UHeart Organizing: Simple Desk Solutions for Children

Most often organizing is all about those simple pleasures.  Finding a storage solution that is versatile and simple and makes life easier time and time again.  For example, adhesive bookplates.  I like them a lot {in my best Jim Carrey voice}.  I use them time and time again and they make me happy with every new bin or binder or shelf that is labeled.

Courtney, my dear friend who blogs over at A Thoughtful Place, discovered her simple organizing pleasure which has allowed her daughter to keep an organized and tidy workspace.  I am thinking I need to implement her trick for myself as well!  Here she is now to share more details.

Hi, everyone!  While most of us are in full summer mode, I am always trying to figure out how the upcoming school year can run more smoothly.  I have a daughter who loves to work at her desk and she is constantly creating.  But that often translates to a huge mess.  And while a desk is fantastic, desk drawers can spell trouble.  Sometimes they end up being the black hole of the room.  I finally figured out a system that has helped us immensely.  I am now all about removable drawer organization.  Take a look.

A while back we transformed our daughter’s closet {half of it} into a desk space.  She has plenty of room on the other side for clothing and we really thought a work space would be great.  The metal pails have always worked well for the markers.

But honestly, the drawers have been a disaster.  I realized the drawers had to have something that could be removed and used elsewhere.

I stumbled upon these pouches at Staples.  They were inexpensive and you could even monogram them with a stencil.  I love that they already had a splash of color to match her room.  I love that she can keep her supplies in them but also take them out and use them down on the kitchen table with me or anywhere in the house.  If she feels like working on the floor she can grab her pouches and move there.

This was a little tray I picked up at Target a while back.  I personalized it and had a piece of acrylic cut to fit the inside.  More about that here.  It is a perfect fit for her drawer and she can take it out and use the supplies easily.  I can also ask her to take it out and clean it if it gets messy!  That has been dreamy.  And I have made her a deal.  I let her know I will check and see when supplies are low as long as she checks and makes sure things are tidy and in their place.

The bins above the desk space are from Ikea and are great for storage that will show. They have clean lines and I know these are a favorite of Jen, too!

Like mother, like daughter. Although I have a desk from which to blog, I do most of my work sitting on me bed.  So does my daughter!  So these pouches are perfect to grab from the drawer or toss in her bag if she wants to take something to work on while we are on the go.

I am always on the lookout for really simple solutions. I often find that the little changes make a big difference in how tidy and efficient we can be around the house.  Fingers cross that this new system takes us well into the school year.  What about you?  Do you have a quick and simple fix for keeping kiddos organized when it comes to their work spaces?



"Do you believe in love at first sight? I sure do because when I first stumbled upon I Heart Organizing I immediately fell in love with Jen's mad organizational skills. I think we all long for a calm, organized, well styled life. I am the author of A Thoughtful Place blog where I dish on all things related to decorating, organizing, entertaining, and of course DIY-ing! To be quite honest, working on making my house a home is my happy place. It fulfills my need to be creative and I love sharing ideas {both big and small} with my readers. Along with my blog, I am a contributing writer to House of Fifty and have recently started my own decorating firm, Casey Grace Design, LLC, with my talented sister. I call Orange County, California home where I live with amazing husband and two children. At the end of a busy day, I love to enjoy an ice cold beer on the front porch with my hubby while we watch our children ride their bikes or run around. Life is sweet and I am thrilled to be a part of the IHeart Organizing Team."