how to organize baby clothes in dresser

November 19, 2025

Baby clothes are adorable—but storing them? Not so adorable. Between tiny onesies, endless sleepers, diapering supplies, gifts in random sizes, and constant laundry, your dresser can go from “Instagram cute” to “I give up” in one week.

The good news: with a simple system, you can organize baby clothes in a dresser so things stay neat, easy to find, and realistic for sleep-deprived parents. This guide goes far beyond basic folding tips and gives you a dresser layout built for middle-of-the-night changes, small nurseries, shared rooms, and fast-growing babies.

Let’s set up a dresser that works for you—not against you.

Step 1: Before Touching the Dresser, Do a Quick Baby Clothes Inventory

Start by gathering every piece of baby clothing from:

Baskets
Laundry
Closet
Baby shower gifts
Diaper bag

Then sort everything into these groups:

1. Size

NB, 0–3m, 3–6m, 6–9m, 12m, 18m, etc.

2. Season

“Wear now”
“Wear soon”
“Too warm/too cold for this season”

3. Condition

Keep
Donate
For stain treatment
Sentimental pieces to store elsewhere

This helps you avoid overstuffing the dresser with clothing your baby won’t wear for months—or might never wear at all.

Step 2: Choose the Right Tools — Dividers, Bins, and a Practical Dresser

Baby clothes are tiny, slippery, and easy to lose in deep drawers. That’s why drawer dividers aren’t optional—they’re essential.

Best organizers for baby dresser drawers:

Expandable drawer dividers
Small fabric bins
Narrow baskets for socks, mittens, and hats
Mini boxes for pacifiers, nail clippers, thermometers

If your dresser also doubles as a changing table, even better—it cuts down on steps during diaper changes.

Step 3: Assign “Work Zones” to Each Drawer

Instead of randomly placing items, think of the dresser like a workspace. The top, middle, and bottom drawers each have a job.

Top Drawers: “Diapering + Emergency” Zone

These are the items you need the fastest:

Diapers
Wipes
Diaper creams
Lotion
Nail clippers
Thermometer
Nasal aspirator
Burp cloths
Backup onesies and sleepers for middle-of-the-night blowouts

Keeping backup outfits right under the changing area prevents midnight scavenger hunts.

Middle Drawers: “Current Size Clothes” Zone

This drawer should only hold the size your baby is wearing right now. This is where the magic happens.

Organize by category:

Onesies
Sleepers / footies
Leggings / pants
Cardigans / sweaters
Everyday outfits
Swaddles or lightweight sleep sacks
Bibs and drool cloths

Each category gets its own section or small bin so nothing migrates into a black hole.

Bottom Drawers: “Future + Bulky Items” Zone

Use this lower space for items you don’t need daily:

Next size up clothes
Seasonal clothing
Extra crib sheets
Extra blankets
Larger sleep sacks
Baby carrier accessories
Winter items

This keeps essentials at eye level and clutter out of your way.

Step 4: Fold Baby Clothes in a Way That Actually Saves Space

The best method for baby dressers is the file-fold technique, where clothes stand upright like a little library.

File fold:

Onesies
Sleepers
Pants/leggings
T-shirts
Shorts

Why it works:

You can see every item at a glance
Nothing gets buried
Drawers stay organized longer
Grandma or babysitter can easily find things

Items you don’t need to fold perfectly:

Burp cloths
Bibs
Washcloths
Swaddles

Roll them loosely or toss them into small labeled bins.

Step 5: Drawer-by-Drawer Examples You Can Copy

Here are plug-and-play layouts you can use depending on your dresser size.

Example: 3-Drawer Dresser

Top Drawer:
Diapers, wipes, creams, burp cloths, grooming kit, backup onesies & sleepers.

Middle Drawer:
Current size onesies, sleepers, pants, bibs, cardigans.

Bottom Drawer:
Swaddles, sheets, blankets, next-size-up clothes.

Example: 6-Drawer Dresser

Top Left: Diapers, wipes
Top Right: Burp cloths, grooming supplies

Middle Left: Onesies (current size)
Middle Right: Sleepers & PJs

Bottom Left: Everyday outfits
Bottom Right: Next-size-up clothing & seasonal items

This layout keeps must-have items near the top while giving you enough space to grow.

Step 6: Manage Sizes, Seasons & Growth Spurts With a Simple Rotation System

Babies grow fast—and their clothes stash grows even faster. Use this three-part rotation system to stay in control.

The “Now / Next / Later” Method

Now:

Current size lives in the middle drawers.

The next size up goes in a labeled bin in the bottom drawer.

Later:

Anything older or out-of-season goes into an external storage bin under the crib or in a closet.

This keeps your dresser from turning into a baby clothing museum.

What to do with wrong-season gifts

If you receive a winter 3–6m jacket but your baby will be 3–6 months in summer:

Keep it only if it might still work
Donate or sell extras
Don’t let “maybe someday” items fill your drawers

Step 7: Label Every Drawer (Your Future Self Will Thank You)

Labels make your system foolproof for:

Partners
Grandparents
Babysitters
Postpartum you functioning on 90 minutes of sleep

Use clear labels, icons, or removable stickers like:

“ONESIES”
“PJS”
“DIAPERS”
“0–3 MONTHS”

It keeps everyone on the same page.

Step 8: Small Nursery & Shared Room Hacks

If the dresser is tiny—or you don’t have a dedicated nursery—use these easy organizational tweaks.

For very small spaces

Use a cube shelf (like IKEA Kallax) with fabric bins as a substitute dresser
Add under-crib storage bins
Use an over-the-door organizer for socks, onesies, or accessories
Keep only current size in the dresser

For shared rooms (baby + toddler or baby + parents)

Store each child’s clothes in separate drawers
Color-code or label drawers so you don’t mix laundry
Place baby’s drawers higher to prevent curious toddler hands from “exploring”

Step 9: Build a Baby Capsule Wardrobe to Prevent Overflow

One of the best ways to maintain an organized dresser is simply owning fewer items.

A minimalist baby capsule wardrobe might include:

8–12 onesies
5–8 sleepers
4–6 pants or leggings
2–4 sweaters
A few “cute” outfits
Seasonal extras (one jacket, one hat, etc.)

Follow a simple rule: If it doesn’t fit in the drawer, it doesn’t stay.

Step 10: Create a Clothing Lifecycle System (So the Dresser Stays Organized)

To maintain your beautifully organized dresser, create a simple flow:

Stained items:

Place in a small bin for stain treatment—don’t return them to clean drawers.

Outgrown clothes:

Keep a labeled bag or bin for donating or passing down.

Sentimental items:

Store in a memory box, not the dresser.

These small habits keep clutter from creeping back in.

Montessori Twist: Giving Toddlers Independence Later On

As your baby grows into a toddler, let them access a low drawer to choose their outfits.

Tips:

Keep just a few complete outfits in the bottom drawer
Use outfit bundles (shirt + pants) to avoid mismatching
Keep “nice” clothes or weather-specific items out of reach

This encourages independence and reduces morning battles.

Quick Cheat Sheet: Best Way to Organize Baby Clothes in a Dresser

Top drawers = diapering + emergency outfits
Middle drawers = current size clothing
Bottom drawers = future sizes + bulky items
Use drawer dividers everywhere
File-fold clothes so everything stays visible
Create a “Now / Next / Later” system
Label drawers clearly
Keep only what you need for this stage

This dresser setup works for newborns, infants, and even busy toddlers.