How to Store Hand-Me-Downs

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

28 Apr 2007 03:18 AM

Is it worth it to take, keep and store all of those hand-me-downs for the kids? With kids clothing prices going up every year, it is definitely worth it to hold on to some things. But how do you store the clothes without them taking over valuable living space? Here is what I do.

In our new home, I am fortunate enough to have attic space, which really helps a lot. But previously, I got by without it, storing things in closets, under beds, in the basement or garage, and anywhere in the house that was appropriate and didn't get in the way.

I have three children, so I can't see tossing and then re-buying clothes that can be used among them all.

I think the secret to storing hand-me-down clothing is in the organization. For us, it it better to store it in multiple small boxes rather than big tubs. While the big tubs can be very convenient when you go to store the clothing, they are a nightmare when you are ready to take things out.

Office filing boxes, such as those sold at Staples, are my solution. They can be easily labeled and relabeled with nothing more than a pen (or in desperation, a crayon), are stackable, and are so very lightweight. These boxes, even filled with clothing, are so easy to carry that I enlisted my five-year-old to carry them up to the attic from the garage. (Paying him at a rate of 2 cents a box.)

I also like the fact that the boxes are small enough to sort the clothing for better organization. My oldest tends to outgrow his shirt size before his pants size. So I know I can go ahead and pull out just the size 6 shirts without the need for the same sized pants.

As someone outgrows something, or as I am gifted with hand-me-downs, I sort through and box them up, labeling with the gender, type and size (Boys,4t pants). In my family, my oldest is a boy, my middle child is a girl and my youngest is another boy. Some clothing, such as plain jeans, is generic, so I just include it in the gender of whomever is next in line to wear it. Having a separate "generic" box seems to fussy to me, but the small size of the boxes would easily allow for that if you are super organized.

Was this article helpful? Please leave a comment and let me know!

Related Articles:

Ten Ways Being Organized Can Save Money

Host An Outgrown Swap

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

jonesx6 (1606) 01 May 2007 05:29 AM

Good suggestion. I have a ton of baby girl clothes that I hate to give away but we are quickly running out of space in our attic. We can't store anything in the basement b/c it gets wet down there. I may end up having to get rid of some of them though. Laura

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 01 May 2007 06:35 AM

That is what is nice about the smaller boxes. You can see exactly how many dresses, shirts, etc that you have. If you get any new, you can go to the appropriate box and weed out the same number of items to keep the storage down.

Now I just have to work on our Christmas decorations ;)

lostlisa00 (5) 15 Sep 2007 02:15 PM

I like the smaller boxes also and have closets full of diaper boxes full of clothes which are free with the purchase of bulk diapers.

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 15 Sep 2007 03:42 PM

Great idea using the diaper boxes! They are nice and sturdy, and free is good :)

missmcmac (15) 25 Mar 2008 07:53 PM

I am not planning on having any more children and my two are very close in age. I resale everything they grow out of. If it is stained or otherwise unsellable, try freecycle.org. I mostly use eBay, Craigslist, or a host of trade/sell sites that you can find locally on yahoo or other hosting site. I also take the cream of the crop to "Once Upon A Child". I'm not sure if it is a franchise, but I like them because they pay you out right as opposed to consignment. I'm sure with a little research you could find a similar store in your area.

Thanks for the tips though! I have lots and lots of clothes that I have accumulated for them to grow into "someday"!

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 26 Mar 2008 04:28 AM

You could even use this system for your sales. You could organize the clothes by season, since many consignment shops only take clothes of the current or upcoming season.