DIY toy organization for under $15

Back when I first started my home daycare I quickly realized that I was in need of a toy storage solution. I kept finding systems like this but I was never going to pay $70. Especially when I think these things are kind of ugly...

Over the years I have tried to come up with many different options ranging from mesh hampers to Rubbermaid totes.  Nothing worked perfectly, but it worked well enough that I didn't feel the need to part with $70 for one of those brightly coloured things.

A friend and I were talking recently and she mentioned that with Christmas quickly approaching she needed toy organization more than ever.  But it had to be functional and affordable and, in a perfect world, not ugly.
In our searches we had both come across the same photo...

http://www.dumpaday.com

It had no tutorial and I suspected it would turn out to be one of those Pintrest Fail things.  But my friend believed in our combined handiness/craftiness so I agreed to help and we decided to try to recreate this storage solution for her sons toys.

The first things we did was buy ten buckets from the dollar store for $1.25 each ($12.50) and one package of fun coloured zip ties, also from the dollar store.

Our dollar store purchases

The buckets we choose had rope handles on them.  Although we never intended to keep the rope handles they were a nice plus because that gave us two pre drilled holes in each bucket.

Our first step was to remove the rope handles.

*snip*

 Then we used a small sized zip tie to attach the buckets together at the top with the pre drilled holes.  We trimmed the excess zip tie after.

zip tied together

  We thought for added stability we should also zip tie the buckets together at the back.  Using a Sharpie we marked where we were going to drill our holes.

marked the location of future holes

 Then, with the help of a drill put holes in the buckets.

Power tools make me happy

 Zip tied them together again.

Ziiipppp

 Then we did a little happy dance in her kitchen because it looked like this was actually going to work like we had hoped!! Unfortunatly I was too caught up in the happy dance to take a photo of it for you. ;) Our bottom row was four buckets.  Then we started on the next row up.   This row had three buckets so we stared out by repeating the steps for the bottom row.  But then we had the added challenge of attaching this row to the bottom.    We eyeballed where we thought holes should go, marked and drilled.

second row going on. 

 Then we zip tied those babies right on there.

SO thrilling!

 Then the next row had two buckets and the top just had the one.
We added a few of the kids toys and.... its perfect!!!

Taa-daa!!!

Whole project from start to finish only took a bit over an hour and the most complicated thing you need for it is a drill.  So, gentle readers, I think everyone should give this a try!