There's no doubt that it can be overwhelming. But set aside a few hours of an afternoon, and follow these easy steps, and you'll be well on your way to cutting through baby clothes clutter in no time flat.
Getting Prepared
The first thing you'll want to do is find 4 baskets or bags. Bags tend to work better, because you can just load them in the car and drop them off wherever they need to be. These 4 baskets or bags will serve as your piles.
Deal with Stains
Next, pull out any piece of baby clothing that is stained. There is no point in saving stained baby clothes as they only take up space, which is a precious commodity in many closets. You can do several different things with stained baby clothes including using them as rags around the house, or, if the outfit has great significance to you, check out our quilting guide's easy quilt making instructions and make a small memory quilt. This is a great way to re-purpose old baby clothes.
Decide What to Save
The next pile of baby clothes should be anything you would like to save. If you've already determined you'll be having more children, save any basics you can. Unisex onesies, socks, and booties are no-brainers, as are unisex mid-weight jackets. You should also save any piece of baby clothing that carries sentimental value, such as the outfit your baby wore home, or a Christening gown; preserved correctly, these special baby clothes will last for years to come.
However, avoid the urge to save everything in the hopes of saving some money down the road. At some point, the savings in money is outweighed by the hassle of storing and possibly moving baby clothes.
Deal with the Rest
Now you'll make either one or two more piles - it will all depend on if you plan to try consigning any of your baby's outgrown clothes. Let's work under the assumption that you are going to go ahead and consign some baby clothes, to hopefully make back some of the money you've spent.
Consignment as an Option
Consigning outgrown baby clothes is a great way to make a little cash - whether you save it or roll it right back in to your baby's wardrobe is completely up to you. clothes that are acceptable to baby consignment stores are unstained and not more than 2 years old. Brand names tend to fetch a higher dollar or store credit, but basics and classic brands are always needed.
Pile up anything you think will be acceptable; if you need tips on how baby consignment works, you can review the ins-and-outs of baby consignment before you get started. This pile will consist of everything that, were it not to small for your own baby, or if you had friends that needed hand-me-downs, you wouldn't be ashamed to hand these over. So, no stains, no tears, and nothing that is way out of date.
Donate the Rest
Finally, your last pile should be any baby clothes that you want to donate. These can go to bigger places like Goodwill, or to smaller charities that are right in your neighborhood. Maybe you attend a church that collects baby clothes for distribution, either locally or internationally. While these clothes do not need to be in as pristine shape as clothes headed for consignment, they should still be in respectable shape. While it can be easy to throw anything, including ripped and stained clothing in this pile, please don't do it; it really just makes more work for someone else down the road.
So there you have it. When it's time to go through the baby's closet and weed through the outgrown clothes, be sure to set aside a few hours. You'll be amazed at how many times you'll stop and linger over a piece of your baby's clothing, remembering when your baby was "that small."
