Like all boys my son loves his Lego, he loves to make and build all different creations. Over the years he has received Lego for his birthday and Christmas so he now has quite the collection. As soon as he receives a new Lego set he is really eager to build it. However over time the set would break, the pieces would then be placed into a container with other pieces which made it harder to find and most often a Lego piece would go missing which resulted that he wasn’t motivated to rebuild them.
As you all know I have a fondness for the IKEA Expedit Units (see some great ideas on how to use them here and here). When I saw they released the new colour, red, I knew it would match perfectly in Mr 9’s bedroom.
We sold the toy box which really wasn’t functioning properly in this space and replaced it with the new red expedit unit from Ikea.
I’ve used a black leather-like table runner on top which I find really easy to wipe over to remove dust, this also protects the top of the unit from scratches.
I spray painted 2 Ikea Rationell Variera Shelf inserts black to match his bedroom. These shelves fit perfectly into the expedit.
Using the shelf allows more pieces to be displayed in each cube.
We gathered all his Lego together and sorted all the Lego pieces into colours. To sort them into colours I used some small plastic drawer sets which I purchased a few years ago from a dollar store, I have also seen them at Bunnings. I have been accused of being a little ‘over the top’ (me….noooo) with sorting into colours, but this suits my son, as he was finding it really hard to find pieces and this is my way of helping him. Now he can look for the drawer with the blue pieces and then search through this for the size he needs.
We sorted all the Lego into colours, wheels and figures.
On top of the unit he keeps his large built sets.
The Lego Head can also help find particular Lego size bricks. Mr 9 is so happy with unit, making it much easier to build Lego Creations.
32 comments
Love this – and so would my Lego mad son!
That is fantastic!!!!!!!!!
This is awesome! My 7yr old is sitting next to me and said “we should do that mum!”, guess I should work on something similar now!
I have done something similar, I will take a photo and share it if you like.
its a great idea but is your son uber organised as well…mine would still manage to mix the pieces over time or do you check it regularly? Im not making fun but just wondering 🙂
Initially my son had all the different pieces in divided storage arranged in colour and size. He found this frustrating so we’ve opted to blutack his base plates to the bottom of a trundle and he has all the pieces stacked in the trundle as well. He loves digging around for the pieces. Anything he makes he wants to keep (like his beloved pirate ship) goes onto his shelf 🙂
This is fantastic however in a completely Lego obsessed family (all of us – we received Lego as a wedding present!) we would need about 4 expedits to fit the completed structures in. I am working on a shelving system that will display creations to get them out of the study. We also have all the lego sorted in to colours, they are kept in a drawstring bag that opens out to make a play mat making it easier to clean up.
Love this, wish I had seen this idea when my kids were into Lego – at the moment it is in one huge box – may even do this and store in the garage for their kids.
Oh I love that – I wish we had room in our kiddies bedroom for that, I’d so do it, we organised our pieces into colors once, but then it just got put back into the big tub, very cool indeed!
Fantastic! My son already has a big expedit (a recent addition to his room), I think I will have to implement a few of your tips into it, TFS 🙂
I have just finished displaying completed lego sets in my older boys’ rooms – looks great and they play with them more. I do have one problem though, they used to share a room and the loose lego was just stored in a tub in their room. Now they have separate rooms and I’m not sure what to do with that tub – divide in half or some sort of share arrangement? Suggestions anyone????
AWESOME 🙂 so totally perfect for any boys room!!! well done! Love it!
Great organisation Katrina . I love my expedit units too.
Oh wow…this is awesome!
Nice idea, and
would suit me to a T, but according to my 3 sons and my husband, more than half
the fun is searching through a massive pile of Lego looking for THE piece that
you need! If I tried that here (and i am speaking from the experience of trying
something similar last year!) there would be a massive revolt! As long as i
don’t find random pieces of Lego on the floor in the middle of the night with
my bare feet, we’ve reached a mutually satisfying compromise – I don’t try to
colour/ size code their Lego, and they pack it all away into several Lego Heads when asked. Otherwise,
it stays spread out on an old train set table, where it provides hours of
entertainment for at least a couple of the 5 kids every single day.
I agree it really depends on the personality. My son get’s frustrated really easy when he can’t find a piece is more likely to stop playing.
I would need 12 of these to store my boys Lego.
You da BOMB! I LOVE this. My kids are total Lego freaks and I am always looking for new ideas to store them. Besides now I am so going to have to go to IKEA and buy and expedit….oh the suffering he he xx
I have done something similar, and my husband and son who were not at all convinced of the merits of colour sorting have now admitted that colour sorted Lego makes “free building” much easier….
Awesome! My partner and I have a decent-sized collection of legos, and that red Expedit is just so perfect!
The complete answer to my 5-year-old’s lego problems!! (He and his dad have been sorting them into colours since he was 3, but alas!, we don’t have IKEA in Tasmania … I’ll have to shop around. Thanks for the idea).
I luv it! I might have to incorporate some of this into my son’s storage now that he has more Lego’s.
Looks great, but we find it easier to sort Lego into categories (tiny pieces; bricks; flat bricks; windows, doors & roof tiles; figurines & accessories; transport pieces etc etc)
Such an *awesome* idea. (I personally love the color co-ordination. No such thing as too organised :P)
Where did you get the plastic storage organizer?
Where did you purchase the red unit
This post is so timely! We are at the stage of lego overload for our little storage system. Lookout IKEA I’m on my way!
Fantastic! Ikea is great for Lego storage containers and cubes!
I have been a massive fan of THE ORGANISED HOUSEWIFE for over a year now! I was pregnant last year and our house was packed up for renovations that were meant to have taken place (insurance) April 2015 of which still have not happened! My house has become COMPELETY out of control due to morning sickness and a mum to a tiny Bub. But in the desperation of finding a solution and support from you, I have come accross the reason I fell in love with you and your support and help! My son (8 years old) has exactly this shelf (colour and all) in his room! I wanted to say a massive thank you as this was the beginning of my desire to get organised and be proud of my home! First time I’ve commented and I will endeavour to comment more often as you grow and develop ‘THE ORGANISED HOUSEWIFE’ further. From a raving fan of your work! Xx?
Ooh Elle, that is the most beautiful message, thank you so very very much for sharing. I am so pleased that you have been able to find inspiration from my posts and you are able to adapt them in your home. Does your son enjoy the set up? Please keep commening, always love hearing from readers and learning how you are going 😉
Where are the royal blue and green small plastic storage drawers from? Thanks!