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Organizing Challenge of the Month Thread?

736 Views 23 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  ahdoula, 
ahdoula
Anyone interested in a thread such as this? I know so many of us talk about wanting to organize ourselves and our stuff *for homeschooling* better. I though each week or each month we could pick a new area to focus on.

Like this week I want to figure out how to organize PAPER. Construction, cardstock, scrap, blank, writing, etc.

We could share ideas and post results. Anyone one want to join? Then in a week or month or whatever someone could pick a new challenge.

So what do you do with your paper? Or what ARE you gonna do about your paper?!?
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L
Oh, dear, I need this! We're moving to a new house next week and in doing so losing our entire homeschool room. I need to somehow make an entire long dresser's worth of stuff and half a long pantry's worth fit into a small cubby pantry and buffet.


And I have no idea what I'm going to do about the paper.
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mommy68
I have most of our homeschool "stuff" in our den/my office area. I have a huge cabinet that has two doors that has 5 shelves inside it. I keep most of my work-related stuff in there and lots of paper stacked up for other things, envelopes and craft stuff in there too.

I also have a 3-drawer bin that has wheels on the bottom that I keep art supplies in and it has a lot of construction paper in it. I've had that for some years now and have started to move some of that stuff in to my cabinet in the office so it's more handy.
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User101
This would be awesome! I'm up to the challenge.
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Great idea for a thread!

I have a bookcase in the closet in the room that is our office with stacked desk organizers for paper, envelopes, laminating film, file folders, etc. That has worked ok for us for a year.

But I have a bunch of craft paper separate from this in the playroom that my kids use. It is jammed in cubbies in a storage unit there and that is not working at all well -- it all comes tumbling down when anyone goes to look for the color they need....

I need to move it all into the office I think and be the only one in charge of dispensing paper beyond what is in our writing centre. I hope the bookcase can accommodate it -- no $$ for new storage solutions right now.

We also have this writing centre which the kids always have access to. We have used it for a couple of years:

http://www.wintergreen.ca/catalogues...imageref=15694

I think I need to a) keep it stocked with a small assortment of fresh paper of different colors replenished every day or so and b) be religious about tidying it and rotating some of the tools and writing implements weekly.
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User101
I'm attacking our art supply area. It's basically the basement stairwell. We have an over-the-door hanger with supplies as well as a shelf. It's a mess.


Aubergine68, I love the writing center! Lakeshore sells one like it, and I always drool over it.
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Originally Posted by annettemarie View Post
I

Aubergine68, I love the writing center! Lakeshore sells one like it, and I always drool over it.
I love it. Ours is starting to look pretty grubby from use, though. And the scissors holes have bits of gravel and crayon bits stuffed in them by my 2 yr old. I need to unscrew it and clean it out, sometime.

It does take up a bit of space on a table top and is heavy to move and lift -- I'm the only one who can get it out and put it away without spilling the contents. Would work best for someone with a dedicated work area where it could be left out.
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A
I need to do this. Gonna get started on the paper monster tonight!
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User101
My tip for paper-- I have one of those dreadful plastic drawer thingers. It has (from top to bottom) first grade story paper (with the ruled lines on the bottom and blank on top), lined filler paper, graph paper, construction paper, and scrap/blank paper.
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Mom4tot
What a great idea for a thread.

We also have plastic drawers, just one set of 5 drawers that holds blank paper, drawings in process, stickers, coloring books/ puzzle books for each child. Larger paper goes in our art cupboard (a vintage dry sink in the diningroom).

Thanks for sharing your ideas.
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F
Quote:

Originally Posted by ahdoula View Post

So what do you do with your paper? Or what ARE you gonna do about your paper?!?
Letter size paper (8.5 X 11), regardless of what kind it is hangs in hanging file folders in a filing cabinet. It is sorted by type and color.

Scrapbooking paper is in a stacking drawer system.

Cheap large sheet drawing paper sits on the top shelf of a book case devoted to art supplies.

Scrap paper is stored in a small drawer system that hides next to hubby's desk.

Specialty art paper is stored on the bookcase with all the fine art supplies.

Specialty printing paper (shrinky dink, iron on transfers, labels etc.) has a shelf in the closet the rest of my business supplies are in.

Printer paper stacks on the floor under the printer until it is opened. Once it is opened, what won't fit in the printer has a spot on the same shelf as the specialty printing paper.

Anything I missed??
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ahdoula
Bumping! I found out a good system for paper!! You can see pics here and here from in our hs room. (the second pic is suppose to be tagged, but it's not working for me yet)

Time for another thread I think- if anyone is intrested. What do you want to organize now?
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Quote:

Originally Posted by annettemarie View Post
My tip for paper-- I have one of those dreadful plastic drawer thingers. It has (from top to bottom) first grade story paper (with the ruled lines on the bottom and blank on top), lined filler paper, graph paper, construction paper, and scrap/blank paper.
I just read this for the first time and decided last night that was what we were going to do
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Quote:

Originally Posted by ahdoula View Post
Bumping! I found out a good system for paper!! You can see pics here and here from in our hs room. (the second pic is suppose to be tagged, but it's not working for me yet)

Time for another thread I think- if anyone is intrested. What do you want to organize now?
Well......since I haven't actually started oraganizing stuff yet.....ummm.....I will be doing paper and art supplies
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Quote:

Originally Posted by ahdoula View Post
Time for another thread I think- if anyone is intrested. What do you want to organize now?
How about math manipulatives? That's my current problem.
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elizawill
yes, i'm up for it!! my challenge right now is organizing my books. i need a way to organize my books loosely so i know what we actually have & then i need to maybe number each book or something? maybe even categorize them? you know, like tape a number on the spine and color code them too?? something along those lines??? ugh, i don't know. i just have a lot of wonderful books and recently ordered a ton more...i'm trying to be more literature based in our homeschool curriculum, but it is only going to be successful if i know what books i own and what subjects they fall into.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by elizawill View Post
yes, i'm up for it!! my challenge right now is organizing my books. i need a way to organize my books loosely so i know what we actually have & then i need to maybe number each book or something? maybe even categorize them? you know, like tape a number on the spine and color code them too?? something along those lines??? ugh, i don't know. i just have a lot of wonderful books and recently ordered a ton more...i'm trying to be more literature based in our homeschool curriculum, but it is only going to be successful if i know what books i own and what subjects they fall into.
Home Dewey Decimal system? When I was growing up we had our house like a mini library - history, language in the living room, crafts, art, music in the den, science in the hall...
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elizawill
that's a good idea!!! you're a librarian, correct? can you point me to a good website for help? or tell me how to do it (talk to me like i'm 7, lol).
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User101
Oh wait, I forgot I had pictures for this thread! My target area was the basement stairwell. We keep often used craft stuff there, including paper

So, before:
The door organizer
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_4554.jpg

The mess
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_4555.jpg

Looking down
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_4556.jpg

And after
The door organizer
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_4557.jpg

The not-a-mess anymore
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_4559.jpg

Looking down
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_4558.jpg

And looking up
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_4560.jpg

It's still kind of over-full, but at least it's neater!
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