It’s been only a month since school started and I’m drowning in notices, calendars, and school progress reports.  I needed to get  organized quick or risk the whole year feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

All of these supplies you can find at your local Dollar Store with the exception of the two items indicated.

Dollar Store Back To School Home Organization Ideas

Bulletin Board

 

I’m  visual so I needed to create a bulletin board to keep track of the important stuff for the year.

Bulletin Board Supplies:

1. Poster Board (get the kind that has foam in the middle or cardboard)
2. Pins or thumb tacks
3. Reversible tape
4. Cut-out letters (optional)

Find an area in your home that is accessible and has open wall space.   We placed ours in the kitchen.  Fix the reversible tape along the back edge of the board, center and fix the board to the wall.

Post school calendars, upcoming event fliers, awards, PTA notices and all the miscellaneous notices that usually pile up on the kitchen table.

Extra credit:  You can also use black poster board for a chalk board size calendar.  It may not wipe off as easy as a real chalk board but for the price of $1 each you can replace it.

Art Wall

The kids love to create and we needed an area for them to show off their drawings and art work.  This was an easy solution and we plan to add more space for them to put their creations.

Art Wall Supplies:

1. Clothes pins
2. Heavy weight string or thin rope
3. Thumb tacks

Hammer in two thumb tacks spaced the width of the area.  Wrap and knot string or rope on one pin then wrap and knot to the other pin. Cut rope and hang art with clothes pin.

Extra Credit:  Have your kids paint the clothes pins in different colors or patterns. Can also be used to hang school awards and certificates.

Over the Door Organizer

How many times have your kids told you they don’t have a pencil for homework?  I got so fed up with my kids not looking for their supplies I needed to create a space to make our school supplies stock visible and accessible.

Over The Door Hanging Organizer Supplies:

1. Over the Door Hanging Shoe Bag ($5-10)

Everything you need to hang the bag is in the package.  I used a closet that we also use for storage.  We put all our school supplies and other small knick knacks in the organizer.

Extra Credit: You can also use organizer for legos, small toys, hair accessories, school snacks and so much more.

Hanging Files

My kids get packet of notices every week and now that they attend the same school the notices have doubled.  The first weeks of school I had a stack of school papers in every room of the house.  I had to do something about it ASAP.

Hanging Files Supplies:

1. Hanging plastic container   ($5-$10)  I found mine at Goodwill for $2.50
2. Hanging files folders
3. Labels or Permanent Marker

Determine what categories you need for your files.  You don’t want  too many files because then it will be too much work to use it.  My files are:  Weekly Newsletters, School Notices, Events & Activities, Progress Report, Weekly Test, and Quarterly Test.

Extra Credit:  Teach your children how to file their own papers so you don’t have to.  Add a “New” file and have you kids place things in the file as it is received. That way you can see notices before it is filed away.

Have any back to school home organization ideas or tips you’d like to share?  Please leave me a comment below or email me at katrina@mymommyflies.com