There are many alternative to DVD storage. When attempting to solve this problem the first thing you should ask yourself is: how many DVDs do I have? The larger your collection, the more effort will be needed for the categorization and organization of the DVDs. If it is a small collection, then the problem will be much easier to solve, however this does require some thought, although not as much as it would for an expansive collection, which I'm sure many people have.

Categorize DVD's

For any collection, large or small, they should first be separated into categories. Action, Drama, Comedy, etc... Separate them the best way you know how. Be creative in the categorization, maybe you want to categorize them in the level of relevance, importance, or by your favorites, and maybe your spouse's favorites, etc... Be creative with the categorization so you don't have to work as hard to find your favorite ones later. Separate them by sitting on the floor and arranging them into stacks. This is usually the best way to separate them as you have more room to operate. DVDs can be color-coded with stickers to describe each category to which they belong. Color-coding is a very easy way to save time from the beginning and can save you a lot of time in keeping them organized down the line. Once they are separated, you can begin with the problem of storage.

Some people buy shelves for their DVDs. Shelves actually make great DVD storage units. There are many ways of going about acquiring shelves. You can buy shelves, you can make your own shelves from materials from the hardware store, or you can use what you already have to make the shelves. I am opposed to using CD wallets for storage unless you are limited on space and have no place for numerous shelves. Look around your house; if there is nothing to build a shelf system out of, then your best bet is to either build one or buy one. Sometimes the best solutions to our storage issues or problems are right under our noses. Be creative, try to find things you can use that you already have. You can use many different items for CD DVD storage.

You can make simple shelves out of wood planks. You can even stain the wood to make it appear more attractive. You can stack bricks on each side of the shelf and even put more stained wood over the bricks on the outside of the horizontal planks to conceal them. Building a shelving system depends on your ingenuity and you can make it look very nice with some simple boards, some stain, and a jigsaw (which costs around twenty dollars). Draw a diagram of how you would like for it to go together. Measure the DVD cases to see what your unit of measurement is. It can be simple or complicated, and let me tell you that when you are building something yourself, the simplest idea is most often the best idea, and is the easiest to accomplish. Whatever you decide to do in the end the particular type of CD/DVD storage that you achieve is likely to be successful simply because of the creativity you have demonstrated.

Some people actually prefer to stack books and DVDs on the floor against the wall. If you have a low budget, this can be an option as well. Some might prefer boxes; shoeboxes for example might work well, and can be labeled with categories. There can even be labels on the boxes describing what DVDs are contained in the box. Large tupperware boxes containing homeade dividers could work also. Boxes might be a viable alternative for someone who is limited on space; the DVDs can stay in boxes in closets and a list can be kept by the television so that you can know automatically what DVDs you already have. Leave room on the lists for newly acquired DVDs and create the lists in such a way as they can be added to.

DVDs can be stacked on shelves or they can stand upright. Sometimes the DVDs get pushed back on shelves and some are pushed back further than others. To solve this problem you can glue or tack a small board down on the shelf to the depth of where you want the DVDs to go back. You could even use a piece of a cardboard box to solve the same problem. If the DVDs are stacked, perhaps on a short shelf, then you should use small stacks.

Another alternative is to splash out and purchase a DVD storage cabinet.  The choice is really yours.

An important part of staying organized is putting the DVDs back where they go after you have finished watching them. This keeps them from getting scratched or damaged. If they are color coded, you know exactly where they should go; into what box or on what shelf or pile they belong. Take care of your equipment by returning it to its appropriate location. There is not a great deal of point in creating a piece of DVD storage furniture if you do not then use it properly.

Be creative, think outside the box when organizing your DVD collection. You can use one or more of the previously mentioned ideas in combination. Throw your unused DVDs in a box in the closet and keep a list next to your favorite ones which are stacked on a shelf. Have fun with the process, and make it look nice.  Create your DVD storage then use it and you will find that your days of losing DVD's will be long gone.