Affordable Individual Student Supply Boxes

With the pandemic, there were lots of classroom adaptations that had to be made. I’m guessing some of those changes will stick around (at least for the time being).

One of those is how students will not be sharing community school supplies.

How are you able to organize all the student supplies that are probably tossed inside the student desk?

Markers without caps left to dry up next to pink erasers that are constantly picked at throughout the day makes for an organizational nightmare.

Perhaps I have a solution that would work for now.

Cheesy Student Supplies

So what does a box of “cheese” have to do with student supplies in the classroom?

It actually holds the key to having a mini supply center right on top of the students’ desks!

This is so easy and inexpensive, it just might be a change you decide to use forever.

Let’s get to pulling off a little classroom diy!

How to Make Personal Student Supply Stations

Step 1:  Grab half the amount of “cheese” boxes than the number of students you have as each box will make 2 caddies. Note: Ask parents to buy the food and donate just the box to you. Or donate the food to a local family or food pantry in need.

Step 2:  Find a roll of wrapping or Kraft paper that will match your existing classroom decor.  Pro tip:  Use something you already have or check in at the dollar store.

Wrap up the outside of the box.

Attach using a stapler, tape, or a combination of both.

Step 3:  Create and print off name tags for the boxes and attach with tape.

Step 4:  Place the boxes on the student desks and add in the individual student supplies. You CAN still collect whole classroom supplies if you like and sanitize them before placing the individual student box.

The boxes are big enough to hold pencils, highlighters, scissors, notecards, post its, and a box of crayons. You could probably even fit in a calculator, glue sticks, and a box of markers/colored pencils if you use those regularly.

You could choose to attach the boxes to the desks with double-sided tape, though I might get that cleared via your custodial staff before you do anything drastic (or ask if they have another solution to attach or hang from the side of the desk).

It really is that easy!

While the boxes won’t hold up year after year after year, they are a cheap way to recycle a box that would most likely end up in the trash anyway. Plastic would work better for sturdiness, but I know we have some very eco-friendly teachers out there who might prefer this option instead.

And students can take them home at the end of the year or end of the semester depending on how rough they are with their box.

Student supplies stay out of the desk pit – and easily accessible to them when needed.

What other ideas do you have for organizing student desk supplies at their own desks?

Leave us a comment below – we would love to add it to our teacher toolbox. Sharing is caring.

~Charity

This post originally appeared at Organized Classroom.