How to Organize Kid’s School Artwork and Projects

Kids Artwork Organization

 

When the school year ends, both my kids always come home with LOADS of paperwork and artwork from the past year. I’m talking STACKS of paper, folders, and artwork! Luckily I’m able to go through everything and put away keepsake items in less than 15 minutes with my fail-proof system! If you have ever wondered How to organize Kid’s School Artwork and Projects, then keep reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Spectacular Kids Organization Hacks from Dollar Tree

Keeping kids’ artwork, toys, and school supplies under control doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here are 10 Dollar Tree organization hacks that make it simple, budget-friendly, and mom-approved:

1. File Box for School Papers & Artwork
   Use Dollar Tree file folders and a portable filing box to sort school papers by grade. Add tabs like Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, etc. for a stress-free way to save their best work.
2. Plastic Bins for Toy Rotation
   Grab Dollar Tree plastic storage bins to separate toys into categories (Legos, dolls, cars). Rotate them weekly so kids stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed by clutter.
3. Magazine Holders for Coloring & Activity Books
   Store coloring books, sticker books, and notebooks upright in Dollar Tree magazine holders. Easy for kids to grab and put away themselves.
4. Pencil Pouches for Small Toys or Craft Supplies
   Clear zippered pouches are perfect for beads, crayons, flashcards, or even Barbie accessories. Bonus: they’re portable for travel or car rides.
5. Shower Caddies as Homework Stations
   Use a plastic shower caddy to create a mobile homework station stocked with pencils, scissors, markers, and glue sticks. When homework is done, tuck it back on a shelf.
6. Dish Racks for Notebooks & Folders
   A simple dish rack works like vertical file storage! Use it for workbooks, folders, or even art sketchpads to keep them tidy and accessible.
7. Stackable Bins for Art Supplies
   Stackable drawer units from Dollar Tree are perfect for markers, stamps, paints, and other art materials. Label each drawer so kids know where everything belongs.
8. Zip Bags for Puzzle & Game Storage
   Replace bulky puzzle boxes with clear zip bags. Store the picture cut from the box inside the bag so kids can still see the design. Saves a ton of space!
9. Under-Bed Shoe Organizer for Games & Toys
   Use a fabric shoe organizer to hold board games, action figures, or stuffed animals under the bed. It’s hidden storage that keeps the room clutter-free.
10. Hanging Closet Organizers for Crafts or Accessories
    Dollar Tree hanging closet shelves can corral craft kits, sports gear, or even dress-up accessories, keeping everything visible and within reach.

 

 

 

t’s a great size folder to hold all of those poster-sized art projects kids come home with and the file box is perfect to store small papers, photos, memorabilia, awards, etc.

When my daughter started preschool, I purchased this over-sized accordion style art folder for any of her artwork that was worthy of keeping. At that age, they mostly have scribble-scrabble artwork. You can decide what you think is worth keeping but I recommend keeping only a few “BEST OF” items.

You don’t want this folder to become overflowing with paper in the future and if it does, I recommend going through items to see if there is anything to discard or scan to an electronic copy.  

Be sure to print my free labels below and add the school year to each tab!  

 

 

The art folder is AWESOME because it’s slim enough to fit anywhere (we keep one in each of our kid’s bedroom closets) and large enough to fit those over-sized art pieces kids bring home.

✅ If you have young(er) children at home and don’t have a way to organize artwork, you need one of these asap!

 

 

I also use this File Box with hanging files inside, labeled with each school year. I place any small papers, photos, memorabilia, awards, etc.  in the file for each year.

 

Here is everything you need to create this system:

• Over-sized Accordion Style Art Folder (and a cute pic of your child for the front)
• File Box
• Hanging files
• Manila Folders (optional)
• Labels (use the free printable PDF below)
• Lamanating kit or Plastic Sheet Protectors
• Packing Tape
• My Free Printable (Below)

Directions:

1. Download the free printable and write your child’s name, school year on the front of the box.
2. Place the name page inside a sheet protector or laminate it.
3. Use packing tape to attach to the front of the box.
4. The kids can decorate their boxes with their name and stickers to make it fun.
5. Label each hanging file with school grades (you can print/write on the labels that come with the hanging files or download our free labels, print on Avery 5160 sticker labels and attach to manila folders)
6. Again – try to only keep a few of the “BEST OF” items. You can always scan/take pictures of items, save in a cloud account (like Google Photos) or make a keepsake book – I personally like to keep a few favorite hard copies and recycle the rest (don’t worry, it does not make you a bad parent for tossing a few of their school papers. Could you imagine if your parents kept your paperwork from age 5-18?).

It literally takes me 15 minutes to go through everything (with each kid) and they help me decide what to keep or discard. I make sure they know we can’t keep everything and I let them decide what to keep.

–>>This process encourages them to let go of things and teaches the importance of simplifying at a young age!

My secret for consistently keeping the artwork and school papers organized is to do this process every 3 months. We have a basket in our mudroom where I place all the papers and projects that come home until the basket starts to get full (usually around 2-3 months). Then my kids and I sit down and sort through everything and I let them decide what to keep. If their art folder starts to get full, I ask her to sort through everything in her folder and eliminate some items if possible.

The free printable includes school year labels with pink, purple and blue “school days” name page for the file box.

 

The Art Folder also makes a great gift for a child’s birthday – we gave one to our neighbor a few years ago for their daughter’s birthday and it was just what they needed to get that school paperwork under control!  This system will organize and store your child’s precious school memories for years to come!

 

 

These items are a really good deal and will help you get organized and reduce piles of school papers and artwork in your home.

 

Grab the Free Printable Labels!

New here?

If you are new to the Simple Made Pretty Community, you’ll need to sign up below to gain access to my private digital resource library where I house all of my free printable crafts, decor, checklist, & more in one convenient place!

Returning?

Welcome back! If you’ve already subscribed to Simple Made Pretty, just check your last email from me with the password to log into the library below (the instructions are sent in every email I send).

 

Pin it for later…

 

 

Psssssttt…Right now I’m offering FREE access to our Digital Resource Library to all of our newsletter subscribers.  Your private access includes dozens of free printable crafts, home decor and organization guides.  Hurry up and grab your freebies here!  (Access instructions are sent after subscribing).

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links or a sponsored post. All opinions are always 100% mine and I don’t partner with any product or company that I don’t use and love. Please see our Full Disclosure for more information.

***If you decide to purchase one of the items in this post, don’t forget to go through your EBates account (or sign up if you don’t have an Ebates account yet!) so you can get cash back on all of your online purchases!  We earn an average of $50 every 3 months from Ebates and you can too!

 

Kids Artwork Organization