Organizing a Lifetime of LEGO Sets

My LEGO collection has been a lifelong obsession. I’ve kept just about every set since childhood, and they were creating a storage nightmare in my office. Those boxes stacked against the wall weren’t just taking up space—they represented a disorganized system that was driving me crazy. While I built a great storage table for my kids’ LEGO a few years back, my personal collection needed its own solution. The containers I had were mismatched, unlabeled, and most were completely full, giving me zero room to dismantle more sets and sort the pieces properly. It was time to tackle this problem head-on and create a system that would actually work.

I started with my biggest pain point—storage. I needed larger, uniform containers that would let me see what was inside without opening them. Rather than the IKEA solutions many builders recommend, I found some clear plastic shoe boxes at Walmart that were pretty inexpensive. These would work perfectly for most of my bricks, and they also had some divided containers that would be useful for smaller components. With my containers selected, I measured the space under my rolling workbench and headed to Fusion to design a storage system that would maximize the available area.

My first thought was to build a custom shelving unit with dados cut into plywood, but then I remembered I had slat wall panels I could use instead. These chipboard panels have grooves every few inches that would let me create adjustable shelving without the hassle of cutting all those dados. The downside was that the slots were slightly less than half an inch wide, which created some issues with my shelf thickness plans. I had to pivot to quarter-inch shelving material, which meant I needed to design custom supports to hold everything in place. After experimenting with 3D printed shelf supports, I decided to switch to simpler wooden strips screwed directly to the frame – not as fancy, but much more practical.

Assembly went smoothly once I had all the pieces cut. I used CA glue to temporarily hold the melamine panels together, then added screws for proper support. Since the chipboard had voids right where the screws went in, I added a back panel to provide extra structural support. A coat of paint made everything look more finished, and I added some spacers at the back of the shelves to make sure all the different-sized containers would line up perfectly at the front. The completed unit fit perfectly under a desk in my office and provided exactly the organized storage I needed for my brick collection.

Another problem I wanted to solve was what to do with all those extra pieces that come with every Lego set. I designed a custom 3D printed sorting tool with a center bowl and smaller compartments around the edge. The idea was to dump the loose pieces in the middle, then distribute them into the appropriate bins by size before transferring them to their permanent storage containers. My first prototype had some issues – the top spun around too easily and didn’t keep the pieces contained, plus the fit between components wasn’t consistent. After some redesign work, I created a version that locks in place and has a concave center to keep parts from bouncing out.

For the finishing touch, I created custom label holders that snap together and have a slot at the top for sliding in paper labels. This simple addition makes finding specific parts much easier and helps maintain the organization system long-term. Looking at my space now compared to the chaotic mess I started with, it’s amazing what a difference some basic storage containers, thoughtful organization, and proper labeling can make. The area will continue to evolve as I use it, but I’m finally looking forward to working in this section of my office.

My next challenge will be taking apart more LEGO sets to sort into this new system, but that’s a project for another day. The main thing is that I’ve created a solution that works for my needs and makes my Lego collection accessible again. If you’re struggling with organizing your own building materials, whether it’s LEGO or anything else, sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective – clear containers, adjustable shelving, and good labels can transform your workspace. Thanks for following along with this project. Now, go make something awesome!