In need of some board game organization? I got you covered today because I am going to show you how to organize board games into bags, and organizing your board game cabinets in general. This is going to help any family who loves playing games to access them with ease!
From the time I started my blog, I have been pretty keen on showing you my organizing projects and this one is one of my favourites so far. This is actually a pretty exciting tutorial because it has been a while since I showed you a project that I am doing around my apartment.
Over the 10 years, we have been in this apartment, we have collected a ton of games. I guess living with growing siblings and a son would do that to a family. Let me break down what I did to transform our board game cabinet.
Psst… In case you were wondering, our BRIMNES bookshelf cabinet is from my ultimate favourite store – IKEA!
Board Games Organization
Let’s get to the nitty-gritty, shall we? When you don’t have a plan of action for a space, then someone will find space, any space to squeeze everything into. Not to mention, stacking of boxes and well, disorganization at its finest. Don’t worry, we can fix that!
Here is evidence of what a cabinet can look like when there is no organizational plan or system put into place. Oh, the joys of digging for the board games you want to play with. Am I right?
1 – Pull out all of your board games
In order to really see what you are working with you need to pull out all the board games you have in your cabinet. This makes it super easy to see what have been hiding in the back. Also, if you have games in other rooms like kid’s bedrooms, toy rooms or playrooms, grab them as well. Take it all out and put them in a spot where you can sort through them.
2 – Clean the Shelves
Alright, you took out everything. Use this time to dust, wipe down and clean the shelves. Most of the time it doesn’t get too dirty but it is a nice step to include just in case crumbs or sticky residue has landed on your shelves.
3 – Declutter Board Games
If you have been following me for a while, you would know that decluttering is essential to me. I love decluttering and that is definitely a step you need when organizing your board games. You are looking for games that you want to keep in your home. The ones you used all the time or at least yearly. Here are board games that you don’t want to keep around:
- board games that are not being used.
- games that your kids have grown out of.
- broken games that are no longer in the condition to play.
- missing game pieces that make a game impossible to play.
- board games that you have not played with in the last 1-2 years.
- games that were gifted that you don’t like using.
To all the games that are in good condition but you no longer love or enjoy playing, put them in a bag or box for donation. There is someone out there who will give those games a new life.
4 – Make A Plan of Action
With all the board games left, you can now make an action plan of how you want to arrange your game cabinet. This is where you are going to make a list of what you need for your space in order to organize it but also map out where you want to put everything.
I knew that I wanted game pieces and their instructions in zipper bags and the large board games to be filed in a acrylic file holder. Any remaining board games that couldn’t fit in my zipper bags would remain at the bottom shelf.
5 – Transfer & Organize Board Games into Bags
First thing first, you’ll want a buy a couple of zipper pouches in a variety of sizes when you decide to organize board games into bags. I got two sizes the blue zipper file bags are 34cm x 25cm which is large enough to hold a size of paper. I found that is fit a lot of medium and small game pieces. Next, I used the 24 x 18 cm (A5) zipper pouch bags just for smaller game pieces and its instructions.
6 – Store Game Boards on File Holder
Remember that different games take up different amounts of space. So I needed to improvise on how I wanted to store thereally large board games since these were the ones that wouldn’t fit into a zipper pouch. It may be a little hard to see but I am storing my game boards on an file holder.
I arranged it form large to small, so that it is easy to access and see what game you want. Plus it gave my cabinet a neat look to it. I even added some labels to the games just in case we forgot what game it it for.
Psst… If you have games like Monopoly or Candyland, an 17.72″x 12.60″ (A3) zipper pouch would be a good size for you.
7 – Label the Zipper Pouch Bags
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t tell you to label the zipper bags. After organizing all your games, you need to start labeling. Personally I think labeling is so much fun. I used my Brother P-Touch Cube Label Machine that I bought from Amazon and stuck the labels on the zipper pouches and the board games that I have in the file holder.
Of course, I have seen alternative ways to label if you don’t have a label machine. Consider cutting out the board game logos and game titles then using clear tape to stick it on your bag. This is a little bit more time consuming but its a nice touch to have. Also, its great for if you have younger kids as well.
8 – Put Game Bags into Storage Bins
Last but not least, you need to put the game bags into storage bins. I got these bins from my local dollar store a long time ago but relocated it to this game cabinet. Since our cabinet is darker coloured I was happy to have had a beige basket so that the bin could stand out.
When putting the games away into storage bins, you will want to file them in. Why do you need to do this to organize your board games? Simply put, you will want to put the game bags up vertically instead of horizontally. That way it is a lot easier to find your game, it doesn’t take up too much space in your cabinet and it makes your space visually appealing.
Game Organization Shopping List
1 – Zipper File Bags | 2 – Rose Gold Clear Acrylic File Holder | 3 – A5 Zipper Pouch Bags | 4 – Brother P-Touch Cube Label Machine | 5 – Whitmor Woven Strap Shelf Tote Savvy Gray
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, your family game nights have just gotten a little bit easier with your newly organized game cabinet. I love how simple organizing board games can be and knowing how to organize board games into bags can keep your game pieces all in one spot. Easy to grab and start playing the game as well as easy to clean up and put away. This is helpful for the entire family and those who loves playing games to access them with ease!
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These are great ideas! It’s always more fun to enjoy family time when you don’t have to deal with disorganization and mess ahead of time.
Thank you so much! I agree, you can focus on the game with your family instead of digging through the mess.
That’s a nice collection of games and a great way to store them! Having a place for everything is a good strategy in every room — especially in the main living areas!
So true! Thank you so much. I appreciate your comment!