These wonderful babies were all the rage in teacher blog-land last summer, but I could not manage to work it into my endless list of things to accomplish before school last fall.
That meant THIS summer it was HIGH on my to do list. SO HIGH that it actually got finished in the sacred no-school-work-allowed month of June.
Can you believe it?
{Although, this isn’t the only thing that I’ve been breaking that rule with. Whoops.}
I think mainly teachers use these, but I think they would make a fabulous addition to any crafter’s work space with all their organizational bliss.
So are you ready to know how to get your very own?
Go to Lowes and get one of these.
They are meant to add to the top of a tool box, but hello, this is obviously WAY cooler.
Mine was $16, but you could also get a bigger one for about $19.
Then you need your labels. There are a gazillion out there to pick from. Just download and print, or you can use mine. {below}
The bad thing about using someone else’s premade labels is that you are stuck with the items they picked to put in their toolkit. Ladybug Teacher File has a free customizable set that actually fit on the little handle.
I decided to make things complicated like I always do and just create my own. I started with this template from Fun in Room 4B and went from there.
Then I laminated them and cut them out…
Here are my labels if you’d like them at my TPT store…
I will say that the trays do not fit markers and pens fully. They have to be put in diagonally, but I think it will work.
I can’t wait to get this baby filled up and ready to go in my new classroom this fall. I love that there will be a place for all those random itty bitty things that can get lost in my desk.
And when my future little cherubs need something like tape or a bandaid, it will be a piece of cake for them to find and get it themselves.
Woohoo for that, I say!
Anyone else already working on things for the fall? It’s hard to turn that darn “teacher brain” off, you know!
We are leaving for vacation next Friday, and I specifically scheduled it for June so I wouldn’t be panicked and consumed with school prep like I always am in July. :)
Yay for getting this big thing checked off my list!
Linking up at Weekend Bloggy Link up, House of Hepworths, Monday Made It with Tara, and Fun in Room 4B.
Cute! I love it, I just made mine for school. Can’t wait to stay organized. I’m a new follower, love the blog!
Kerry
Don’t you just love the toolbox? I promise you it will be the best thing you made all summer. I’ve used mine so much that I’m making another one this summer for another area in my classroom. Thanks for linking back to my template and thanks so much for linking up to our Optimum Organization linky!
Elizabeth
Fun in Room 4B
Thank you for sharing your template! I can’t wait to fill this baby up!
I LOVE my teacher tool box. It has eliminated my need to open the same drawer 10 times a day! I made a section for band aids and that way my 5th graders can get their own and I don’t have to stop what I am doing to take care of it.
I agree with Elizabeth, you will be so glad you made one.
EmilyK
I made my teacher tool box last summer and loved it! The students knew where to look for those little supplies and I didn’t have to stop to go get supplies for them. I also had a student in charge of supplies who made sure that the little drawers stayed full of those supplies that we went through quickly. I agree with the previous posters- you are going to be soooo glad you made this! :)
I love love this idea! headed out to lowes this week! :)
Sarah
thank you so much. My goal for next year is to minimize. I am going to use your labels, buy the organizer and donate anything that does not fit into the organizer. Again, thank you for sharing your talent.
LOVE it. I’m doing this in the not-sacred month of July.
Love! I am going to have to make one of these before the summer break is over. It has been on my to-do list forever!
-Sarah
A Rocky Top Teacher
Ohhhh…This organization makes me so happy! I will have to do this early in the summer – I don’t want it to get away from me! Thank you for the adorable labels…that saves a lot of work :) So happy to have found you and to be a new follower!
Tracey
The Teacher’s Chair
I love this idea! My husband and I just finished cleaning out our garage and we have an extra one of these……I am definitely going to do it! Thanks for posting this!
Kristi
Teaching Little Miracles
Thank you for including the link and the picture of the box! I had a hard time finding it. This picture and linked helped so much! About to head to the store to pick one up. This will be so much more organized then dropping things into my desk drawers!
Love this idea!!! The only storage units I have been able to find have not been big enough to fit pencils, dry erase markers, etc side by side either… and it is driving me NUTS! I really want one that pencils don’t have to go in diagonally. Has anyone find a storage unit with bigger drawers?
Your labels are not available for free. I was interested in downloading them to prepare my own toolbox.
How did you attach the labels to the drawers? Tape or hot glue?