Organizing Children's School Papers
If you have children in school, then you know how many school papers come home each week. I like to keep certain, special, things for each of my boys (artwork, hand prints, report cards, school photo and class photo's, etc. just special things that I feel are worth saving.) I plan to create a scrapbook for them, as their graduation gifts, and will use all the items in here.
If you have small children, that aren't in school yet, I HIGHLY recommend that you get a jump start on this one!
I've always kept these papers in a large photo box, which works okay, but certainly wasn't organized. Then I stumbled upon Jen with I Heart Organizing's post regarding school papers & fell in Love with her idea! She went with file boxes, I chose to do mine a little different, to save on space:
I found these legal size expanding briefcase files and they work great. I've planned ahead, all the way to 12th grade, to make it easier when school begins each year. I've created an entire file folder for each of my boys, including my 2 1/2 year old and he's still got a while before beginning school.
To have everything set and ready is going to make the task of keeping it all in order SO much easier. Not to mention the fact, that if a person plans ahead, chances are things will stay organized! ;) At least that's how it works for me.
This is how I've organized my boys' school papers:
I bought the expanding file box/briefcases' from Walmart.
You can also find these in any office supply store, Target, etc.
They have about 20+ divided tabs inside.
( I have a PLAN for the extra sections, which I'll share with you later.)
I labeled each briefcase by stamping their names onto material.
Using my Dymo Label Maker (which I also bought from Walmart) I categorized each section by grade.
I created a school days form, printed 13 out (pre-school through 12th grade) and placed one form into the front of each section, where they sit and wait for the following year.
Right behind, the school days form I slip in their class photo. Then, as my boys bring papers home that are worthy of keeping,' I just slip them behind the class photo.
HERE is the School Days Form, which is NOW available in my Shop .
I glue my boys' school photo in the blank blue space. (which is appx. size. 5 1/4w x 7 1/2h)
Then write in their school information. To view this item in my shop, click HERE.
I'm excited to have this lil' project complete. When it comes time to create my children's graduation scrapbook gift, these forms will be going into them. My boys already LOVE looking through the sections, at old classmates, at the way they wrote their names in kindergarten, their old special school projects, etc. I do believe, they will enjoy a scrapbook of it all.
I would like to take a moment to thank each and every one of my readers for your interest in my blog! Please know, I appreciate it greatly (after all, YOU are exactly why I blog!) Thanks for the comments on my projects too! Truly, the followers, the sweet emails, the interest, the comments, THIS is what motivates a blogger to continue blogging. So please, do continue leaving me comments (as long as they're nice ones ;) so that I KNOW you really are interested in my projects and that you truly are being inspired.
May you be a little inspired!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
DaNita