Handmade Peek-a-boo Toy Storage Bags

I store most of my kids' toys on open bookshelves in their playroom and playroom closet. Many of the toys don't come in containers that are functional for storage after purchase, and I'm a big believer in visible open storage to encourage kids to choose and help themselves to their own toys. I use a lot of baskets and plastic buckets from Dollar Tree, but there are some toys that don't fit perfectly in them. So when I came home a few weeks ago with yet another stack of cute flannel yardages after a trip to JoAnn's, I actually had in mind a practical use for it, rather than just filing it away on my overflowing fabric shelves.

I used the darling flannel to make up a number of sacks in different sizes for toy storage.

They all have a vinyl window on the front and back to make it easier for the kids to find their toys. I simply cut out rectangles from the fabric with pinking shears before sewing up the bags and sewed a piece of vinyl to the wrong side of the opening. I didn't bother being perfectly neat. Just got the job done.

The larger bags have ribbon drawstrings, and the smallest bags close with Velcro.

These bags currently hold Peek-a-Blocks, plastic ball pit balls, Color Wonder materials, musical instruments, puzzle pieces, dead pens and popsicle sticks (my 11 month old's current favorite toy), and painted wooden cut-outs. It's so easy to rotate out toys to maintain freshness or as their ages/interests change. With Christmas coming up, I guess I'm going to need to make up a whole new batch. Oh, darn. ;)