In our last blog post (10 delicious Secret Santa gifts for your favourite foodie (with an Italian twist)) we mentioned how much we love to gather with friends and family at Christmas time, but often we need to take on the task of tidying the house before inviting people over to celebrate.
As an Italian company with family at the heart, at Uashmama we are all too familiar with how tricky it can be to keep on top of mess, whether you have a playroom, keep playtime to kids’ bedrooms, or have toys scattered throughout the home.
Great storage solutions are a must - when everything has its place, it’s easier to keep clutter to a minimum, and helps to make a space functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Here are our 11 favourite storage ideas to help you tidy those toys before Christmas.
1. A traditional wooden toy box or chest
The wooden toy box is a classic for a reason - not only is it a good, roomy storage solution for all sorts of toys and games, but it looks charming too.
Whether you opt for something new, like a Personalised Wooden Toy Box from Country Chic (from £225) or hunt for a second hand wooden chest from your local charity shops or reclamation centres, a toy box can work in any home.
If you love the natural look you can keep the wood finish, or paint it a bright colour if that’s more your aesthetic.
2. Utilise secret toy storage inside seating
Furniture with multiple uses is great in busy family homes that are limited on space. The ultimate dream is a deep window seat with built-in storage, but there are plenty of freestanding benches with storage at IKEA and similar homeware stores.
This beautiful Reclaimed Wood Storage Bench from Riz & Mica Make (from £201) looks lovely with books stored underneath, and could also double up as a sweet reading spot for your kids.

3. Organise toys in colourful folding crates with labels
These cool, colourful crates have become super popular over the past few years, and it’s obvious why - you easily find them in a colour to match your decor, they’re inexpensive, and you can fold them away when not needed.
These Aykasa Medium Folding Crates from Mon Pote (£12.50) are made from 100% recycled materials, and come in a whopping 27 colours.
Pop a label on the front of each one, and make putting toys away into a fun sorting game for your kids.
4. Make kids’ clutter more aesthetic with baskets
If your home has a more neutral look, baskets are a really great storage idea. They come in all shapes and sizes, so whatever toys you want to hide away, there’s a basket for it.
These Rundi Seagrass Baskets from Nkuku (from £60) are nice and roomy, and made from sustainably sourced seagrass, or browse the ethical woven baskets from Karakorum (from £9), supporting artisans across the globe.

5. Store toys in sustainable paper bags
Another idea for a neutral home is our Uashmama XLarge Paper Bag (£49) which comes in varying neutral colours from white to brown to black, as well as 3 metallic colours too, which could be great as a shimmery touch for Christmas.
Uashmama paper bags have many uses and work really well as storage for all sorts of things around the home, but they’re especially great for kids’ toys, as they’re really durable and flexible too.
Fill them with toys and roll the top over, or choose our Lapo Bag (£92) with a drawstring top, and no one will know the chaos hidden inside!
6. Stack shelves with boxes or baskets
It can sometimes feel like there’s an IKEA Kallax Cube Storage Unit in every home, but with good reason - they’re really versatile and useful.
A smaller shelving unit is a great idea for kids’ toy storage, as everything will be in reach for them. To keep items organised, you can use square baskets like these from Mon Pote (£7.50 for 2) or boxes to hide away any toys and clutter, and keep the more aesthetically pleasing items on display.

7. Hide toys inside coffee table storage
Another great double-use furniture idea is a coffee table with storage, especially if your kids play in the living room often. Once they’ve gone to bed, you can hide all the toys inside the table, and relax in front of a film.
There are lots of different options when it comes to coffee tables with storage, with shelf options, drawers, or a top that lifts up.
You could use a vintage chest from a second hand shop, this Rustic Large Storage Coffee Table from Global Furniture (£499) looks really nice and chunky with roomy drawers, or this little bouclé Storage Stool from Next (£155) is a really cute option too.
8. Utilise under-bed storage for toys
While having a dedicated and organised playroom is ideal, not everyone has the space, and children still like to have toys in their bedrooms. Under-bed storage is a great solution for tidying toys away.
You can get beds with built-in under-bed storage, or buy boxes that are the right dimensions for underneath a bed - many of these have wheels on the bottom too, for ease of movement.
We love these Elements Sutton Woven Stripe Underbed Storage Bags (£24) for under kids’ beds, as they’re bright and fun, and the flexibility of the fabric means you can fit all sorts of toys inside.
9. Make use of dead space with hanging storage baskets
Making use of awkward and overlooked areas such as wall space and the backs of doors is vital when you are not blessed with endless space in your home.
To make use of these spaces, hanging baskets work really well. Seeing stuffed toys nestled into hanging baskets is really adorable, and it’s great to get them off the floor.
The Hemp Wide Wall Hung Baskets from Nkuku (£30-35) are both sturdy and roomy, making them a lovely toy storage solution.
10. Get a play mat that ties up into a bag
Have you seen those clever little play mats that double up as a bag? You simply pull the drawstring and all the toys get scooped up into the bag, which you can then store away.
Play&Go have a range of bags (from £15.25) in different cute colours and patterns, and they’d be great for transporting your kids’ toys to other people’s houses over Christmas too.
11. Use picture ledges to display kids’ Christmas books
Not strictly toys, but children often have lots of lovely books that need proper storage.
Shallow shelving like picture ledges and spice racks are great for keeping kids’ books on display and can be found in pretty much every homeware store. Mount them low on the wall so that your child can see their books and select the one they want to look at.
Children’s books are often really beautiful, so it’s nice to have them on show. You could even change the display seasonally, and have festive books on the shelf at Christmas time.
Finally, it’s a really good idea to go through all your toys, games and craft materials, and donate any excess to charity shops well before Christmas, so that those who are looking to buy second hand Christmas gifts have a chance to get their hands on them.
For more home styling ideas visit the Uashmama blog, for posts such as 10 styling tips for a practical and beautiful laundry room, and pin this one for a few month’s time - 7 delightful ways to upgrade your Easter dining table.