One baby product I never got around to buying: an organizer for diapers and diaper-related essentials, otherwise known as a diaper caddy.
However, I can see the use case for it, as the diaper changing stations in our house are a bit disorganized, with old baskets serving as diaper rash cream holders and diapers stacked in piles my daughter loves to knock over (yes, we have two changing stations – one on a changing table in my daughter’s bedroom and another on a pack-n-play in our living room).
In fact, I may still invest in a diaper caddy because I’ve discovered five ways to upcycle them once your diaper days are over, tricks for making the organizers worth the money that are today’s hint.
A Boon Stash organizer holding art supplies.
1. Art supply holder. I love this idea, which I learned from MaryLea at Pink and Green Mama. She shares how she cleverly repurposed her Pottery Barn diaper caddy into a “portable writing and art center” that holds markers, crayons, pencils and paper (the drawing utensils are each within their own round containers within the caddy). The portable art center, she writes, is “easy for the girls to tote around wherever they need it” and “great for homework time at the kitchen table.”
2. Gift-wrapping station. If you’re like me, you save gift bags, pretty bows and even sometimes wrapping paper from gifts your family receives, but you find it hard to actually find these items when you need them. We have bags in our garage filled with these gifting accessories, but sorting through them is always time consuming and a hassle. That’s why I could see a diaper caddy working great as a holder for gift bags, gift bows, wrapping paper scraps, tape and scissors, that would help make recycling gift wrappings a lot easier.
3. Mail organizer. I learned this clever idea from baby gear and toy maker Boon Inc. The company says its Loop Diaper Caddy works great as a mail organizer, and I can definitely see how that would be the case. Letters and bills would go in the “diaper” section of the caddy, and other mail accessories like stamps, pens and return labels would go in the caddy’s other compartments. (Boon is giving away a Loop Diaper caddy and a Stash Multi-Room Organizer to one lucky Hint Mama reader – details below).
4. Office supply organizer. Similar to the art supply holder idea above, with this transformation, you’d turn your diaper caddy into a holder of office gear. Computer paper, for instance, could go in the diaper section, while other office items like pens, pencils, calculators, and paper clips could go in the caddy’s smaller compartments.
5. Hair accessory and or make-up holder. Darla DeMorrow, a professional organizer and owner of HeartWork Organizing, LLC, shares how she creatively turned an old JJ Cole diaper caddy into a portable holder for her make-up, hair accessories and other medicine cabinet items. In addition, I could see diaper caddies also working great as holders of little girl hair accessories, given that they have different-sized organizing compartments.
To be sure, an organizer doesn’t necessarily have to be called a diaper caddy for it to work great at organizing diaper-changing gear and for the purposes mentioned above. The important thing is that the organizer can do double, and even triple, duty. As Darla of HeartWork Organizing, LLC, also smartly notes on her site, a good organizing container that is worth the money is one that can do the job its intended for as well as “another job equally well.”
Still, given how disorganized the diaper changing accoutrements are in my home, I can see the need for having some kind of diaper organizer from the get go, as long as it can be used for other organizational needs long after your little ones outgrow diapers.
What ways to reuse diaper caddies long after the diaper days did I miss, and what other types of organizers have you found to fill in as diaper caddies? Share your thoughts, and enter to win two Boon organizers (the Loop and Stash, below.
In addition, when I checked Boon’s Facebook page on April 1st, there’s something strange going on with random photos posted. Toddlers seem to have taken over that account and Boon’s Twitter and Instagram accounts too – not sure what’s going on there. (Update: Turns out it was an April Fool’s Day toddler takeover – read more about that over at Boon’s site).
Follow Hint Mama on Facebook and Twitter, and read more about her and her disclosures.
Enter to win two the Boon Loop Diaper Caddy and Stash Multi-Room Organizer:
Photo credit: Boon Inc.
Thanks for all the hints! Boon has some great baby products, one of my favorites is the Grass drying rack.
I don’t have any Boon products, but I do think the organizer would be great for makeup and beauty items. It would be all together and neat.
great ideas! we also use an old diaper caddie to store some small toys of the kids! love your ideas and boon!
I heard of using old dipaer caddies as a way to store kid’s craft stuff. My child isn’t close to rhat age yet, but I thought it was an interesting idea.
We have their stuffed animals bag and when the kids outgrow that we will use it to store blankets and other necessities for the kids room! love the post! such great ideas!
I store my hair brushes in the diaper caddy. I love the Boon grass drying rack for drying all the little stuff!
We never had an “official” caddy, but just used a basket to hold diapers and gear. That said, I love the Boon products.
I could use it as wash cloth organizer and when I done with diapers and wash cloth, I could use it as napkins holder for our dining table.
Clever ideas! I never had one either. We just used a basket downstairs to hold a handful of diapers, pack of wipes and the diaper rash cream. In the nursery it was all stored on a shelf above the changing table. Thanks for a chance to win one. Might come in handy when we have our 2nd child.
The Boon Stash organizer would be great for adult’s crafting supplies. It could store painting supplies or scrapbooking tools.
I don’t have any ideas. They didn’t have products like this when I gave birthday to my children 30 years ago. My daughter is pregnant and I have been trying to win baby products for her because we are both not too wealthy, but hard working. I’m amazed at all the cool things for mama’s and babies out now. And this product looked really cool. PS The reason I can’t like the Facebook pages is because the idiots at Facebook blocked me from Liking anyone for a month. Sorry!
I love the style and fun that Boon brings into its products. Would love to win. Thanks.
I love our boon bath toys! They’re not only fun, but the “bug” catcher works on motor skills!
Library book organizer.
I think the organizer would look cute with tiny toys in it. My son likes to keep beanie babies and little bitty animals by his bed. He would love this to hold them!
The Diaper Caddy can easily store all things baby-related, from diapers in the early stages, up through toddler stage, and toys when they get a bit older.
You could use the diaper caddy to store current favorite books in the child’s bedroom.
I’ve only ever heard of great things about Boon! Would love to use their products. Thanks for the post/giveaway!
I think re-purposing a diaper caddy as a gift wrapping station is brilliant! We have the Boon Stash hanging by the back door and use it for the kids’ sunglasses, bug spray, and sunscreen!
I love that you how you can use it for a gift wrap organizer!