Do you have board games in your home with ripped boxes and pieces falling out? Don’t keep taping up the box just to have it fall apart again. There are many great options for storing board games without the box.
Keep reading below for 13 great solutions for storing board games that you no longer have the box for.
How do you store board games without a box?
You don’t need a box to store and organize your board games. There are other ways that are more secure, attractive, and easier to take along with you to parties, get-togethers, family gatherings, and more.
Ideas for what to store board games in:
1. Large freezer bags
Large freezer bags can hold most game boards and the pieces. Use a smaller Ziploc bag to hold any small pieces. Any cards should be kept together by using rubber bands or hair elastics.
Use a label maker to create a label with the name of the game and put that on the front of the bag.
Once everything is in the bag, then the bags can be stored vertically in a bin, so that you can quickly flip through the games to find the one you want to play.
If you want to be able to see your games, use a clear plastic bin and store them in a closet or in a spare room. If you like your games to be easily accessible but not visible, use fabric bins instead.
2. Mesh zipper bags
There are zipper bags that can be purchased on Amazon, that are made specifically to hold board games.
They are sturdy and zip closed tightly so that you don’t lose any pieces. It also makes it easy to take the games with you to get-togethers.
As with freezer bags, you can store these vertically in either a plastic bin or fabric bin.
Cut the name of the game from the top of the box and use packing tape to stick it onto the front of the bag.
Check out my post about storing games and toys in the family room here.
3. Plastic storage containers
Small plastic storage containers with lids are another great option for storing games. They don’t need to be very tall but should be wide to fit the actual board.
However, if you are okay with just storing all of the small pieces, buy small bins to store those pieces and then store the board under the bins. Or you can store any game boards vertically in a fabric bin.
Sort the game boards that are kept separate in alphabetical order so that you know where to locate the game board in the bin.
4. Laptop pouches
These laptop pouches are the perfect size for storing board games and the small pieces that come with them. If there are any cards, make sure to secure those together with rubber bands or hair elastics before putting the game in the laptop pouch.
These are great because they can be purchased in many different styles and colours. So they would look nice being stored in an open area of your home and be stylish to take with you to a friend’s house for game night.
They also have a zipper to keep all of the game contents safely inside the pouch. They are also stretchy allowing more space to fit all game components.
5. Scrapbook paper container
Scrapbook paper containers are the perfect size for games and they have a tight clip on them to keep everything secure inside. They are clear so that you can see what is inside and quickly identify which game you want.
I still recommend printing out a label to stick on the top and the side of the bins so that you will have no doubt which game it is.
These can be stacked one on top of the other on a closet shelf. They could even be pushed under your bed if you are low on storage space.
6. Shallow fabric bins
There are shallow fabric bins that could store individual games. Then you just have to toss the pieces back into the bin when done playing the game. It also makes it easy to carry the game around.
They often come with a lid as well, so could be stacked in a closet.
The option above has velcro to secure the lid but if you have a shallow fabric bin without velcro, you can buy velcro separate and sew it on. There are also velcro options that can just be stuck on with the sticky backing.
7. Leftover boxes from Amazon
Or really any box, but let’s be honest, we all have lots of Amazon boxes. 🙂
They may not be the most beautiful container, but if you receive smaller boxes from Amazon, they could be used to hold a board game.
Get creative and paint the sides or put removable sticker wallpaper on the sides to make it more beautiful.
The boxes can be stacked in a closet so that they are not in a visible area.
Cut out a handle on two sides of the box to make it easier to carry them around.
Label the top and the side of the box with the game that is inside it.
8. Sandwich containers
These are small enough that they don’t take up much space but can hold the small pieces from a board game. They are also easy to stack in a closet or store in a TV stand or ottoman.
Label the top of the sandwich container so that you know which game the pieces belong to and then put the board under the container.
If you have multiple game boards stored under the containers, sort them in alphabetical order so that you can easily find the game board you need.
9. Hanging closet organizer
A hanging closet organizer provides big enough pockets to store each of your games in. It can also hang up in your closet, taking up very little space in your home.
Label the front of each pocket so that you know which game is in there. The option below has clear pockets, so you can easily see what is inside of them. It also has pockets on both sides for more board game storage.
If there are big game boards, they can be stacked on a shelf near the hanging closet organizer or stored vertically in a fabric bin.
Put the instructions of the game in the organizer with the pieces so that you can refer back to it to make sure you have all of the pieces you need.
This would not be a great option if you like to take games to other people’s homes but is a great option for keeping your games organized and tucked away in your home.
10. Photo boxes
Photo boxes are the perfect size for holding games, they are easy to take along with you and they are beautiful.
If you want to stack them in a closet, that would work. However, they are pretty enough that they could sit out as a decorative piece.
11. Large expanding envelope
Expandable envelopes with ties on them give a nice place to store games and game pieces. They can be stored vertically in a bin, stacked in a closet, or on a shelf.
The tie closure will keep your game pieces in the envelope. It also makes it easy to take along with you.
12. Pencil case with holes to put in large binder
These pencil cases are made to go into a binder to easily take your pencil case from class to class when in school. However, they would also work well to hold game pieces and cards.
If you are taking games with you to somebody else’s home, you just have to grab the binder and the correct game board and you’re good to go.
Label each of the pencil cases with which game is stored inside of them. The option above also has a clear front so that you can quickly identify what is inside.
13. Small tools / hardware box
Hardware boxes contain many small sections to store smaller game pieces. The hardware box below has removable dividers so that you can make the spaces as large as you need them.
They are portable and different sections of the hardware box can be used to store pieces from different games. Label the top of the bin with the different sections and which game is stored in that section.
Store the boards for the games under the box for easy access.
Should You Replace or Fix the Boxes?
This is personal preference but when there are so many great options to store games that are sturdy and will not rip, it doesn’t seem worth the effort to fix the boxes.
Don’t worry about finding a container that is the exact same size as the original game box. Some game boxes are actually quite a bit bigger than they need to be and are filled with extra cardboard pieces or other fillers.
Why store a large box and use up valuable space in your home when you don’t need to?
Other organizing posts:
In Summary
Games are so much fun for family get-togethers and playing with friends, but taking a ripped box everywhere with you is just asking for pieces to be lost. So using the suggestions in this post will make it easier to organize the games in your home and take the games along with you.
I hope this post has helped you come up with some creative solutions for storing your board games. Think outside the box. 🙂
