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Hanging Homework Station (…or craft station!)

Today, my kids went back to school.  We got so used to staying up a little later and sleeping in (even the baby, yay!)…..I wasn’t ready for a school schedule again.  And I could tell by the sleepy faces trying to eat breakfast this morning, that my kids weren’t quite ready either.

But it’s nice to get back into a routine.  And have a quiet house while Oliver naps in the afternoon and I can get some work done on the computer.  I only have a couple hours though, before kids come home and everyone starts telling me about their day and the busy homework begins.  However, the thing about homework is that we haven’t quite figured out a system for the supplies they need to complete their work.  My kiddos are in elementary school and still use lots of crayons, markers, glue, and scissors.  But, since I like having them all working on their homework up to the kitchen counter or at the table (so I’m nearby if they need help), there hasn’t been a desk nearby to store supplies.  So, they’ve just been crammed in one of the kitchen drawers.  And I’ve HAD it!  I’m not against having a junk drawer (or maybe “miscellaneous drawer” is a better name ;) )…..but when it gets rifled through every day from kiddos searching for their supplies, it just gets more and more chaotic and messy.

So, we desperately needed a designated spot for homework supplies.  And since I wanted my drawer back and didn’t want to take up valuable kitchen space, I decided to utilize some hidden wall space in the pantry, behind the door……and created this Hanging Homework Station.

And let me tell you…..I’m happy to have my “miscellaneous drawer” back!

 

Here’s where we used to cram all the pens, pencils, crayons, markers, tape, scissors (as well as business cards, flyers, air fresheners, buttons, charging cords….ack!).  And as you can see….we tried to make it work with those little plastic bin organizers.  But nope, there was just too much chaos going on in there.

 

So I moved all of the supplies out of the drawer…..and up onto this metal slat modular storage system.  (And yes, I bought it all at Michaels….but can’t find the direct links online, so it must be an in-store only system.  The brand is Recollections and it’s pretty sturdy and all metal.)

Each of the green cups are hanging from hooks and can be removed and taken to the table and then returned to their hook.  (The cups are part of another storage line called Cre8ted Spaces.)

 

I placed another pen container (that’s not detachable) up near the top, which holds a few things markers I don’t want the kids to use freely.  If they do use them, it’s not a big deal…..but I’d rather then use the lower markers.  (Plus, I need to have a few pens up there so they are available when I need them.)

 

I also added several other hooks for supplies that the kiddos use.

 

And this is something that I’m extra excited about…..this huge over sized clothespin.  The kids bring home papers all the time that I have to sign, need to save for a project, need to review with the kiddos, etc……and they end up in a pile on the counter.  Blah.  So, from now on, they are going to be hanging from this clothes pin.  It’s anchored into the wall with a screw and I’m pretty sure it would hold at least 100 sheets of paper.  Perfect!

 

This storage system is attached to the wall inside the pantry, behind the door and out of the way…..but still very accessible to where my kiddos do their homework.  It’s high enough off the ground so that little 18-month-old Oliver can’t get to it…but still low enough for Chloe to reach.

 

January just feels like the perfect time to organize my life……so this is making me very happy to be less cluttered!  And my favorite part is that it’s semi-hidden and not taking up valuable space in my drawer!

 

Such a cool organizing system that got me excited to de-clutter the rest of my house!  Can’t wait to tackle the laundry room.  And oh holy smokes, the garage……agggh.  One thing at a time though. :)

-Ashley

 

**Check out the other organization ideas from the other Michaels Makers:

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Ashley Johnston

Administrator at Make It & Love It
Ashley Johnston is a professional DIY costume maker, sewist, crafter, and owner of Make It & Love It. She is a mom of 5 and a wife to a very patient (with the craft clutter) husband. In case you’re wondering, she always chooses crafting/sewing/designing over mopping/dusting/wiping base boards……but bathrooms/laundry/full bellies are always attended to. Whew!

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Hi, I'm Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!

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