Thank you for all of your cute basket suggestions! I went with plastic lace baskets for toy storage. I had completely forgotten about them, but they were all over the design blogs when they first came out as the Carrie bike baskets. Victoria uses one for file storage, Joy has one for scraps in her studio, and now I can tell you that they also make excellent little toy bins.
p.s. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my vintage side tables? They’re the best. They hold remotes in the drawers, magazines and the new toy baskets underneath, and they have ample surface space up top. And they were only $10 each.
Carla
December 19, 2009 at 10:48 pmgreat idea! Thanks for sharing!
Marissa
December 19, 2009 at 11:05 pmthat looks great, good call
Quinn
December 19, 2009 at 11:07 pmSoooo lovely! Had never seen them before. Was just brainstorming tonight with DH about creative storage options and this is a great idea!
Catherine
December 19, 2009 at 11:38 pmWhat a coincidence, I was just looking at these in RG Madden yesterday. They look lovely but I couldn’t think what I would store in them.
Katie
December 20, 2009 at 12:28 amwhere did you pick yours up? are these the same as at the container store?
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/storage/openBinsBaskets/plastic?productId=10023448
Making it Lovely
December 21, 2009 at 12:27 pmYes, those are the ones.
Kristin
December 20, 2009 at 1:09 amThose are gorgeous! I may have to acquire one or two.
Amnah
December 20, 2009 at 1:55 amThose are just too cute! I would love to get my hands on those.
Lúcia
December 20, 2009 at 7:02 amReally beautiful, both the basket and the side tables.
Elissa
December 20, 2009 at 7:12 amThose are perfect! I remember loving them when I first saw them, but couldn’t figure out where to get them (at least for a decent price). I’ll have to try the container store now!
Mim
December 20, 2009 at 9:20 amOh! It’s lovely!!! Thanks for sharing the other users pics too.
Jen P.
December 20, 2009 at 10:41 amOMG, I LOVE the lace basket!!!! I must have them too!
Chaucee
December 20, 2009 at 11:45 amAw what a cute sock monkey : ) I used to make those as a kid!
Nina
December 20, 2009 at 12:39 pmThose are so pretty! I’m always looking for pretty storage bins, most of them are so industrial or just plain boring. Thanks for sharing.
Kelly
December 20, 2009 at 12:41 pmwhat a fantastic idea!
Lauren
December 20, 2009 at 1:42 pmso pretty! i think that’s maybe the prettiest storage i’ve seen. i’ll be keeping those in mind for when i have some toys to store one day :).
Pencils
December 20, 2009 at 2:21 pmThose look great! Right now I have Aurora’s toys in a (I think) banana-leaf woven basket I got at Target. It looks nice, but it’s already overflowing and we’re going to need more storage at the new house.(We just bought a house, are waiting for a closing date.) I’m thinking of getting some kind of tall shelving units with doors on the bottom so I can put some of her toys out of sight.
Tals
December 20, 2009 at 2:37 pmI love the pillow on your couch!can you tell us where it’s from?
Thanks!!
Making it Lovely
December 21, 2009 at 12:28 pmIt’s a mistletoe pillow from Pottery Barn.
stephanie
December 20, 2009 at 3:19 pmcongrats on making top 50! I totally agree with the vote!
Emma
December 20, 2009 at 4:40 pmI was looking for some baskets to go on top of my new linen cupcoard I’ve put in my bathroom – these would be PERFECT (all white for me please!) Not sure if I can get them in Australia but I’m going to try! I love your little vase and flowers, where is the vase from and are they real flowers?
Making it Lovely
December 21, 2009 at 12:29 pmYes, the flowers are real. The vase is vintage – I picked it up a year or two ago at an estate sale and it’s one of my favorites now.
Allison
December 20, 2009 at 7:32 pmThose are adorable! I also have side tables just like that, and it’s a great solution to storing things that are necessary, but not pretty! I personally hate looking at kleenex boxes and hide them in the drawers!
Joi
December 20, 2009 at 8:18 pmThose are so pretty! I’ve never seen them before!
luuve
December 20, 2009 at 10:36 pmthey look amazing…sooo lovely..this picture is awesome!
ashlina
December 20, 2009 at 10:56 pmim dying for that monkey…key-ute!
Barb F (Australia)
December 20, 2009 at 11:12 pmGorgeous! I love toy storage that doesn’t look like toy storage, and these suit your place so well.
Viv
December 21, 2009 at 5:02 amPerfect Nicole!
Your side tables are indeed very lovely. As is your lounge, pillow on your lounge and toy. Hehe.. I love everything in this photo. Viv xx
Mary
December 21, 2009 at 5:29 amLove it!!!
Nuit
December 21, 2009 at 9:42 amwoooow it looks amazing!!! loved the basket! and sure your tables were a true bargain :)
Krysten
December 21, 2009 at 10:02 amThat looks so nice!
Heather
December 21, 2009 at 10:50 amI just saw these in Real Simple last night – too cute!
b.a.
December 21, 2009 at 10:54 amoh my, this must be the most adorable little toy basket i’ve ever seen.
Corie
December 21, 2009 at 11:25 amCould.not.love.it.more! SO pretty, much more feminine than the leather box-types I thought would be feminine! ;) I want some!
jbhat
December 21, 2009 at 11:36 amThe perfect find. The perfect use. The perfect spot.
I love that picture too. It’s magazine worthy.
Mrs. Priss
December 21, 2009 at 12:09 pmOh these are perfect for toy storage! My husband and I were just talking about how we need to find something where we can shove all Maddie’s little books and things at the end of the night. They get spread out EVERYWHERE. These would be perfect!
Gretchen Schock
December 21, 2009 at 2:43 pmFantastic idea! love it! the picture is amazing to boot!
Miss B
December 21, 2009 at 4:23 pmOh this is too perfect. Of course it’s a great choice:)
Meredith from Penelope Loves Lists
December 21, 2009 at 6:10 pmYou know, I saw those brocade baskets and thought that it might be too girly for my simple style, but, when I see how you’ve used it here, I see that it adds just a touch of pretty without being overwhelming.
Thanks for having such a great eye.
erin p.
December 21, 2009 at 8:19 pmthat is the CUTEST basket i have ever seen, and they’re not crazy over-priced! i NEED some NOW! thanks for the post!
Fiona
December 22, 2009 at 7:26 amI’m guessing you can’t stack these, right? That would be perfect if you could.
Making it Lovely
December 29, 2009 at 2:38 pmThey don’t stack, but they do nest inside one another when empty.
Christine
December 22, 2009 at 3:31 pmWhat a great choice! Unfortunately we don’t have container store in Canada. I might have to figure out how to get these shipped up here!
down pillow
December 22, 2009 at 4:07 pmGreat choice – love it!!!!!
Link Time! | My.BuzzCritic.com
December 23, 2009 at 4:16 am[…] Here’s a great idea for attractive toy or knick knack storage. – Making It Lovely […]
Potoula
December 23, 2009 at 12:52 pmJust stumbled upon your site. Your decorating is simply beautiful. And the pink tree is so chic! Wherever did you get those sparkly silver round accessories pictured on your side table and on top of your dining room chandelier? Love those!
Making it Lovely
December 29, 2009 at 2:38 pmThose were from Kmart (the Martha Stewart Christmas line).
Michele
December 28, 2009 at 6:46 pmI just love that monkey! where is he from?
Making it Lovely
December 29, 2009 at 2:37 pmI think Brandon bought it at Babies R Us.
Stuff Lust « Museum Nerd in the 'Burbs
December 29, 2009 at 8:56 pm[…] of the carrying strap and use it as a storage bin–which I know I saw somewhere…ah ha! Making it Lovely! (Why yes, my Google Reader is eating my life…why do you ask? […]
Melissa
January 7, 2010 at 8:03 amThanks for the info about these cute baskets. They are totally up my alley, but I would have never found them at the Container Store (I had to ask when I went, as they were hidden in the back!), Two of them fit perfectly under my coffee table. One holds puppy toys, and the other holds magazines.
They are so cute, that I know even when I no longer need them to serve this purpose, I’ll be able to find something to use them for. Maybe I’ll run away to Paris, and use them for my groceries. :)
Cynthia
January 7, 2010 at 4:02 pmI have these and love more each day:) love what you did with them!!!!!!!!!
RickinSC
January 18, 2010 at 8:52 amThe challenge is getting our grandson to put the toys back in the basket. So I designed and built a toy cabinet that requires him to put a toy back BEFORE he can get out another toy.
You can see it in this video.
I’m thinking about making a bigger toy cabinet where each compartment can hold a basket. What do you think?
Landry
February 14, 2010 at 10:16 pmHow did you get these baskets for $10 each? I see them for $25 at thecontainerstore.com, thanks!
Girl’s Room Inspiration « In Alphabetical Order
April 3, 2010 at 1:00 am[…] see this, but Nicole Balch, over at Making It Lovely did when she used them for toy storage in her living room. I like that they have a more antique feel with is a nice balance with the modern feel of the […]
The Prettiest Storage Baskets | Family Style
June 28, 2011 at 3:34 pm[…] the toys in my home accumulate, I’m happier than ever that I chose pretty storage baskets to contain them all. Yes, there are toys scattered throughout my home, but it doesn’t have to […]
Inspiration: Designing with Children in Mind | VieDesign
May 19, 2012 at 8:24 am[…] https://makingitlovely.com/2009/12/19/pretty-toy-storage/ […]
zerbebe nursery: odds and ends « chezerbey
May 21, 2012 at 12:40 am[…] there’s storage baskets for the bench cubby that Kyle is going to build. I love the plastic lace baskets that Nicole used at her house but sadly they don’t seem to be available anymore. Maybe […]