Friday, April 16, 2010

60 April Featured Space: Living Room - Media Mania

I thought since I focused on Living/Family Room media storage in a couple of posts already this week, first chatting about remote control storage and then component storage.  I figured why not end the week with one last thought on media storage, specifically for movies and video games.

There are boatloads of ways to store and organize media.  From specific drawers within media cabinets:


to bookshelves with baskets:


to special media cabinets:


to CD  sleeves:


to bins and baskets:


With so many options to choose from, organizing media can be pretty straight forward and easy, it's just about what works for you and your space. 

For us, we went through a movie craze, until Netflix came along that is.  We live nowhere near a good rental shop so we would splurge frequently on a good flick to keep at home.  And, when it comes to the kiddos, now we stock up on Disney and Dreamworks favorites for long trips in the car or rainy weekends at home.

Not to mention I married an ex-video game fanatic... I say ex because he finds much less time these days to sneak away and indulge in his improvement of hand/eye coordination.  However, the kiddos are big fans of the Wii they got from their generous gram and gramps, so the games started building up there too.

Since those bulky movie and video game cases start to take up crazy amounts of space, and they aren't the most pleasing to the eye, we decided to try out some fantastic acrylic bins with hanging sleeves inside, which I found at one of my favorite happy places, The Container Store:


 Of course, these weren't necessarily the cheapest option I could have gone for, but the functionality and space saves can't be beat!  You can fit up to 120 dvd's or video games in just one of these puppies.  Plus, I always go for 20% off with an online coupon code and pick up in the store to avoid shipping costs!

Of course, you can't have video game systems without their controllers, which I didn't get featured on the previous remote post. 

All of our media bins and remote basket are conveniently located on a shelf sitting inbetween the playroom and the family room:


Why IHeart our media bins:

Like I mentioned above, these babies store away 120 cd's in each one!  Could you imagine the space that 120 movie and video game cases take up?  And we have four of these little guys.  But of course, they aren't all filled up, we have plenty of room for growth.  If I find something I really heart, like in this case, sometimes I buy one or two extra so that when my belongings expand, I am not having to start all over with unmatched bins.


The movies store conveniently in file sleeves.  Pretty genius setup really.  And all of the sleeves are numbered:



So all I did was create a spreadsheet media key to label all of the movies:


I did end up going with four total media bins.  I use two for the grown-up movies and box sets, I use one for the kids movies and one for the video games.  And like I said, I definitely have some growth room.  Anytime I want to add a new movie to our collection, I just slide it into the sleeve and add it to my list {which is why I didn't type this one out, saves on paper just to write in the new movie vs. reprinting the list with each addition we make}. 

I put all of the individual movies in the front of the bin, and then halfway through, I placed all of our movies with sequels, leaving some extra spaces for ones we know are coming out or we need to add too.  And of course, it's never hard to find a movie in the case because we always have our movie inventory key to reference!

 
So easy!  This way we always know what movies we own, in case we borrow them out or one gets misplaced.  And the kids always know where to grab the movies from and where to put them back, meaning it's easy enough for them to keep our media organized also.  And that my friends is totally another reason why these media bins melt my organized heart.

Lastly, listing out the movies and leaving spaces for sequels that we don't already own, gives me a quick idea when friends and family ask for gift ideas for the kids.  I can look at the list, see that they still don't have Toy Story 2, but have Toy Story 1, and put it on their wish list.

For storage of our gaming remotes, well that was as simple as snagging a wicker basket and putting it with the media bins on a shelf:


One basket was able to hold and conceal a ton!

I totally adore when everything works together in harmony.  From our remotes to our component cabinet to our media storage and gaming control storage, everything has a specific home and it couldn't be easier to keep things in good order!  

So this one is easy.  I am always begging you to share your stuff... everyone has movies... whether 10 or 5,765, I would heart to see how you go about organizing them!  Oh, and just so you all know, you can always share your photos on my Facebook page as well, hint hint!  But if you do, just know I might snag them to share with everyone on the blog too!!

 


60 comments:

  1. I think your idea of media storage is fantastic, what I would like to know is, what do you do with the cases that all these dvds, games etc come in?

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  2. Jen..you put me to shame, girl! I was thinking the same thing as Rebecca....what do you do with all the cases?
    I keep mine hidden away but I'm still old school. The dvds are in an under the bed box, under our bed and the games are in a deep drawer in our entertainment center. Our cd's hide in our fireplace built in cabinets (behind doors).

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  3. Great question about the cases! I actually have anxiety about accumulating too much "stuff" in the house that I don't "need", so I actually recycled ALL of the movie cases! It felt really good to get them out and give me space! However, I will mention that I did keep all of the video game cases in a box in our storage room, just in case we decide to sell any of them at a later date. This is because gaming systems change and update much more frequently than movie media, and if we invest in a new gaming system, we sell an old one along with it's games. However, I don't foresee us ever selling our movie collection, so I made the decision to completely rid of the cases and simplify the belongings in our home.

    I hope that helps!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  4. Can you recycle them along with your household #1 and #2 recyclable items, or did you have to take them somewhere specific to be recycled? I need to rid our house of DVD cases as well! xoxo

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  5. Most cities now have recycling centers that take old cases. Don’t just set them on the curb though. Recycling CD and DVD cases are different than recycling water bottles, paper, or tin foil. They definitely shouldn't be thrown away, they will never decompose in a landfill. :( Not too earth friendly. We found a local center for ours. I have also heard that Goodwill may take them, or http://www.freecycle.org/ where you can post what you are willing to give away and someone would be willing to take them off of your hands.

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  6. Wow, what great ideas! I need to do a google search and see if there's a Container Store around here - I love the DVD organization thing you have going on there! Right now we have a DVD tower with our movies in it, but it's really getting just way too full, and overflowing with movies. We bought alot of movies before we got Netflix, too - now we don't buy any. Netflix is great. :) Anyways, we have an Xbox 360 with a bunch of games we've bought/received, and so we have a storage ottoman that we keep all those games and controllers in. But I love your idea of movie organization - it would save so much space! Thanks for the great ideas! :)

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  7. What a great idea! DVDs make me crazy and this is such a great option! I love that it takes up such a small amount of space an it looks like it would be easy to transport them if we're going on a long trip (or yet another cross country move lol)

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  8. I am absolutely NUTS about those CD/DVD containers!!! I have one of those huge ole clunky CD cases the size of a binder that I HATE. I just can't let go of my CD's even though we have everything on our iPods so these bins are the answer to my organizing OCD. I am ordering some ASAP. Thank you!!!

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  9. Where did you get the bookshelf with the baskets on it? I love the design!

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  10. Hi Allison!

    The bookshelf is actually part of Ikea's custom shelving section, I believe typically focussed on office. You pick all the components you want in the shelving unit and it all pieces together fairly easily!

    I hope that helps!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  11. Hi Jen -
    2 questions for you:
    1) Do you share your templates? You've got so many great ones throughout your site; I'd love to modify them for our family.
    2) Where do you keep the media storage key?

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  12. Hi Melanie!

    I actually do share most of my templates, if you want to just send me an email {iheartorganizing@gmail.com} and let me know which ones you are looking for, I will send them your way! I used Microsoft Excel for just about everything I do, so you will need that to open the files.

    To answer your second question, I actually currently slide the key along the wall in the bottom cabinet right below the media bins. However, I have huge plans of putting together a family binder that holds ALL of our different checklists and schedules and references, which is where it will ultimately end up!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  13. I so need to do this! How do you find the 20% off codes?

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  14. Hi Jenna!

    I used to snag them off of retailmenot.com, but now I have to google a little more to find anything.

    Thanks!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  15. i actually went and bought these cases, but now i'm a little disappointed. they don't seem to hold 120 disks. are your cases full? i could only get about 112 in there and i'm not saving any of the sleeves that come with the dvd.

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  16. Hi Karisa!

    Because I use different cases for different categories, we haven't actually filled up an entire one yet. Not sure why 120 wouldn't fit when it's sold that way, I would maybe contact the Container Store or the manufacture of the case to inquire?

    Bummer!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  17. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! I've been talking about something like this forever!!! Just what I needed! Thanks for the inspiration!!!

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  18. Hey Jen!
    I love your blog! Amazing! What did you do with the picture inserts for the DVD's? Did you get rid of them along with the hard plastic cases?
    Thanks,
    Renee

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  19. @Renee, we did get rid of the pictures as well, most of our disks are easy to read, the others, well, the index works good for that. :)

    xoxo,
    jen

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  20. Hey Jen!

    Just wondering if you'd be willing to share the media key you made or how you went about making it - I'm not too computer savvy when it comes to those things!

    Thanks! Love your blog!

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  21. @Bridget:
    I used Microsoft Excel to create the key, you can find it here in my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/72261935/personalized-media-inventory-printable

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  22. Does anyone have any ideas for old vhs storage? I have been given my entire childhood collection for my boys to use and I haven't a clue as to how to store them in the shoe box I live in...I really don't want to let them go though :)

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  23. @Mortons - What about just decorating the shoe boxes they are in, with pretty paper? It's totally sweet you hold on to them if you still use them! :)

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  24. Do you know if there is any coupon codes available? I cant seem to find any :(

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  25. @Christie - they come out with 20% off frequently, I just google around and try ones until they work. xoxo!

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  26. Again...this is yet another BRILLIANT idea!! I have done the CD sleeve 3 ring binder w/ my girls & it was an epic fail. The sleeves tear, the rings on the binger get all discombulated & then the sleeves fall out & then the DVDs fall out. Which means I end up having DVD/CDs all around the entire house! This is such a great idea! Thank you!

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  27. Hi Jen!

    Love the idea and already put it to use! What do you do with your old VHS tapes? Sell 'em? Burn 'em onto DVDs??

    Thanks! :)

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  28. Hi Danielle!

    We donated ours. We really never had many to begin with since I moved out of my parents back when DVD's just came out! :) Not sure if that just dated me or not, lol. I believe there are electronics that can transfer VHS to DVD? Or else you can just keep one VHS player? Otherwise, donate away!

    Happy holidays!

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  29. Hi Jen!

    I was wondering if the cases already came labeled with the numbers or is that something that you added? This is such a great idea,I will be ordering one soon!

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  30. @Jordan,

    They do come numbered and also have their own key, I just chose to make it bigger and one that I wouldn't mind re-printing in case things changed.

    xoxo!
    Jen

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  31. Love the ideas. My son's room was over-run with cd's and DVD's so I decided to use the cd sleeves in a book and tossed the cases since he didn't care about those anyway. Now 200 DVD's take up very little space and he doesn't make such a mess when he is trying to decide what to watch! You have amazing ideas. Thanks!!!

    Treena

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  32. An idea for recycling the cases...donate to a library! I just bought these cd/dvd cases (thanks Jen!) and they are exactly what we needed! I also work at a library. Our small town library has a very small budget and buying just cases is expensive. We are always happy to have a donation of cases! Well, my library now has way to many thanks to Jen and my donation! :)

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    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness, thank you for the incredible suggestion, I have a few more piled up here waiting to be donated.

      xoxo!
      Jne

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  33. I went through major headaches trying to organize our DVD collection- we have hundreds of them and the books got out of control when we reached 3 books. There was just no easy way to keep them organized in the books.

    My solution was to get clear shoe boxes from the Dollar Store, colored paper sleeves and white sleeves from WalMart. I then created a database in Avery (free download online) of all the movie titles.

    I printed the database out on labels and regular paper. The regular paper I 3 hole punched and put into a binder that we keep with the boxes. The labels I used to label the paper sleeves. I have color coded the movies (orange sleeves for little kid safe movies, blue for teen safe movies, green for music movies, etc.) All the "regular" movies are in white sleeves. I have all the movies in the boxes in general alphabetical order. I say "general alphabetical" because I gave up trying to keep them in a strict alphabetical order. Now it's just all the movies that start with "A" are in A, in no particular order so you have to sift through all the A movies to find what you want.

    I have a separate box for strays. Movies that I haven't gotten a label for yet, movies that the kids are too lazy to put in the right place so they left them out, movies that have lost their sleeve, or a sleeve that has lost it's movie, etc. are all in this box. I clean it out about once a month if needed.

    I love the boxes that you have, but my method is a cheap option which I'll stick with until I move & can set up my house how I want it without having to consider what anyone else wants. :)

    Love the blog! Found you through Pinterest.

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  34. I just got done putting all of my DVD's in one of these cases. I am planning to purchase your media key. Where do you keep yours? I love the idea for this as opposed to having all of those cases out, but my husband isn't convinced yet. Our 3 children are younger (4, 2 and 6 months) and he is concerned that they won't be able to choose their movies without seeing the packaging, especially considering we have about 60 movies, but they usually only watch about 10 of them at the moment. Do your children just know all of their movie options already? When I purchase from your etsy site, do I only get one sheet? I'm concerned about making an error and then having it be useless. Thank you in advance! I love your blog!

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    Replies
    1. My older kiddos can read so it hasn't been an issue for us. My five year old is pretty good at recognizing most of them, and if not, he just asks one of us. :) I love not seeing movie cases, for some reason it seams to be harder for the husbands to see the benefit, lol.

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  35. Oops, scratch my question about how many sheets you receive. I just checked out the link and realized it's a printable that I can print myself as often as I need. Will be buying it soon!

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  36. If you have any fellow photographer friends, ask them if they want all your old DVD cases! they can re-use them for picture cd's for their clients, all they have to do is print out and insert their own cover. My sister takes all of my DVD cases for this!

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    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness that is a fabulous idea! Thank you for the great tip! <3

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  37. Jen, thank you for such a great idea about the cd/dvd storage! I can't believe that three drawers worth of dvds will fit in one box. Makes my head spin! I was planning on heading over to the Container Store this weekend anyway, so I think I"ll pick up two or three for movies, cd's, photo cd's and home movies!

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  38. Thank you for the awesome idea!!! I am ordering theses asap! One quick question...I noticed that you did not put the dvd's in abc order...I really don't want to either seeing that it will take so much time, but does it make it difficult to locate them? Also, do you have all your music and picture cd's in these as well? I love your blog and think you are such an inspiration to so many people!

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  39. Hi Jen. I recently started following your blog and I am totally inspired to live a much more organized life! : )
    Quick question....what do you do with the empty DVD/Game cases once you have stored them in these amazing cases?
    Thanks again for the inspiration.

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    Replies
    1. Scratch that question!! Would help if I actually read some of the other posts. Thanks

      Delete
  40. Have you come across any coupon recently? If so where were you able to find them?

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    Replies
    1. I signed up for their emails and always double check retailmenot.com.

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  41. Hey Jen...
    1.where do i get the clear plastic bins for dvd storage.
    2. Do the sleeves come with it and if not where do i get those?
    3. Can you email me the template that says the jones family where you wrote all your movies in, I LOVE THAT!

    my email is... morgangirlygirl@yahoo.com

    melissa xoxo

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    Replies
    1. Hi Melissa!

      The movie cases are from The Container Store, you can find them here: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/storage/toyStorage/accessories?Ntt=acrylic+media&productId=10022645

      They do come with the sleeves.

      I sell the inventory printable in my shop here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/72261935/personalized-media-inventory-printable

      xo!
      Jen

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  42. Jen I LOVE all of your organizing ideas!! Can you tell me where you got your media bins? I have found lots of different ones, but none that are the "filing cabinet style" that you have. Thanks, Erica :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Erica!

      The movie cases are from The Container Store, you can find them here: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/storage/toyStorage/accessories?Ntt=acrylic+media&productId=10022645

      xo,
      Jen

      Delete
  43. I love this idea!! I currently have all of our family's movies in the black zippered binders, which are not very attractive. The $24.99 price tag was a bit hard to swallow so I did some googling and these are also available at Best Buy (but with black and white sleeves) and they're currently on sale for $9.99. :)

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  44. where are those tan binders from?

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  45. Hi Jen,

    Love that white cabinet with drawers(1st pic in this post). Where did you get it from?


    Aloha,
    Lynn

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    Replies
    1. Didn't hear back regarding my question (Sent on 9/21/13).

      Where did you get the media cabinet with the built-in CD drawers?


      Aloha,
      Lynn

      Delete
    2. Sorry I missed your initial question Lynn. The photos at the beginning of the post were not of our home {I really should have known better to source the images way back when I first started blogging}. The drawers do look to me like something I would see at IKEA however.

      xo!

      Delete
    3. Thanks for the info Jen!

      ♥Aloha,
      Lynn

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  46. This is genius!! I had some spare bins I found at the dollar store and used those.. I ran out of dvd sleeves, but I'm going to pick up more so I can do all our movies... & probably upgrade my bins soon :-). I put my kids' entire collection into 1 tiny bin!! I love it!!

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  47. Wondering if you still love these media bins 5 years later? They seem like an awesome space-saving solution but I’m wondering if my kids could handle the change.

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    Replies
    1. Definitely still loving them Libbe! They have held up great and we love how little space they take up. :)

      Delete

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