Organizing School and Art Work

Anybody else suffer from a crap load of school work?

 I love being organized.  I can't think straight if I'm not.  When it comes to my kids though, I'm a total hoarder.  All of my cabinets, drawers, closets....all organized.  However, my weakness is my children.  It pains me to toss anything from their childhood.  I have managed to greatly reduce infant and toddler items.....sold all the big things and most clothes.  This one closet though, is still full of sweet reminders from the past eleven years.  

One of those reminders being every piece of school and art work that has come home for the past five years. Yikes!!  I couldn't take it anymore so I finally decided to tackle it.  It took two days to sift through it all, but I did it.  Yay!

I found these two bins at Walmart for $8 each and picked up some hanging file folders to go with them.  I filled the bins with files and made tabs for Kindergarten through 12th grade.

I know some moms make copies of art work so the big things don't take up much room, but I don't have the heart.  I like keeping originals.  I tried to keep just what the kids and I really liked.  Looks a little messy, but hey, that's my chitlins y'all!

I used some of my scrapbook supplies and my daughter's 1st grade picture for the front.  I know there's many of you who are more talented and creative, but me....not so much.  So I just spruced up the front with scrapbook paper and quotes.

On the front of each file folder I placed my child's class picture (with their classmates and teacher - which turned out great because I didn't know what the heck to do with those class photos)  and small annual picture for that year.

(wook at that wittle sweet face!)

Now I'm all set for the next eleven years!  Now on to the rest of the closet.......