the excess air using the bag’s air valve. Now you have the clothes all in one spot and condensed as much as possible!
Be sure to label each bag with the size it contains so you can easily locate sizes in the future. I like to use my Cricut Joy for this. See below for instructions on how I make my labels!
I stack the bags of clothing in large storage totes. Once your tote is full, you can add a label to it so you know what range of sizes is inside. Then store your tote of clothing in a storage space or pass them onto friends/family.
How To Make Cricut Joy Labels (With Smart Label Paper)
There are a few key reasons the Cricut Joy is perfect for this type of project:
- It’s portable and compact, which makes it so easy to tote around the house. I can make labels on the dresser, the bed, the floor, anywhere I’m working on a project.
- The Smart Labels are easy to use. No fussy transfer tape, no forgetting to mirror designs, no weeding tiny little letters. While I love fancy vinyl labels in some cases, for a project like this the Smart Labels are amazing because they’re just like stickers. Peel off the backing and stick, that’s it!
- You don’t need many supplies. If you’re using Smart Labels, you don’t need a cutting mat so that’s one less thing. You also don’t need any weeding tools since the labels easily peel off the backing paper with your fingers.
Supply List:
- Cricut Joy cutting machine
- Cricut Joy app (or Design Space software or app)
- Cricut Joy Blade and Housing
- Cricut Joy Smart Label Writable Paper
- Cricut Joy Pen
Quick Tip: If you plan to do a lot of labeling projects with your Cricut Joy, check out the Smart Label Essentials Bundle.
1. Design your label in the Cricut app
For quick labels like this, I love the Cricut Joy app. It streamlines the design process with awesome pre-designed labels in several styles. Just choose your design, add the text, and you’re all set. You can also design your labels in Design Space if you prefer.
2. Click “Make It” And Adjust The Settings
Select your material type (Smart Label Writable Paper). Also select “without mat” as your material load style.
3. Load Your Material
Load your Smart Label Writable Paper into your Cricut Joy machine when the app prompts you to do so. If your material isn’t laying flat after it finishing loading, select “unload” in the app and try reloading it. Sometimes Smart Materials can bow in the middle a bit, but usually reloading will fix it.
4. Load Your Pen
Insert your black Cricut Joy pen into your machine’s blade housing. Click “Go” in the app and it will draw your label design.
5. Load Your Blade
Once prompted, remove your pen and load the Cricut Joy blade. Click “Go” in the app and it will cut out your labels.
6. Unload Your Material
Once your labels are finishing, select “unload” in the app and the machine will release your material. Allow the ink to dry before handling.
7. Apply Your Labels!
The cool thing about Smart Labels is they don’t require the hassle of transfer tape! They are like true stickers when you’re done so you can peel them off the backing and stick them wherever you’d like (just make sure the surface is clean and dry first).
I stick one label on each of my bags of clothing so I know exactly what size is inside.
Looking for more Cricut Joy inspiration? Take a look at these blog posts:
- What is the Cricut Joy and what materials does it cut?
- Answers To Your Cricut Joy FAQs
- 5 DIY Labels Made With Cricut Joy
- Cricut Joy Shopping Guide – What Supplies You Need & What You Don’t
- Plant Lover Holiday Gift With Cricut Joy
- Cricut Joy Holiday Gift Guide (And Who Would Love To Get A Cricut Joy)
Have a fantastic day!
