Children's Homework Message Center

Sep 12

Way back, almost a year ago now, I created this area in my back entrance for my boys. If you've been reading my blog for a while now, you may remember seeing this area. It's the post titled Homework Bulletin Boards.

As much as I loved the area and the bulletin boards, I've wanted to update it for a long time. Now that my boys are back in school and they have homework and school and sport schedules, I decided NOW was the perfect time for the updating. Let me explain why I wanted to change the boards...

#1 - My boys come home with classroom newsletters each week, which are 8 1/2 x 11 paper size. On the old bulletin boards, I had to fold the newsletters in half, which I didn't like.

#2 - I had printed out little mini-calendars to track their months. I did this for about 2 months and that's about it.

#3 - There was NO place to track their weekly schedule, WHICH is very important for me AND for them.

#4 - When I first created this section in my back entrance, I only made 3 bulletin boards. I didn't make one for my littlest guy AND he actually has appointments too & eventually will be going to school, so I wanted a board for him as well.

AND

#5 - I wanted to create something that I could have available in my Shop.

So this here, is what I came up with:

Here's a little closer look at the dry erase boards:

I designed and printed the 16 x 20 Child Message Center and framed them in $3.00 frames from Craft Warehouse and use them as a dry erase boards writing directly on the glass with my dry or wet erase marker.

Go here to see how I made the backpack holders.

The Child Message Centers are available HERE.

After printing your piece, simply glue a 4 x 6 photo to the print and if you'd like to customize it a little more, you can either PRINT your child's name or initial onto colorful cardstock paper and glue that to the top right box. If you have a Cricut machine, cutting the letters of their names would work great too.

or... you can let your child customize the name box area, "signing" their name to a piece of cardstock paper and then attach that to the print (that would be super cute too.)

What's really cool about this piece is that you can change the photo and the name box area as often as desired, giving a new look, which means that you can use this print over and over again for years to come.

I customized my boys' prints with a recent photo of each of them and their names.

After placing the print into the frame, I simply hot-glued clips to the glass to hold their weekly school newsletters, important papers and homework.

and so far, it's been working well.

I use a wet erase marker to write directly onto the glass.

Homework due dates, tests and any other important information is written on their boards. PE days are now marked on the day of the week, giving no reason that PE clothes should be forgotten at home.

Soccer schedules for 3 boys can get crazy busy too, from practices to games to where and when. There is absolutely NO way I can remember it all. NOW it's all written on their boards.

There's a small monthly calendar too!

Here's one last look at my boys' message centers:

I Love. Love. Love. this area NOW! It's really been working GREAT!

I'm super excited to be offering more Message Center Prints in digital format for a fully organized home. Keep checking the shop to see all available pieces.