DIY: Homework Supply Basket

One of the challenges I’ve always faced during the school year is managing school supplies. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “Mom, I can’t find a pencil!” even though the pencils are supposed to be in a specific place.

That challenge intensified last year when Bug went back to school. In the evenings, he had limited time to do homework, and it seemed he wasted a ton of time searching for supplies.

This fall, I’m armed and ready to face the challenge. Today I created the “Homework Supplies” basket.

It’s attractive, so I don’t mind it living on the bookshelves in the dining room, where homework is done. And it contains the materials most likely to be needed for homework: pens, pencils, erasers, paper clips, glue sticks, markers, crayons, a ruler, and a scissors. If I find another item is regularly used, I’ll just add it.

Making the Homework Supply Basket was a piece of cake. I picked up everything I needed at Walmart.

• A cute Canopy brand basket
• 4 drink koozies (at only $1 each!)
• A set of .5 cup containers with lids
• A wood flower from the craft section for the Homeschool Supplies label
• Glue for my glue gun

I also used some paint I already had on hand at home and a black sharpie marker.

I used drink koozies as my pencil, pen, glue stick, and marker holders, as they are flexible and easy for a child to fit back into the basket without making a mess. The .5 cup containers hold little items like erasers and paper clips. I labeled each container, so the kids would know which supplies went there. Hopefully that will help them keep things neat.

For the basket, I just painted the wooden flower, labeled it, and hot glued it to the basket. Then I loaded the basket with all the supplies. Now I have something portable and attractive to keep school supplies where they need to be. No more hunting around for pencils and pens! Preparing for homework should be a breeze. The homework itself may be another story.

*Disclosure: I am a Walmart Mom. This post is sponsored by Walmart. Walmart has provided me with product and/or compensation in exchange for my time and efforts in creating this post. My participation is voluntary. As always, my opinion is my own.