5 Comments/ Organize / By Ashley
If you live in a small house, as I do, you need to think wisely about your homeschooling supplies and how to organize them. In this article, I will share with you several different homeschool organization ideas for small spaces!
This post contains affiliate links. However, I only recommend the items that I have personally used or believe would benefit your homeschooling experience.
Jump Ahead To
3 Important Things to Consider
Before we get started, I would like you to think about 3 important factors as we go through each of the homeschool organization ideas for small spaces.
1. Determine what you want in your homeschooling space.
- Remember your space is limited so, it is important to have a clear idea of what you need most throughout the year.
- Do you want things to be easily accessible?
- Do you want your supplies to be out of sight or are you okay with them being out in the open?
- Are you wanting your kids to learn through play or are you more of the worksheet type of homeschooler?
- What are some of your absolute must-haves?
These are all things you need to consider to determine which would be the best way to organize.
2. Next, I want you to think about the space you intend to use for your homeschooling supplies.
Keep this in mind as you read through the article.It will help you determine which homeschool organization ideas will work best for you. It may take some trial and error until you figure out which ideas best fit your homeschooling style.
3. If you do not have a homeschooling space, don’t worry! We will help you create one!
- Take some time to think about an area in the house that you would like to use to hold your supplies. There isn’t a space that is not usable! Even if an area is super cluttered, it is possible to create that space as storage for homeschooling supplies. Afterward, I want you to think about the main things you would want in that area. Will it work for you? If you think it would, great! Let’s move forward!
- If you are still not sure of a space, reading some of the organizing ideas might help you decide.
Once you have your space
It is time to declutter! As you pick up each item, I want you to ask yourself; do I use this item daily? When was the last time I used it? Does it bring you happiness? Is there a useful purpose for such item? After you determine if an item is worth keeping or not, place it in one of three piles; keep, donate, or trash. In no time, you will have a space that will work terrifically! If you would like to learn more about decluttering, check out Allie Casazza. She is the mastermind behind decluttering!
Now, let’s start thinking about all those homeschool organization ideas for small spaces!
What I did to store my homeschooling supplies
We don’t have the space to create a fancy homeschool room nor do we have the space to leave our homeschooling supplies out in the open.
I considered many different homeschool organization ideas for small spaces. However, I utilized the top space of my coat closet for organizing our homeschool supplies. As you can see this space was a mess. I had stuff everywhere and it quickly turned into the space to throw all educational material. It was always a challenge to find the things we needed to use for the day. It even got to the point that we missed out on some activities because I couldn’t find what we needed in that mess.
It was time to organize.
I bought several different types of containers, dumped all the stuff on the floor, and began organizing! After many toddler interruptions, I finally organized our homeschooling materials in a small convenient space. And I will say, I am happy with the finished product! It feels so good to be organized and ready for the upcoming year!
Each subject had it’s own storage container. For instance, all the paint supplies had their own bin, all the workbooks went together, craft materials, and so on. These storage containersare wonderful for organizing. They fit regular size paper, stack on top of each other beautifully, and it has a fairly, strong clip-on lid.
Even though I chose to use closet space to store our materials there are several other options you can use to organize homeschool supplies.
So, hang in there! I have a TON of homeschool organization ideas for small spaces.
Organizing Homeschool Supplies by Room
You can utilize any room in the house to store your homeschooling supplies. If you spend most of your time in the living room or at the dining room table then consider adding your homeschool storage in those areas. You could also use the space available in bedrooms or even in the kitchen. If you have an empty cabinet in the kitchen this can be a great space to use.
Now, you might have an idea of which room you want to store your supplies, here is a list of different spaces and homeschool organization tips.
Floor Space
If you have some floor space, theseIkea storage boxesare amazing! They also have athin, tall oneif you don’t have any horizontal floor space. We have one for the living room toys that will most likely become a storage unit for homeschooling in the near future. They have several different binsizesandcolors! It makes it a fun way to personalize your supplies. They are clean-cut and not an eyesore for any room. However, do NOT buy the lids for the bins. They do not stay on and are only good for stacking the bins on top of each other. Trust me, save your money!
Or maybe, your homeschool setting changes as each day goes by? One day you might be in the dining room and the next you’re in the bedroom with the kids working on a reading lesson. Rather than carrying your supplies from one room to another consider getting a storage cart. They are perfect for moving your supplies around to different areas of the house. You can store it in a closet and take it out whenever you need it.
A bench with storage is another way to store your homeschooling supplies. I love anything that is multi-functional! We have a couch that has storage and also turns into a bed. It is simply wonderful. You can check out a similar onehere.
Wall Space
The walls provide you with so much additional space. You could hang shelves and use decorative bins to organize with. If you don’t like the idea of personalizing the space and would like a quicker solution, you could also use theIkea wall units. These are similar to the floor units but smaller.
Recently, I came across this wall-mounted organizer that I think might work fairly well for homeschooling. Simply place your printables and worksheets in the slots provided the night before and you will be ready for the next day! I do not have this item therefore, do your research before purchasing it!
Consider adding a floating desk for your children to work at. You could place them in their rooms. This can provide some personal space for homeschoolers to color, practice their math, or write a book report.
Corner Space
Corner space is probably one of my favorite homeschool organization ideas. Corners can often be forgotten about and that is why they make a perfect open space for supplies! Instead of using a big bulky bookshelf, use shelves, they take up less space and look awesome!
I did this with reasonably priced shelves that I found at Walmart. We had this big, ugly bookshelf that I couldn’t stand anymore. So, I came up with this solution. I use it to store our movies, books, and it is a decorative piece for the living room. In the near future, I may create a homeschool storage space like this one in another corner of a room. I think this would work perfectly in a bedroom or dining room as well.
Tip: Hang your shelves on both walls of the corner to optimize space! For a more stylized look, place the shelves at different levels!
Back of Doors
The back of a closet or bedroom door is a fantastic space to store supplies. Just add a shoe holder and store your supplies in each pocket. This is a great idea to apply with any of the previous storage ideas! It will help decrease the amount of clutter in one space.
Provide each student with their own door organizer. They would be able to store their school supplies in one space. This door hanging organizer will hold notebooks, pencils, planner, and any other light materials they may need. However, I wouldn’t advise storing any textbook in this organizer.
If the previous option is too bulky. These wall storage pockets are slim for behind a door. You could organize daily worksheets, printables, lesson plans, craft instructions, and more.
Create Your Own Storage Unit for Homeschool Organizing
If any of these ideas don’t seem to work why not create your own storage unit! If you’re crafty you could easily make yourself a kitchen table bench with storage. You could also make use of your kitchen chairs by creating storage space underneath the seats. Learn how by watching the video below!
<\/iframe>","yt_privacy":"yes","video_type":"youtube","aspect_ratio":"169"}" data-widget_type="video.default">
Keep Going! There are still so many homeschool organization ideas for small spaces!
Organizing Homeschool Books
Book Baskets
Book baskets are great for organizing books. They can be placed in any corner of the room, so they are easily accessible. Consider placing one in the living room, where you might spend most of your day. This could increase reading time while staying organized.
Tip: Book baskets are terrific for library books!
Bookcase
A bookcase is a traditional way of organizing books, but it still works. They can be easily accessible for kids, but bookshelves can also take time out of your day. If you have any little ones in your house, you will quickly know how much they love taking every-single-book off of the shelves.
Wall Display
If you have the wall space, you could choose to display books by setting up a display shelf. This is a terrific idea for young children. They will be able to see each colorful book cover, and it will light up their room. However, if you have a large number of books, you will be limited to how many you can display, and it may be challenging for younger children to reach the books.
Library
Let the library organize books for you! By choosing to give away the book collection you currently have, you can increase your storage space. Consider taking advantage of your local library. It enables you to rent and request several books each week, store them in a book basket, and return them when you are finished.
Pros:
- Clears space
- Kids get excited about picking out books.
- They also get to take part in what they are learning.
Cons:
- Have to keep track of due dates
- You have to worry about your kids ruining them.
However, if you like the idea of your children having their own books consider downsizing them to open space for other homeschooling supplies.
Organizing Papers and Artwork
Portable Scanner
This portable scanner is terrific for organizing papers and artwork. It enables you to save childhood memories and build a digital portfolio of your child’s schoolwork. This will free up so much space in your storage area while making everything easily accessible!
As you can imagine, storing school papers and artwork over the years will leave you with a huge pile of papers. If you enjoy saving your child’s work, consider doing it for the year and then save your favorites. However, scanning the worksheets, printables, and artwork as your child finishes them, will save you time.
I have had this scanner for well over a year now, and I am beyond thrilled that I have it. Originally, I had purchased it to make copies of all the old photos my grandmother had. It did a great job. I now use it to build a digital portfolio of my daughter’s artwork and documentation of any important paperwork.
I just love how small it is. You can scan things directly to your computer through WiFi or save the images onto a savings card so, you transfer the documents at a later time. The scanner allows you to save the image in two different types; jpeg or pdf. It will also scan double-sided! My biggest complaint is how it is limited to only scanning 8×10 or smaller. Also, it can be time consuming since it will only scan one page at a time.
Tip: Use the scans to share what your children have been working on with family!
Binders
Another way to organize artwork and papers is by using a binder system. Create a binder for each subject at the beginning of the year. Remember to use binder sleeves or a 3 ring hole puncher to easily store your papers. This can be a great way to build a portfolio to share at the end of the year!
Organizing Printables
Binder System
The binder system would work well for organizing homeschool printables. You can use labeling tabs and binder sleeves to arrange the printables by subject.
Create an additional binder for weekly use. Labeling sheets will help you stay organized throughout the week. Create a section for each day you choose to homeschool. At the beginning of each week, place your printables and any curriculum lessons you may have in each daily section. It should only take a few minutes to organize if you have all of your printables already printed.
Filing Cabinet or Box
Set up a designated filing box or section of a filing cabinet to store all of your printables. Just simply label each filing sleeve with the subject that you wish to designate for your printables.
In addition to filing your printables, you can also file any other important paperwork you need for homeschooling. Also, create a section for completed work that you wish to keep! There you have it! A small cabinet or box filled with all your homeschooling papers!
Although these are some terrific ideas, filing cabinets are not very pretty, and of course, we want our home to feel comforting without an office feel. Check out this unique filing cabinet that stores your papers without anyone realizing it.
How to organize your homeschool day!
Binder System
Again, the daily binder system mentioned previously is great for helping you organize your printed materials. Your worksheets and printables will be ready to use throughout the day.
Wall Organizer
I also came across this wall organizing display that would be great for inside a closet door. You could place all of your lessons for each week in a slot. This will have you ready to go each week without much hassle!
Daily Bins
You may not have the space for a daily bin system, but if you do they can be extremely helpful. Shoe boxes at the dollar tree work great for this. Label each bin with the days of the week that you choose to homeschool. Then, at the beginning of the week fill the bins with any craft supplies, materials, or objects you may need throughout your homeschooling day. These bins are also great for entertaining younger children while you teach the older ones.
Whiteboard
It is amazing how focused, and on track, you can be if you have a visual reminder of your tasks. I have a whiteboard for my kids and I also built a DIY whiteboard for my own daily to-do’s. I find it so helpful to get everything done and it takes very little time to write all of our tasks on the board. We accomplish so much whenever I do this!
Rocketbook
I cannot express enough how awesome the Rocketbook is! I use this book for everything. You can plan your weekly lessons, dot down ideas, track what work has been completed, and so much more! I even use it to list out our dinner plans for the week. Pro-tip: create a month+ worth of weekly dinner ideas, save it to your phone, and reuse by switching up weekly dinner plans!
If you have not heard of the Rocketbook, it is a reusable notebook that will assist you in so many ways. After writing down your ideas, lesson plans, dinner ideas, etc. you take a picture of it with the Rocketbook app. This will then save the document to whatever form you desire. You can even send it out as an email! Lastly, it can transform your handwriting into text, but I am not sure how well that feature works yet. Whenever you are done and wish to reuse the notebook you just wipe the page with water and the ink is gone!
There you have it, an easy daily homeschool system that will help you stay focused and organized.
Homeschool Organization Tips
However, if you are new to homeschooling or if this just sounds like too much prep work, here are some other homeschool organizing ideas for small spaces.
Workbooks
Workbooks are a fantastic way to decrease the amount of time you spend organizing your learning materials. Since it is already organized, you can quickly mark what pages you wish to complete. You could also mark where you left off so you know where to start the next day. This decreases prep time, time spent organizing lessons, and results in less clutter in your house.
Multipurpose Materials
When shopping for your homeschooling supplies, try to think about the different ways you could use different objects or materials. It can be a game changer in the long run! This will decrease the number of homeschooling items you have, and you will spend less time preparing for your lessons. In addition, you’ll save money and have less to store.
One last Homeschool Organizing Tip!
Lastly, whenever you are organizing your space, be sure to place what you use most towards the front or top of your piles. This is will be useful as you teach throughout the day.
I hope this article, filled with tons of homeschool organization ideas for small spaces, provided you with the help you needed! Here’s to a well organized and successful school year!
List Of Supplies To Help You Stay Organized!
Free Storage Ideas
- Shoe Boxes
- Linen Bags – You know the plastic bags that your bed linen and curtains come in? They would perfectly for organizing toys and small pieces you might be using for your homeschooling.
- Food Containers – Another great resource to store small pieces!
Ikea Storage Units
Filing Homeschool Papers
Wall and Hanging Organiziers
Closet Organizer
Perfect for Teaching And Note Taking
Furniture with Storage
Other Homeschool Organizing Supplies
Want to learn some tricks to decrease your household cleaning, so you can focus on homeschooling? Clickhereto read about these 5 great tricks!
