Want a realistic, easy-to-maintain method for board game storage & organization? This method uses filing bags to file games on cabinet shelves - ditch those game boxes!
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The Before
A major Achilles heel of organization in our home has always been our board game cabinet. It was a mess. Take a look at the disaster...
It was out of control.
Our board game storage strategy was tragic. There was no rhyme, no reason, and definitely no organization. The goal was to stack the boxes, but we always just shoved board game boxes back in the cabinet puzzle-style. If it fit, it went.
We were barely holding many of the flimsy, cardboard boxes together each time we played. That meant the organization of the materials inside suffered even more.
The Problem
I had been meaning to organize our board games for awhile. A couple of years ago, I searched for a streamlined way to store board games. That turned out to be tricky.
Boxes weren't an option when there were so many different sizes needed for different games. You have no idea how different each game is until you start comparing them!
Finally, I nailed down an effective (and easy to maintain) way to organize these games. It's easy; you only need a few hours and a few supplies.
Board Game Storage Supplies
Rubber Bands (I like these because they're super cheap and perfect for most board game cards!)
File Bags in Assorted Sizes (I ended up needing two packs of these and one pack of these for this project. It's best to get a rough count of your games and their sizes before you order.)
Printer/Laminator
Step 1: Start with a clean slate.
As with any organization project I do around my home, I took everything out of the space I'm organizing to start with a clean slate. It's easier to fill up an empty space in an organized way than to try to shift around what's there.
Let's all have a moment of cleared-out zen. 🧘🏻♀️
We don't have a full game room, so I chose a cabinet shelf in our living room built-ins for our game storage. You'll need to find somewhere that has enough space for the games you need. A coffee table, shelving unit, or even a hanging closet organizer are all great options.
Need more organization inspiration? See how to organize your week with Google Sheets, or check out how to organize a craft room!
Step 2: Organize games by size and storage type.
With your favorite board games out in the middle of the floor, group the boxes by size. This is important if you order various sizes of file bags. Grouping is a chance to see where to use your different sizes of bags.
I also had a small group of games that needed to stay in their original packaging. The game might be too big to go into a bag (looking at you, Hungry Hungry Hippos). If the packaging is part of the game or the box is small and in good shape, you might keep the game in its packaging.
After organizing the board game boxes, there was also a collection of random game parts in the cabinet. We'll deal with those later.
Step 3: Pair file bags with games.
The best part of this whole process is throwing out those broken cardboard game boxes! Start matching your games with bag sizes.
Cards and sticks were held together with rubber bands. If there was still an original plastic bag that held cards or game pieces, I kept it. There's no need to throw away something that is still effective.
Each game's bag contains instructions and smaller game parts. With this set of file bags, you'll get several smaller bags. They're great for sets of parts that don't have an original bag, like dice or coins.
Of course, plastic Ziploc bags would be ok for this; they just won't be as durable.
In this game, you can see the original plastic baggies that group together cards and game pieces. I didn't see any need to group bigger parts (like spinners and the actual game board) in the bag.
It felt so good to throw these busted old boxes away!
Step 4: File game bags in the cabinet; sort by size.
Once your games are tucked away in the mesh filing pouches, it's time to fill your storage space back up in an organized way. I stacked mine from biggest bag to smallest, but if you want to, you can sort alphabetically or by game category.
The games in the filing bags are the games that I took out of those original boxes. These games used to take up both shelves of the cabinet! Now they fit into one shelf, leaving plenty of space at the bottom.
I use the bottom cabinet for the more awkward games, card games, and some puzzles and toys we had been storing in another cabinet.
Step 5: Label your board games.
Originally, I was going to use my Cricut to print vinyl lettering for each bag. Once I started stacking the bags vertically in the cabinet, I realized I couldn't see those letters when trying to find a game.
I wanted my organization to be pretty, but more importantly, I wanted it to be easily used and maintained by my kids.
So, I pivoted a little. Instead, I made 3x3" print-outs of each game box and laminated them to tie on the bag zippers with zip ties.
To do this, I used a good friend: Google Image Search. You should be able to find most games this way. Taking pictures of your boxes as you throw them out is another easy option!
Here's an easy way to make those tags:
- Click here to get a free 3x3 template in Canva, a free online graphic editing platform that I love!
- Copy your desired image from Google image search by right-clicking and selecting "copy."
- Paste it into Canva by selecting the canvas, right-clicking, and selecting "paste." Resize image as necessary.
The After
Now, we can actually see what games we have!
With the added space, we were also able to store some of our puzzles and toys from another cabinet. The bagged games go on the top shelf and the more awkward/original packaging games are on the bottom shelf.
Let's get back to the random pieces and smaller game accessories I found when cleaning out the cabinet. As I went along, I matched the lost pieces to their games.
I have a bin that the whole family knows as the place for lost pieces. If there's an "orphan piece," it goes in the basket. Once a month (on my Journey to Clean "organize TV areas" day) I reunite the lost pieces with their games.
Knowing where everything is in this cabinet makes it so much easier to keep our games organized!
Video: Board Game Storage with Bags
FAQs
I would love to hear your best board game storage & organization tips in the comments! And, make sure to follow along for my latest organization projects.
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 17 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
I have one piece if advice that works well in our family. Those little game box tags you attached to each bag? Print a duplicate and attach them all to the inside of the game cupboard like a game box gallery wall. When you want to play but haven't decided which game, open the door and you'll see pics of your entire selection.
That's a fantastic idea!
Our card games are the boxes most destroyed. There's a little box called "Really Useful Box® Plastic Storage Container With Built-In Handles And Snap Lid," that I've found at craft stores, bug box stores, or office stores for fifty cents to $1. The cards fit perfectly in it, and they stack! Label and done!
I just started this project. Overall, I like the concept. I'm a bit frustrated to discover, though, that SEVERAL games simply don't fit in even the largest bags. Othello, Sorry, Aggravation, This game is Bonkers, Monopoly, Life, Upwords, Twister (the spinning piece is so big! 12 3/4" square).
So disappointing! Any chance you came up with great ideas for those odd sized games? Life, Upwords, Othello and Operation I don't necessarily mind leaving as is, since they fill their boxes well, but the others I hoped to condense.
That's unfortunate - sorry about that! I don't have any of those games in our collection. I do have a couple of odd-sized games (Hungry Hungry Hippos, Crocodile Dentist) that I just leave out on another shelf since they're kind of awkward.
It looks wonderful all organized like that!
I love that you have put the games in mesh bags and gotten rid of the boxes, saves loads of room.
It looks like the rectangle, fold in 1/2 game boards don’t fit in those bags??? Please reply
So far I haven't found a board that doesn't fit in one of them when folded in half!
For the larger bags, what size did you use for the game boxes?
My larger games went in the A3 size bags (16.9x12")
Love the idea of the 3x3 tags. If you still have the template that you used with the various games, would you possibly be able to share it?
Hi! I didn't save them because I really can't distribute those logos in printables. But, if anyone is interested, I'll be glad to add text-only tags for y'all to download!
I love this idea. Now I’m curious how you tore Hungry Hungry Hippo. That game is my problem. Ha!
That's one where I skipped the bag - it's too bulky and awkward. 😂
How have the bags held up?
Yes, really well! I've had them for 3 years now and they still look almost new.
How are the game bag zippers holding up? I saw on the Amazon reviews that the zippers were not very sturdy.
I've had nothing but a good experience - they all almost look new! Now, if you're constantly using the bag (I'm talking bending and creasing it multiple times a week), it's going to break down faster. But with out games, we may pull out any given game once or twice a month. With our amount of use, I can barely see any wear.
I would love to purchase your file of the game labels (3x3). It would save me so much time than making my own. Please let me know if this is possible.
Thank you!
Hi Lynn! Unfortunately, because of copyright laws, I can't sell the logos for the games in a file. However, if you and other readers would be interested in labels with just the names, I'll be glad to make a free file for you!
I absolutely loved your tips on board game storage! The idea of using clear containers for easy visibility is a game-changer. I also appreciate the emphasis on organization by game type—it really helps streamline game night preparations. Can’t wait to implement some of these ideas in my own collection! Thanks for sharing!
Hello,
I was using your template for the game titles but it is only letting me print one 3x3 square per page. Is there a way to set it up to print multiple per page?
Thanks
Heather
Hi Heather! I made a 6x9 version that has 6 squares on a page - hope this helps! https://www.canva.com/design/DAGvyrrtSDo/IuKAD7QwvIsiNvwv6Hhf2A/view?utm_content=DAGvyrrtSDo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview
what type of store did use to put the board games on
Hi Brittney! The board games are in plastic filing bags, stored in a cabinet.
I have been looking at plastic containers, this seems like a great idea! Is it a sturdy enough concept to challenge hundreds of high schoolers during lunch? I have bought these bags for colored pencils and such in my high school classroom. The bag itself is sturdy, but the zipper pull tab breaks easily.
My real question is how did you attach the tags to the zipper pull tab?
These are super sturdy - I've had them in our home for 5 years (I think?) now and they look as good as they did the day we bought them. Now, hundreds of high schoolers? That might be a bit much for them. 😂
And I just used zip ties to attach the tags, then cut the excess off!