The Joanna Gaines Trick That'll Finally Fix Your Kids' Clutter (& Keep It Organized)

Clutter is often seen as the ultimate enemy of good interior design. But we have to live inside our beautiful homes, and for a living space to be functional, clutter has to be part of the equation. For that reason, learning strategies for decluttering your home is essential to a relaxing and organized living environment. Joanna Gaines, design expert and co-host of HGTV's "Fixer Upper," offers some valuable insight on how to handle clutter in your home, especially if you have kids. Her idea is simple: anticipate the clutter ahead of time and use it as decor. As Gaines shares on her Magnolia blog, sometimes your space is best served when your kids' clutter serves a dual role as both play items and decorative pieces.

Leaving your clutter out in plain site might go against your typical housekeeping instincts, and while you don't want your home to become overwhelmingly crowded, you can actually use your space more effectively when a few items are simply kept out in the open. When discussing leaving some kids' toys on display, Gaines says, "I ... think it looks super cute out on the dining table or coffee table as intentional decor for the kids." So before you begin shoving all the kids' stuff into closets and plastic bins (using up all your precious storage space in the process), try taking a page from Gaines' book and consider how all that clutter could become an enjoyable element of your household scenery. 

Let's face it: if you have kids, there's going to be clutter in your home. Joanna Gaines suggests embracing the mess and incorporating it into your interior design vision. Gaines likes to have plenty of storage space, but she also likes to leave some of the clutter out for decorative purposes. This strategy is useful for fully sharing your space with children — allowing the home to serve the functional needs of a child's lifestyle and let their taste and personality shine through the decor — after all, they're members of the household, too.

When you plan out your space, make a short list of your children's items — this can include the various toys and craft supplies that theoretically belong in a specific play area of the living room or kitchen but realistically end up strewn across the home. Once you know what kind of clutter you should expect, you can begin incorporating storage and display sections into the living space. For instance, you can use baskets as stylish storage for miscellaneous toys, but a collection of colorful pens can sit in a clear jar on a shelf, adding a splash of fun color to the room. For some attractive but inexpensive storage baskets for your kids' stuff, check out this coiled rope basket with tassels from Target, starting at $15. And for a kid-friendly clear container, opt for acrylic instead of glass, like this acrylic canister from The Container Store, starting at $11. 

There are lots of clever ways to turn your clutter into decor, whether you're trying to organize kids' toys or your own extensive collection of loose items. For toys, identify eye-catching pieces that could serve as statement displays, such as a toy truck or a colorful Lego set. Even stuffed animal clutter can turn into cute kid decor. These toys can live on top of a child's play table or shelf — or even as a centerpiece for your coffee table. Another smart idea is to mount a bulletin board in the living room or play area so that any drawings or craft projects can be immediately pinned up — rather than thrown in a pile. Joanna Gaines is a big fan of hanging up kids' work and giving them a designated work area: "...maybe your child's space looks like a little desk with jars of Legos, paper, markers, and a place they can hang their artwork."

Gaines notes that this clutter concept isn't just for households with young kids. Every adult can use a little creativity when incorporating their clutter into their space. Gaines suggests that large jewelry collections or messy office supplies can also be transformed into visually interesting decorative pieces. Jewelry trees, for instance, will keep long necklaces organized and serve as a sparkly decoration for your dresser or bathroom. With these simple changes, your items will soon transform from frustrating clutter to eclectic decorative statements.