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Jan 20 2011

Back to school: How to store paper brought home from school

Category: Back to School • Paper

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This seems to be a general request, how to store paper work the kids bring home from school, be it artwork, homework or excursion forms.

As for artwork we put it up for display on the fridge for about a week, I hope you don’t mind, but I will show you how I store it in another post.  Today we’ll talk about all the other bits of paper that comes home from school.

I have two way’s of keeping organised with the school paper:

Paper organising solution #1 – Magazine holders

Here I have magazine holders for each child (purchased from Kmart, I’m not a fan of the Ikea variety..OMG can it be there is something at Ikea I don’t like…lol).  There is a holder for each child, storing their homework sheets, homework book, homereaders and extra art pages they bring home.  On friday mornings this box needs to be empty as the homework and readers need to be returned, all excess paper is either recycled or craft pages stored away (again, more details at a later date).

This is our homework station, with the magazine boxes on top, one draw holds all the kids coloured and lead pencils, glue, paints etc.  The next colouring in books, the bottom is sunscreen etc.  If you are interested in a seeing photo’s of inside the drawers let me know and I’ll do one for you:)(didn’t want to overload you with too many photo’s today)

Isn’t this owl adorable.

Paper organising solution #2 – Magnets on the fridge

I keep all forms that need to be completed on the fridge, I like to have these returned to school each friday.

I purchased these magnetic clips from Kikki K, but noticed that Woolworths had a pack of three Celco Magnet clips for around $2.95 (bargain).  I made my own labels, printed and taped to patterned scrapbook paper, laminated and cut with a scallop punch.  You could easily create your own version.  I have included a Printable of tags for you to create your own fridge organisation clips.

On my fridge I have tags for Shopping List, To-do and School.  My to-do is to send this birthday card in the post tomorrow.  I don’t like having bills on our fridge, just for privacy I don’t want our guest seeing how much our phone bill is.  However, I did include a tag in the printable for you just in case you would like one on your fridge.

Super easy to make yourself.  If you don’t have a laminator use some left over clear school contact and place tag in between, use a punch or cut with scissors.

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  • http://somummy.blogspot.com/ Jemima

    I dont know how you come up with this stuff its great! and when you think about it these options are so simple i can just never think of them haha

  • April

    I love this idea. We end up just storing the home readers etc on a shelf in the wardrobe and then it is a mad rush in the morning to gather the right stuff together for the right day. I can't wait to see what you do with the paper and craft that the children bring home. Thanks Katrina

  • Kristine

    awesome, love the magazine holder idea and I will be buying three today!

  • Rebecca Ernst

    WOW! I think all your ideas are fantastic! Just wondering what the pictures are on the other side of your fridge with the sculls on them?

  • Andrea

    My daughter is in 4 year old kinder this year. I am saving all your school ideas for when she starts! Just brilliant! xxx

  • Melinda Russell

    Do you have a printable of your shopping list? Looks great!

  • http://mottisland.com Su Chin

    Love your fridge! So clutter free. Mine's like a war-zone. And that's just from calenders!!!

  • http://followmeonmyjourney.blogspot.com/ Jill

    looks great, I too have those magazine holders, and they are a bargain. I wanted to ask about your shopping list as well. It looks great. Have you done a post on it. YEs you have me wondeering about he skulls. lol

  • Carmen

    Love your ideas! Have you a copy of your printable shopping list? I could really use one of these! Cheers

  • Katrina Cross

    I have only recently discovered your blog and I LOVE it! Great ideas, fantastic printables and lots of organising. I just got a new fridge yesterday and have discovered that I no longer need to cover every square centimetre with kids artwork to conceal the rust marks on our ancient old fridge! Your post will work perfectly for me- thanks! Also, just to add my voice to several other comments – would love to see a shopping list printable – looks fantastic. Cheers!

    • Katrina

      Thanks Katrina, glad you're loving the website :-) A new fridge? How exciting! See the "free printables" tab to be able to download all my printable lists. Thanks :-)

  • http://google Liesll

    Thanks, Great idea will go and buy magazine holders this morning. What would I do with out you, really great ideas!!!

    • Katrina

      Thanks Liesll, glad you're getting some great ideas

  • Lindi

    HI. Thanks for great ideas. Yes please, may we see pictures of inside the drawers?

  • Regina

    Thanks for the great tips. I will def. be printing out the labels they are a great idea. Don't be silly as if you could show us too many pics of course we want to see inside the drawers.

  • Jarhyli

    WOW thank you for yet more awesome ideas! I have magazine holders and magnetic clips on my shopping list for 2moro :) I can't wait to be more organised this year, your blog is an inspiration xoxo

    • Katrina

      I'm so happy that I am inspiring you and others to get organised….that's the whole purpose of my blog. Keep up the good work!!

  • Jarhyli

    Forgot to add, YES I do love the owl, where did you find such a cutie?

  • http://beccisscrapjournal.blogspot.com/ Becci Sundberg

    I love the magneting clips. It;s just what I used for ages. I don't need to use them so much as i only have the one child and shcool now and he's in high school, not so much paper in highschool!

    Mu plan was to cut out a photo of each of us to stick on our relevant clips. We all had one, the big boys for school stuff, Brian and I for work stuff and then there was a mics clip for family events ect.

    I never did actually get around to sticking the photos on so instead I used my Dymo label maker and labelled with our names and misc for that extra one.

    I used to place my clips on the side of the fridge. Where we were living at the time one end of the fridge wa free. This kept those personal letters etc away from certain eyes.

    We have two inbaskets on our computer pull out shelf (where the keyboard normally sits) for our bills etc. One is for my stuff – mags I'm reading, things I've printed off etc. The other is fr school notices (they get placed on top of the keyboard when radnall comes home) and bills. The inbasket gets gone through every few days.

    • Katrina

      WOW they sound like great idea's for storing bills etc, you're doing so well…keep up the good work.

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  • Katy

    Thank you for re-posting this on your Facebook page!! I really need to go through your archives. Dealing with 3 children’s homework, readers etc was driving me batty!!

  • Jell

    We used to dump their school stuff on the table for me to look at, then on a spare kitchen chair so they could get things to pack each morning. I got sick of having to relocate stuff when we needed the extra chair at the table. So I recently tidied the mobile computer desk which sits next to the kitchen table. There is now space on a shelf above the monitor and I have purchased a plastic tub for each of the kids (2). These sit neatly on this shelf with a clip on lid. Now they unpack school bags, give me anything I need to see (notes, diaries, etc) and put everything in the tub til it is needed. Then they can take out homework, readers, etc and return to the tub when done. In the mornings bag packing is easier because all their stuff is (should be) in one spot and not mixed up with the other child’s stuff. Still adjusting to the new system, but so far so good!

  • Theresa

    Wow, you are very clever and very organized. I love it!!

  • Sam

    Oh I do this too :D Magazine holders work great! I love your blog btw and I’m really enjoying the 20 day challenge!