Is it just my kids, or do yours love to “collect” treasure, too? And when I say treasure, I mean rocks they found in the front yard, broken toys from the dollar store, every scrap of paper they’ve written their name on, pieces of colored lint, an old bead necklace they found on the bus…the list could go on and on.
When I first discovered piles of “treasure” in their room, I was torn between wanting to acknowledge their need for keeping things that are important to them (don’t we all want that?), and my need for a clutter-free home. I also wanted to teach them how to keep things orderly. From these needs, treasure boxes were born, and it has been one of the best things we’ve ever done! It’s such a simple idea, but the effects are far-reaching, and everyone is happy!
Each child gets one plastic tote–I like the stackable pull-out drawer kind–and they are perfect for a lower shelf in their closet. They can put absolutely whatever they want to in their treasure box (except food, lol), but once it’s full, they either have to stop adding to it, or clean something out. It looks nice sitting on a shelf, they have someplace to keep all of their treasures, and I can help them maintain a tidy room.
Okay, this really is SO easy! You can go as simple as buying the totes and being done with it, or embellish it as much as you wish. I used my Silhouette to cut out the girls’ names and a fun heart border from the Silhouette store in pink vinyl. It would even be fun for your kids to decorate their own boxes!
UPDATE: We’ve now been doing this for a couple of years, and it is AWESOME. It still works amazingly well, and there are no more “treasures” scattered all around their room!!
Happy Organizing!
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