We’ve been working on organizing our arts and craft supplies. Today I am focusing on different ways to store paper.
I adore the simplicity and functionality of this writing center, from one of my favorite educational sites Playful Learning:
Everything stored is easy to see and readily accessible!
Ali Edwards also has fantastic paper storage ideas in her old studio:
I love the three different types of paper storage shown in the above photograph, but I am not sure that any of them would work for us. I especially like the open paper storage, but I wonder if the paper might get dusty being uncovered in our house.
I also like the idea of using clear magazine files to organize paper:
I like how this solution takes up little space and with the clear files it’s easy to see the different papers. My concerns with this solution are that we’d have to keep the files full or the paper might warp, and that the paper may get dusty.
(Clearly, the theme of this post is that I need to dust more frequently.)
A dust-free solution might involve this IKEA drawer unit shown in Victoria’s beautiful (!) home office all the way on the right:
Unfortunately those drawers would take up space that I’m just not sure we have. Sigh.
What paper storage method are we going to use? I have absolutely no idea! I need to get to the stores and see what inspires me.
I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m going to be reusing the plastic, semi-transparent drawers we already own.
Stay tuned…
Suggest a solution that prepares for the future when pre-schoolers – early elementary students have “learning centers” where all supplies have own space, labeled, at their height, for child to have easy independent access for whatever important work they decide they “need” stuff for! Love the 1st one, as easy to see what’s where & where to put back but would require wall space…plastic drawers sound good!
That’s already part of the plan (planning for the future so she can help herself to needed supplies)! However, one of the biggest problem we have NOW is that she can reach EVERYTHING and, therefore, can make a giant mess in three seconds flat. I need to put most of the supplies out of her reach, just keeping our daily accessed supplies down low.
I ended up with one of these for extra art paper. Files sort the paper by type or color, and filling any empty space behind the files keeps them (and the paper within) flat.
http://site.unbeatablesale.com/img160/azstor61511u01c.gif
Probably not the most accessible storage for everyday paper (unless it were wedged stably on the ground and the snap-top were left unsnapped), but it’s great for special paper — dust-free, movable, stackable, and the open-top design allows for review and selection without causing a paper mess by yanking one’s preferred color eagerly from a stack. ;-)