How to Finally Organize Legos for Good

If you've stepped on one too many Lego pieces in the middle of the night, then this ultimate Lego organization guide is for you! Whether you want to organize your household's Lego collection by color, set, or type, we have efficient and aesthetically pleasing tips and ideas that won't break the bank and will keep Legos from getting lost or mixed in with other toys. To figure out what the best way to organize and store Legos is for you, first consider a couple of things. Think about how your children (or how you!) tend to play with them—do they like to build, then dismantle and rebuild again? Or do they prefer to build something and display it?

If they are in the first category, you'll likely want to organize by color or type of Lego, and use bins or baskets of various sizes. If they're in the latter and enjoy focusing on one set and displaying their finished creations, organizing by sets may be the way to go for you, since that way, each set is stored separately and assembled ones can be displayed on floating shelves or in a bookcase. From repurposing a tool box or a shoe storage bench to creating a Lego wall or table, we have tons of great tips and ideas for you to finally organize all those Lego bricks—and keep them organized.

Use an Over-the-Door Shoe Hanger

An over-the-door shoe hanger with clear pockets is the perfect way to keep Lego blocks organized in a neat and space-saving way. The benefit of this method is not just the fact that it doesn't take up any precious square footage if you don't have space to spare, but the clear pockets mean that the Lego pieces are visible and sorting is very easy. Create a color-coded organization system by using a different pocket for each color block, which makes cleanup at the end of playtime quick, easy, and efficient!

Create a Lego Wall

If you're short on space and don't have room for any extra bins or furniture, think vertical instead and create a Lego wall using classic baseplates. They can be purchased online or at any Lego or toy store, are approximately 10 inches x 12 inches in size, and come in various colors. Gather enough of them to cover a large portion of the wall, then attach them one by one, using an adhesive such as liquid nails. Continue until you've covered a surface large enough to hold as many Lego bricks as you need. Then, to store the Legos, simply press them onto the baseplates, and they're off the floor! An added bonus with this way of organizing the blocks is that it also provides a fun play area where kids can get creative and build vertical structures and decorate their wall.

Organize Legos by Color

One of the easiest ways to organize the bricks is by color. Use clear bins that make sorting and everyday cleanup easier, since you can see what's inside them, or label non-clear bins or baskets so you can quickly identify their contents. A rainbow-colored organization system is also aesthetically pleasing and a fun addition to a kids' room or playroom. You may, however, want to consider the size of the Lego collection when deciding whether to use this method, as it's definitely better suited for smaller collection where your kids don't have to look through hundreds of red blocks just to find the one they're looking for.

Use a Drawer System

A store-bought drawer system with clear plastic bins is a fantastic way to keep Legos organized, visible, and easily accessible. Use a different drawer for every color, component, or set, and attach labels to each bin to make sorting even easier (especially if the bins aren't clear). Having drawer storage specifically for Legos also means the small pieces won't get mixed in with other toys, never to be found again.

Sort Them by Type

If you don't want to organize your Lego collection by color, another good way, especially for large Lego collections, is by type. Make separate bins for blocks, figures, cars, specialty, and other pieces and label each storage container appropriately. It's up to you how detailed you want to get with the pieces, but you can certainly have larger bins for more general types of bricks and smaller ones for the fewer specialty ones. This organizational method is great for inspiring creativity, too, since it allows kids to mix and match pieces easily and come up with new creations beyond the instruction manual.

Hang Buckets

Not only does this create a cute play area, but it means that the Legos are easily accessible. To create a hanging bin display, mount a short hanging rod onto the wall, add some S-hooks, and hang small buckets off the hooks to hold Lego bricks. Use silver metal buckets and put labels on them to show what they hold, or use different colored buckets to store different colored Legos. Hanging the rods at kids' level means they can easily reach the buckets when they want to play and when it's time to clean up at the end of the day.

Add Floating Display Shelves

Floating shelves are a great way to add some visual interest and storage, and they are also the perfect way to display Lego creations and favorite models. Instead of having to disassemble everything at the end of the day or leaving it all over the floor, create little Lego vignettes and displays on these wall mounted shelves that will make kids proud of their creations and add playful charm to their room.

Organize Them by Set

Organizing Legos by sets is a great method if your kids enjoy working on one set at a time and spend hours or days on it. Store each set inside a container or bag, complete with the instruction manual and a label showing the set's name. This makes building a particular set much easier, since kids don't have to go looking for individual pieces in multiple bins, and everything (including the all-important manual) is in one place.

Hide Them Under the Bed

If you've already used every nook and cranny in the room and have no more space left, utilize the space under the bed to organize and sort Legos. Get a large rolling under-the-bed drawer and fill it with shallow baskets that can be used to separate Legos by color, type, or set. This is a particularly good storage option for large Lego collections. If there are certain sets that your kids are currently not playing with very often, simply store them under the bed along with their instruction manuals so everything is in one spot, tucked away neatly and ready to be pulled out whenever needed.

Make a Lego Table

Setting up a Lego table that serves as both a storage and organizational system and a play area is another great option. Use a basic coffee table that has a shelf and get storage bins (preferably clear ones so you can see what's inside them) that are shallow enough to fit inside the shelf. Use larger bins for bigger Lego sets, and slide them all on and under the shelf, depending on how many Legos you need to store and organize. To turn the table into a fun play area, cover its surface with classic baseplates, attaching them using liquid nails or hot glue.

Don’t Forget About the Instruction Manuals

Getting an organizational system for Legos in place is great, but don't forget about all the instruction manuals! After all, there's nothing worse than getting a ton of Legos out to build an epic creation, only to find that the instructions are missing. So, to keep them all clean and in one place, use a large binder, fill it with clear plastic folders, and slip the instructions inside. Add a label onto the binder so that it's easily identifiable, and you'll never have to rummage through countless of boxes or drawers to find the manual you need again.

Use a Picture Ledge

Use picture ledges to hold and display figures on the wall, which will not only give them a designated place but also serve as a fun decorative touch. If you want to go a step further, cut up Lego baseplates into strips that are as wide as the picture ledge, then stick them onto the surface of the ledge using liquid nails, hot glue, or strong double sided tape. This will give the picture ledge a more custom look that's fun for a kids' room, and they'll be able to attach the figures directly onto the baseplates so they don't get knocked off easily.

Get Drawer Separators

If you don't want to purchase an additional piece of furniture and multiple bins and would rather use an existing dresser or other piece of furniture, getting expandable drawer dividers is a great way to go. They can be purchased online or in a homewares shop, are inexpensive, come in various lengths and usually in sets of multiples, and are expandable, meaning they can be adjusted to fit drawers of all sizes. This is perfect for smaller Lego collections especially, since you don't necessarily need large storage bins but still want to keep the pieces neatly organized and out of the way.

Fill a Tool Chest

If you thought a heavy duty tool chest was just for hammers, pliers, and screwdrivers, think again! The separate drawers and large amount of storage space is ideal for sorting and storing Legos. Use each drawer for a different color or type of Lego, and even turn the area under the lid into a play table. Simply attach Lego baseplates using hot glue or liquid nails and you suddenly gain a great surface area for Lego building. As an added bonus, there's plenty of room between the baseplates and the lid, so all those cool models that took hours to build don't need to be broken down. Simply close the lid and everything is stored away neatly and ready to be played with again the next day.

Use a Bead Box

A bead box is a small plastic container with multiple small compartments, designed to store beads and other jewelry-making supplies. The little compartments are great for storing small specialty Lego pieces that you don't want to lose and want to keep separate from the large bins of regular Lego bricks. Bead boxes come in many different sizes, often have a handle on top so they're easy to carry, and are usually clear so their contents are visible.

Utilize a Rolling Cart

A small, tiered rolling cart is not only a good way to store Legos, but also to move them from room to room. If your kids play in their room during the day, but like to move into the living room or family room in the evenings, a rolling cart is a great way to quickly and easily move Legos from room to room. It also makes for easy cleanup, which is always a plus. Label each tier to keep it organized and fill it with smaller storage containers if you need to store lots of small pieces.

Repurpose a Shoe Storage Bench

A shoe storage bench has the great advantage of having both a surface area and storage space that's already compartmentalized. The bench's low height means that it's at kids' level, so everything is easily accessible, and the divided shelves or compartments are the perfect size for storage bins or baskets. If you're looking for an efficient and nice-looking way to organize Legos that doesn't scream toy storage, then this method is a great choice; the Legos can easily be tucked away in baskets, while the top of the bench can be dressed with cute throw pillows to make it a seamless part of the room that it's in.