Today's Project Organization topic is media organization. You know, those wii games and controllers, CD's, DVDs, books, Gameboys, etc..
First and foremost, you need to go through it all. I know, if you are like me you have a TON of these items to go through. Grab 2 bins and mark them -
1. Keep.
2. Donate/Sell. {if you have the means to try and sell your items either at a garage sale or online... go for it! Why not try and make a little money on the items you don't want anymore!}
Then choose a type of media to start with and sort it! See if you can get put at least 5 items in your donate/sell bin. {I know it's hard to get rid of these kinds of things... especially if you have kiddos like I do!} If you can get rid of even just 5 things you will feel a little more organized... I promise!
Now that you have gone through your items and decided which ones to keep and which ones to try and sell or donate it's time to figure out a good storage system. If you already have one that works for you, GREAT! If yours isn't working, try and revamp it a little.
Here is how I revamped my DVD storage system. I had 3 drawers of a dresser FULL of DVDs.
Now I have 3 CD folders and 1 basket holding all of my DVDs! Talk about a space saver! Plus, the bottom of my drawers will stay in tact! I separated movies into two categories: Kids and Parents. 2 folders hold the DVDs with the kids movies {with room to spare} and 1 holds mine and my husbands movies {with LOTS of room to spare!}
Here is how my floor looked during the whole process. I couldn't stand to part with my cases... especially the Disney ones, so they are in a storage box in my garage. Maybe one day I will be able to give them up too...
I purchased my CD folders at Target. I wanted them all the same, but I am going to label each folder with either Kids or Parents so that I don't have to keep opening them to see which is which. I put our DVD sets in a small basket to keep them all together. On the right of the basket {you can just barely see it} are movies we recently got as gifts that are unopened. Once they are opened they will be filed in the folders as well.
What are the benefits to this kind of storage?
1. No more broken cases. I hate stepping on one accidentally because it got left out. This way, cases are gone!
2. Less dirty and scratched DVDs. In their plastic cases, my kids would constantly be taking out the DVDs - Mainly because they could {you know how kids do things like that}, but also because they wanted to bring me the movie they wanted to watch. This way, the zipper cases are too difficult for them to open on their own... which means... they aren't touching the DVDs and getting them dirty or scratched!
3. If you have a DVD player in your car, or you frequently take movies with you places, you can just grab your folder and go! So easy!!
4. All of your movies are now in 1 place! You don't have to go hunting around in various rooms looking for the movie you want!
If you don't want to do folder cases, here are some other fantastic options for DVD and CD storage.
{source} The Container Store sells these boxes and CD sleeves for a slim, but totally accessible storage solution.
{source} This storage cabinet does double duty! Ikea has some great products and this bookcase and CD/DVD storage cabinet is a great one if you have the space for it! It keeps all of your media in one place. Use baskets to store video game controllers and games. Add magazine files for magazines or skinny books for a streamlined look. You could store your CD cases or the storage file box on these shelves!
How do I store my video game equipment? I found one of those cardboard-type boxes at Target on clearance for only a couple dollars. It fit perfectly in our old TV stand - which now serves as a sort of living room sofa table {it's just screaming for a makeover one of these days!!}
{I need to figure out what other goodies I can store on that bottom shelf!}
The box holds the extra remotes, games, and game instructions. Everything is in the living room where the TV is and is easily accessible {if it's not accessible, you won't use it!}
On top of this TV stand is a small caddy - from Thirty-one - that hold the remote controls for the TV and various electronic components.
It is always so frustrating trying to locate the remotes... so, keep them all together. Use a basket, a box, a caddy, a plate, a small serving tray... anything! Find what works for you, goes with your decor, and is functional!
Good luck!!
Tomorrow: Organizing Office Filing and Bill Paying
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