K'Nex Organizing

If your collection of K'Nex is very small, you may not need this. If you have more than half of one tub of K'Nex pieces, this could be a great help for you.

I have been frustrated when trying to build with K'Nex. I need to find one more white connector to finish my project, but where is it?

If your K'Nex pieces are separated, finding what you need is easy. This can also help to decide whether to build something or not. If a project shows that 24 white connectors are needed, just look in the container with the white connectors. If all of your pieces are in a tub, how can you know if you have enough of any one kind of K'Nex?

If you only have one or two tubs of K'Nex, taller boxes can organize within the tub. Perhaps one container can hold all of the rods and another can hold all of the connectors. Another container could be used for wheels.

A larger collection could be organized in boxes which could hold several containers. If Amazon delivers to your house, there could be many boxes and containers available to you.

My collection is in plastic drawers. Even then some of the pieces are separated.

There is no need to buy anything extra to organize K'Nex, just look a what is being thrown out and reuse it. I find rectangular containers work better than round ones as they use the space better.

My favorite container is a rectangular margarine tub. It is sturdy and a great size. Another choice is box bottoms (or sides). In the picture are parts of the boxes from stuffing, pasta, apple sauce, a night-light set, and light bulbs. If you are young, get help to cut any boxes.

Plastic containers from cocoa and feta cheese work well. Pictured is a vitamin bottle bottom but it is very small. The aluminum container does work but it is very flimsy.

A great advantage of using "throw-away" items is that they can be discarded when they become too small. Simply upgrade to a larger "recycled" container.

Any plastic food container should be thoroughly washed and dried before using it to store K'Nex. I find the margarine tubs require at least two washes before they are ready.

Choose how to organize. This choice will change as your collection grows.

If your collection is small, you might simply separate the rods from the connectors and store them that way. You can dump them out into the lid of your tub to more easily find a specific piece.

If you have a larger collection, separate them by size and type. Each of your connector sizes would be in a separate container. Each of your rod sizes would be in a different container.

If your collection is very large, separate by both size and color. There are red, orange, and green rods that are the same length. These could each be in their own container. The long black stiff rods could be separate from the regular grey rods.

I have four containers for the "elbows" which are the connectors with two connections at an angle. The biggest container is for the normal grey connectors. There is a smaller container for those with a "granite" color, and another for the bright orange. The hinges have their own container where both colors are stored.

Keep your collection mobile. Where you build may change depending on your project.

A tall Ferris Wheel may not fit in your room but could be built elsewhere in the house. A large ball machine may be easier to build if you can move your collection of K'Nex around as needed.

It is easiest to separate the pieces as a project is taken apart. You are handling each piece anyway, why not put them in the right spot? This will save time later.