Back to School Crafts to Get Kids Organized!

Now that school is back in full swing, the careful steps you took to keep your child organized may have begun to unravel. No worries, it's never too late to get the organization system back on track. Here are three fun autumn crafts that will help your child keep his desk neat, his closet clean, and maybe even get him to school on time!

Decoupage Desk Tool Holder

What You Need:

• white glue
• water
• a disposable container
• a glass jar or small florist’s vase
• a paintbrush
• scissors
• colored tissue paper or colorful comics

Let your child cut shapes from the tissue paper or comics and set aside. Thoroughly mix 1 cup of glue with ½ cup of warm water in a disposable container. Brush the glue mixture onto the jar and cover the whole thing with overlapping layers of cut paper. When dry enough that you can turn the jar over without the glue dripping, brush the bottom with glue and decorate with paper strips. Let dry overnight. You’ll have a lovely storage jar that looks like stained glass.

Outfit Organizer

There’s nothing like the morning rush to remind you what’s so great about snow days. Until the snow starts falling, though, you can forestall last minute searches for lost socks and arguments about favorite shirts with these efficient outfit organizers.

What You Need:

• 5 wooden suit hangers (the kind with clips to hold pants AND a hanger for the top.)
• cotton batting
• masking tape
• wide ribbon in assorted colors
• scissors
• 5 complete outfits (top, bottom, socks and underwear)

Wrap the cotton batting evenly around the wooden part of the hanger and secure with masking tape. Cover with overlapping layers of ribbon, finishing with a big bow at the top of the hanger. Now the fun part: help your child select five complete outfits for the week, and hang one on each hanger. Underwear can be looped over the hanger and socks stuffed in pockets or set in shoes beneath. No more arguments about who’s wearing what – every outfit is prematched and parent-approved, so your child can get herself dressed in the morning.

Autumn Leaves Pencil Holder

What You Need:

• a ceramic flowerpot
• dry black beans
• natural wood pencils
• colorful leaf shapes, either cut out of construction paper or purchased at a crafts store
• glue

Affix a leaf to the side of each pencil at the eraser end; let dry thoroughly. Fill the flowerpot with dried beans (this is your dirt.) Stick the sharpened pencils point down into the bean dirt. Not only will the “twigs” be more likely to get put away when your child’s finished, but they’ll make a colorful addition to his desk or a great gift for his teacher.

To be sure, fall is a busy time of year. Slow down to enjoy craft projects with your little scholars – they just might save you time in the long run.