Back to School Organizing Ideas

With the arrival of a new school year, I always feel the need to get organized, don't you? There is something fantastic about  making the chaos of "back to school" a little less chaotic. Today, I am sharing a few of my favourite back to school organizing ideas. They are easy, inexpensive, and guaranteed to bring a little order to your home.

*Note: This post contains a few affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase using one of these links, I will get a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Use clear shoe racks - Clear shoe racks are perfect for organizing because they utilize the unused space behind a door, and the clear pockets make it easy for kids and adults to easily find the item they are looking for. You can use them for school / homework supplies, water bottles / school lunch containers, and clothing (hats, mitts, socks, underwear, etc...).

Create a homework area - An organized space to do homework is important, and what could be cuter than making your own colourful pencil holder for all your homework supplies? Simply cover a dollar store pencil holder with crayons using a glue gun. You can find the full tutorial here.

Organize the kids' clothes - Back to school is the perfect time to organize clothes. First, get rid of everything that is out of season or doesn't fit. Then, fold everything like the picture below... clothing folded into thirds and placed in the drawer so everything can be viewed at a glance. It is life-changing. The kids will no longer have to dig through their drawer to find their favourite t-shirt!

Label everything - You work hard to get kids the things they need, so don't let them lose all their clothes and school supplies. I label everything... and I can't tell you how many items (including expensive hoodies and jackets) that have found their way back home. You can check out the labels I order here.

Stock the pantry - Make snacks accessible and minimize the time needed to make lunches by stocking and organizing the pantry. Save time and money by buying in bulk, getting rid of boxes, and storing snacks in easy to access containers.

Get the backpack off the floor - If you don't have a mudroom full of lockers, you can still easily create a space for backpacks. Using hooks to get them off the floor is key. We have door hooks that can support the weight of backpacks full of books. When the backpacks come home, sort through them, do the homework, and then hang them up on the hooks. They will be ready to grab on the way out the door the following day.

Create a space for artwork - All parents struggle with all the artwork that comes home from school. The key is to not let it pile up. When it comes home, display it proudly. (We use decorated clipboards to allow the artwork to be changed easily and frequently.) Then, when new masterpieces come home, get rid of the old stuff. Special pieces can be saved, but the rest should go in the recycling bin.

Aren't these back to school organizing ideas great? How do you organize your home for a new school year? The shoe rack is key for us, but all these ideas help us control the chaos. Please share your best tips and tricks in the comments. We are always looking for new ideas.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)