STORAGE IDEAS
All those cards, small posters, decorative stars etc, I keep in zip lock sandwich bags and store them in these box like document files.
Art Folders
Art folders worked well hung over heater with plastic hook. Great for storing kids' artwork, ongoing projects, graphic organizers, posters, the large stuff etc.
The Drawers!
My sanity savers! 6 sets of drawers with everything I need on hand. Saves rummaging through that junk filled drawer! Everything's labelled and I even went to the (obsessive) extreme of putting all the drawers in alphabetical order. I set these up 7 years ago and they're still going strong!
Chair bags
These chairbags were used for literacy centres. Very valuable when storage space is short. I made 30 of these myself and I do not sew!!!! I pulled apart an old one and copied the template, borrowing my sister's sewing machine and almost destroying it! The yellow strip across the top is cloth tape so I could label them. When the contents changed, it was easy to rip off the tape and make a new label.
Magazine Boxes
Magazine boxes are great BUT you have to strengthen them or they fall apart in no time. First thing I do when I put magazine boxes together is to run some cloth tape along the underside and around the entire box in the middle. Cloth tape is really strong and it has an added bonus - when you put labels on it, they will peel off cleanly even after some months. Cloth tape comes in different colours too including white (above left)
In Prep (5 year olds) each child took a magazine box home on the first day and returned it contacted or decorated (some were scrapbooked!) These boxes (above right) were then used daily for kids to put their reader folders in, to store finished work and for notes to go home. Then the kids emptied them into their bags each afternoon and took home whatever was in them.
In Prep (5 year olds) each child took a magazine box home on the first day and returned it contacted or decorated (some were scrapbooked!) These boxes (above right) were then used daily for kids to put their reader folders in, to store finished work and for notes to go home. Then the kids emptied them into their bags each afternoon and took home whatever was in them.
Trays
Don't laugh but the 3 flat trays on top are kitty litters!!! (never used for original purpose of course!!) Great for book storage when you want kids to be able to flip through books and veeerrrry cheap. Books can be kepts straight and upright with metal book ends. The orange tubs below were taped across the front with blue cloth tape because I got sick to having to use eucalyptus oil to clean off last year's stickers! I always seemed to inherit the rooms with the filthiest pre-used tubs! The labels peel off the cloth tape cleanly.
Card Containers
From the deranged mind that brought you kitty litter tubs - cigarette containers! These metal cases were $2.00 at the Reject Shop and they fit a deck of cards perfectly. They have these cool flip lids that click open. The best way of storing cards I've found - much better than the plastic zip locks and the soap containers! And the kids have never guessed they're really for storing cigarettes.