DVD Organization

http://livingwellmom.com/2015/07/dvd-organization/

DVD Organization: How to Fit a Lot of Movies Into a Small Organized Space

We own a lot of movies.

I used to buys tons of DVDs, whether it was a yard sale, ebay, Black Friday deals, etc. That was before Redbox days and there was no video stores in our area, so it was cheaper to buy inexpensive DVDs than go to the movie theater.

But we amassed a huge collection of DVDs. Like too many.

At one point, we purchased two large DVD cases (like book cases, but narrower.) It worked out great, but it took up so much space! If we had a media room or den or some place, it would have been fine, but that massive DVD collection was in our bedroom.

But there was no peaceful bedroom with all those movies sitting there collecting dust. (Because we don’t even watch much TV anymore!) It had to go.

But it’s not easy organizing with small spaces, is it? 

I did two things:
1) I seriously cut down down our collection by more than half. What I couldn’t sell on craigslist or yardsales, I donated or threw away.
2) I figured out a new way to organize our DVDs more effectively.

I tried a bunch of ideas until I finally figured out this efficient method for DVD organization that I’m going to share with you today.

Whether you have a couple dozen movies or a couple hundred, this idea for DVD organization will keep your movies nicely sorted into a small space.

It takes up so little shelf space compared to having DVDs laid out in a bookcase-type fashion and it’s so easy to scan through and find your desired movie or browse through them all.

Want to know just how much space you’ll save? 

If you have more than 25 DVDs, just imagine how much room you’re going to save!

Two things to note before we get started:

1) You’ll want to sort through your DVDs and sell, donate, or toss anything you don’t want to keep. No sense hanging onto that old Baby Einstein video when your youngest is five.

2) You’ll be getting rid of most of your DVD and Blu-ray CASES. (That’s the space-saving part!)

Don’t let this stop you! I was hesitant to throw away the cases before (I was almost weirdly attached to them) until I realized something:

DVDs don’t have great resale value anymore. Have you ever tried to sell them on Craiglist or at a yardsale? You’re LUCKY if you get a $1! It’s simply not worth keeping the case and taking up room under your tv or bookcase for the off-chance you might make a buck later.

Toss it.

BUT. If you have a favorite collector’s edition movie, season box set, or Disney movies (which DO have good resale value), you can still keep them with cases intact. I’ll show you how to organize those DVDs too!

Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need:

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• medium rectangular storage box (I recommend Rubbermaid Bento Medium Storage Boxes – found at Target and Amazon)
• movie sleeves – I used Atlantic movie sleeves, but here’s a new version that’s cheaper
• a small plastic bin or two for movies with cases you want to keep 

I purchased several bento storage boxes and around 10 sets of movie sleeves. If you have a ton of movies like us, this system does cost some money to set up (I probably spent $100 on the movie sleeves and another $60 on Bento boxes), but it was worth every penny to have my DVDs organized so neatly and conveniently. And if you have fewer movies, it’s cheaper. (More incentive to get rid of extra movies you don’t watch!)

Friends, I’ve been using this DVD organization system for over 2 years now and I love it just as much as the first day I set it up. The bento storage boxes are super sturdy and still going strong (even with four kids whipping them out) and the sleeves have lasted quite nicely too. I haven’t bought any new movie sleeves since my initial purchase – my new rule of thumb? If we get a new movie, an old one must go. 

DVD Organization Set Up:

Begin swapping all your movies to the sleeves. Each movie sleeve has two pockets for two discs – one for the main feature and a special feature disc if you want.

You have to fold the DVD or Blu-Ray insert in half in order to fit it into the sleeve. I’ve heard some people aren’t fond of this, but it never bothered me since I no longer needed to see the title on the shelf. If folding that seam in half meant saving space, I’m okay with it!

Slide the insert into the main sleeve, then slide the disc sleeve inside the middle of the insert.

Do this for all your movies. If you have a lot, pop in a movie and watch while you sort DVDs. If you’re like me, you’ll have a pile of old favorite movies you want to watch again! Organizing your DVDs is a great way to spend a relaxing, yet productive evening!

Next, you’ll sort them into your storage boxes. The bento storage boxes are the perfect size for organizing DVDs. You can fit around 75 DVDs in each one and still be able to easily flip through them. Plus the pop-out dividers will keep your movies from sliding down to the bottom. 

Depending on how many movies you have, you can have separate bento boxes for each movie category – kids, family, action, romance, comedy, etc. Or just have two – one for the kids and one for Mom and Dad’s movies. It’s up to you.

Our movies are sorted by category because we (still) have a lot and they fit nicely in our TV cabinet. I still keep a few boxed sets (my Friends collection for example) on a shelf in my closet, but the majority of our DVDs fit exactly where we want them – by our tv. 

And as for the other still-in-their-cases DVDs? I use small plastic bins (I found these at Michael’s) to store these DVDs. You could use the bento storage bins too, but the plastic bins seem to work better for the cased DVDs.

And that’s how you organize a lot of DVDs into a small space!

Looking for more ideas for how to organize small spaces? The Maids.com has fabulous ideas and resources you should definitely check out!

–Erika

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