DIY Kids Lockers/Cubbies for Coats, School Bags, etc

 When we moved into our home one year ago, one of the biggest selling points was all the extra storage space. Not only the large storage room, but also plenty of closets for our growing family. We have two large closets in our mudroom, one where I keep all of my blog stuff organized, and the other which...well, it was just a catch all for junk. I wanted to utilize the space better and got an idea from none other than Pinterest! :)

I like to try and stay organized, and with three kids and all their things, it has become even more important! I am always on the lookout for ways to do this, which is why I've been drawn to the many neat pictures of lockers/cubbies for kids' coats, shoes etc. that I've seen on Pinterest. We don't have a lot of extra wall space where we could build one of these out in the open, but this closet used for nothing but junk did come to mind!

After talking with my hubby, we decided that building the "lockers" inside the closet would be a great way to accommodate our needs and space. We first took out the old shelves (sorry, I forgot to take pics) and repainted the walls (which were white and scuffed up). We went back and forth about doing a fun color, or going with tan...and ultimately went with the tan and are so glad we did!

Busy painting (Kaden helped too! :))

After painting

We then measured the space and headed to our local home improvements store to purchase the materials we would need. That same week, my hubby and dad worked for a few hours and pretty much got the lockers completely built. They even added some trim pieces along the bottom of each cubby area to give it a more finished look which I love!

Once it was all built and secured, I got the fun part of adding in the accessories. I had bought three baskets at Target which worked perfectly for the top of each locker. We are using them to keep their hats and mittens. I am hoping this will help keep everything in its place so we are losing things like we have in the past. It also keeps it hidden!

I then got three oil rubbed bronze hooks from Walmart and hung one in each locker. These are coat hooks and made to hold quite a bit of weight which is good since they will be using them for jackets and book bags.

Finally, and probably my favorite part of all...are their names! I went online and found someone on Etsy who does individual names for a very reasonable price. I got each of the kids' names and put them in their locker. It was the finishing touch and really brought everything together. I think this is probably the kids' favorite part too. I mean really, who doesn't like to have their name on things and have it personalized just for them?! 

These fun lockers came together perfectly, and suit our space and needs great! The kids love them, and I love how organized we can now keep everything! We just got them done last week, just in time for Kaelyn to have a place to hang her school bag and coat each day.

There's even a place for their shoes at the bottom which has been nice as well. 

And, when we don't want all our kids' stuff to show...we simply close the closet door! :)