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These board game storage ideas will save tons of space and maybe help you retake one of your cabinets back again!
Board Game Storage Ideas to Save Space
If your family loves board games and you’ve been collecting games a wee bit more lately – these hacks are for YOU!
Looking for better board game storage solutions? (PPP Team Member Jamie definitely has been – take a look at this game cabinet shown above – it’s just overflowing these days!). This time of year is a great time to take a look at what you have and what you might need to condense in your cabinets.
I want to show you this great idea to save TONS of space and reduce board game clutter!
My friend Lori who organizes people’s homes for a living shared this board game storage idea with us recently. I’ll let her tell how she did it!
Lori here!! When I set out to help a friend tackle her board game mess – we decided to ditch the boxes and use mesh zippered bags to store games. Now they take up about 1/3 of the space and have a cute little basket to call home 🙂 She saw this idea over on Pinterest and it worked out great!
NOTE: A PPP reader mentioned on Facebook that she was scared to get rid of her boxes for some reason…
Here’s my answer: I had that same thought… But then seeing how much space you gain back, it’s totally worth it. Plus when little ones carry a game zipped in a bag there’s less chance of them dropping & dumping the contents everywhere.
Board Game Storage Using Bags
To get started, we first opened up all the board game boxes and measured the game boards to decide what kind of bags you’ll need to order. We next separated the games into piles based on size – so we could order the right size zipper bags (some of the games we thought would fit into the smaller size actually needed the larger bag – so I recommend ordering more of the larger size).
Here are the ones we chose:
- Big: 13.4 x 9.4 Zipper File Bags (12 pk)
- Bigger: 15 x 11 Zipper File Bags (10-pk)
- Biggest: 17×12 Zipper File Bags (12pk) (We didn’t order these but if you have larger boards you might need these!)
Or just dip your toes in with this 3-Pack of Assorted Sizes Mesh Bags for under $7
NOTE: If you don’t already – make sure you have the following supplies on hand as well:
Reader Nikki shared this before picture with us – she saved a ton of space with the bag method!
Board Game Storage:
- Using a sharp pair of scissors we cut the name of the game from the game’s box-top.
- Next we used two strips of strong packing tape (2-3 inches longer than the name) to adhere the name to the front of the mesh bag.
- For games that had cards and small game pieces we used small Zip Lock bags and rubber bands to contain those items inside the mesh bags.
We also made sure to include any directions for each game. Some games had the directions printed on the box or on a cardboard insert inside the box – we cut those out OR we found those directions on line and printed them out.
You can use any type of bin or basket to store your newly organized games in.
My friend had these baskets already – but if you’re looking around This is a great option because of the generous size and handles! Remember it will need to be at LEAST as large as your largest game board.
Reader Nikki used these fabric bins to store her games – those are super cute too!
Once we were finished we recycled the no longer needed cardboard boxes and voila! So much saved space!
My friend had this to say:
Now the game bags fit nicely into a couple baskets that can be set out – now that my kids see them regularly, they play them more. And, since they’re not hidden behind closed doors, friends see them when they come over and ask to play…
Vertical Board Game Storage is great to save space too!
Reader Brenda had another great idea that doesn’t really require any supplies – just a change of perspective!
She turned her board games on their sides and was able to fit in lots of board games in a tidy way into her game closet – I think she did a great job with that space! (Photo Credit – Brenda)
Actually that closet looks like TOO much fun – now we all kinda want to be one of Brenda’s kiddos! 😉
Your turn!
What storage ideas for Board Games do you use to keep them organized?
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I love these storage ideas! The hack with using clear bins is so clever—definitely going to try that for my overflowing game shelf. Thanks for sharing!
Yay, so glad it was helpful!
What size bag did you use for the Blokus game?
Hi Sarah! The Blokus game is in the “bigger” size bag (15×11). Let us know if you give this storage idea a try!
This is fantastic! Our family loves games and the games were outgrowing the storage space. It’s tradition to get a few new games each year. I bought the supplies and was giddy to organize them. It worked perfectly for me!!!!
Thanks for this idea!!!
I invested money and got all the supplies and nothing fit properly, the bags were bulging and hard to store. I have so many games, this idea only worked for a few. Disappointing
Sorry to hear it!
thank you for sharing! have you noticed any of your board game corners getting damaged? I am worried about the lack of protection for the boards and for pieces that can be bent easily. Thanks!
Where and what brand for the mesh bags?
Hi Kelly ~ the links to the different bags that were used are down in the post! 🙂 Hope that helps!
Any reason for using the mesh bags instead of plastic? Great idea.
Dollar store soap travel holders are great for card games! Keeps them contained, snaps closed, and easy to throw in a purse for outings.
For the game boards that don’t fit in the bags – cut them in half or fourths and make a packing tape “hinge.”
Photo??
Yes! These both work very well depending on your space needs. Also I’ve seen people cut out the tops of unused game boxes and frame them for cute decor’ in a child’s room or game room.
Thanks so much for the cute decor idea Mindy! 🙂
Hi we love board games! We have cubes and display them vertically! I wish I could insert a picture
Would love to see it!! We are currently trying to figure this out. Our bookcase was already full before the new ones for Christmas.lol We are a board game family.