Get Ready for Success: Back to School Organization Tips for Busy Moms

It’s almost that time of year again: back to school! With the routines, after-school activities, backpacks, and school supplies comes the chaos of trying to figure out who has to be where and when. There’s also so much more STUFF to put away when school begins! If you’re feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it all, don’t worry. I’ve got some back-to-school organization tips and tricks for busy moms to help keep you on schedule AND organized during this busy season. 

A Peaceful Place to Work

Organizing school supplies and convincing kids to do their homework can be a full-time job! I’ve found that creating a functional and beautiful homework station helps my kids organize their things and their time a whole lot better. So, here are some ideas for making homework time a little less painful in your house! 

Cute Desk Decorating Ideas for an Aesthetic Homework Space

You don’t have to break the bank to create a beautiful workspace! You just need a few easy ideas to make an aesthetic desk area. Here, I’m sharing some of the cutest and easiest ways to decorate a desk space for back-to-school season and beyond. (Guess what? You can also use these ideas for your own work-at-home desk area or your office space!) Whether it’s adding themed art and cute desk accessories or fun multi-functional storage ideas, I’ve got some great ways you can get started making your kid’s desk a place they want to be. 

Budget-Friendly Homework Station for Back to School

Maybe you don’t even have a desk space to decorate yet! I didn’t always have a dedicated homework area in my house. Then, all three of my girls had school homework and it became a necessity. I created a homework station in our basement out of nothing, and it turned out so well! Find an area in your home where a desk would work well. Then add: 

• A desk that fits the space 
• A basket for things like headphones, pencil cases, chargers, and a laptop case
• A comfy chair 
• A bulletin board over the desk to display calendars, paperwork, and art
• An old mason jar to store scissors, pencils, and pens   

To get all the details on my own homework space (including some fun DIYs and art choices for the bulletin board!) and start the new school year off right, check out the full post. 

DIY Mini Homework Station

Sometimes it isn’t practical for kids to work at their desks. Maybe someone else is using it, or maybe they want to work at the kitchen table while you make supper. Whatever the reason, this mini homework station hack is the answer! Simply find a wooden or plastic tote that’s large enough to hold 3 or 4 pencil cups or mason jars. 

Next, place your pencil cups or mason jars inside the homework caddy (I spray painted mine copper). Now, you can fill them with supplies your child will need for their homework or crafts! I added some crayons, pencils, felt pens, glue, and scissors. Then, add a folder inside the homework tote for any permission slips or assignments that a parent needs to sign.

Store your mini homework station on top of a side table or in a cupboard with extra school supplies, and bring it out when your kids are ready to work. I think this is the perfect way to organize your kids’ things for when they want to do homework on the go!

Don’t forget to head over to my Amazon shop for some of my favourite organization and school supplies.

Command Center Magic

Part of my struggle with the start of the school year is all the paper clutter that comes along with it! One of my best back to school organization tips for moms is to tame all that paper with a designated area called a command center. I’ve got a couple of ideas for how to keep the to-do lists and chore charts off your fridge and in their own space where the whole family can see them. 

5 Steps to Creating the Perfect Family Command Center

If your household is at all like mine, it’s really easy for bills, notes, homework, school schedules, lists, and letters to start piling up on counters and accumulating in the nooks and crannies of your home. I also tend to lose my keys and my phone if they don’t each have their own special place. This is where a family command center can save the day! It can act as a drop zone to make sure your family stops misplacing important items.

Whether your family command center is in your home office, in your back entryway, or on a small wall where everyone will see it, these five steps will help you create the perfect space to help keep you on the ball this season.

1. Choose a location 
2. Make a list of items you want to store 
3. Grab some organizers (hooks, hanging baskets, bulletin boards, and clipboards are a great place to start)
4. Plan it out 
5. Install and enjoy! 

Having a specific spot for all of our family’s important day-to-day items makes a huge difference in how our home—and my brain!—functions. I love having a spot for everything, and it’s so nice to start the school year with an organized little command center in the house. Have fun designing, installing, and enjoying your own family command center this season!

Create a Recycling Station /  Family Command Center in Your Mudroom

Do you have a mudroom or laundry room with a bit of space you’re not using? Consider this idea for a DIY recycling organization station made from inexpensive kitchen cabinets combined with a family command station. 

First, I purchased two 15 x 15″ IKEA kitchen cabinets with drawers and assembled them as per the instructions. Then, I put the cabinets in place and attached a wooden countertop with screws.  

I used a wooden crate I had on hand and spray painted it to make a simple charging station to sit atop the cabinets. 

I used my Cricut to create labels for my charging station and the fronts of my cabinets for recycling, but you could also use sticker paper and your printer to create similar labels. To complete the recycling cabinet, I added some fabric bins and recycling bags to the drawers and attached knobs to the drawer fronts. 

I made a simple command center above it by mounting a magazine file, whiteboard, bulletin board, and recycled cork trivets to the wall.  A thrifted tray for keys and trinkets complete this counter and make it ultra functional. 

Stop by the full post to get detailed instructions and some free art and label downloads! 

Organization Tips for the Home

We all know it’s not JUST about organizing the school shopping, homework areas, and paper clutter when it comes time to go back to school. It’s so helpful when all the areas of our homes are ready for the new season! I find when my house is in order, I have more mental space to tackle the new schedule and school routine. So, here are some tips for bringing order to other areas of your home that got out of control during the lax summer months. 

The Ultimate Guide to an Organized Fridge

One of my personal pain points when September comes around is the chaos it brings to my fridge! Demand for fun after-school snacks and school lunches means it’s much more full in general, and night-before-school water bottles take up SO much room. But fear not. With the right organization strategies, your fridge can stay clean and organized even in the back-to-school chaos! My tips include: 

1. Keep your fridge clean 
2. Organize by food group 
3. Utilize storage containers (and labels!)
4. Meal plan 
5. Prep snacks for lunches on Sunday night for the whole week

For all the details plus helpful links to storage containers that work great for anyone, visit the full post!

Entryway Storage Ideas for Quick & Easy Organization

With all the coming and going that happens during the school year, it is SO EASY for our front closets and entryways to become messy and cluttered. If you can put a few storage systems in place, you can create a spot for everything and keep your entry cleaner and more streamlined. The best part? My ideas can work in even the smallest foyer or mudroom! 

1. Hack IKEA shoe cabinets for vertical storage.
2. Create an elevated boot tray in your entry.
3. Use hooks to hang & organize everything. Hooks make our morning routine so much easier. Just grab and go! When you add hooks to your entryway, make sure you specify separate hooks for separate children. This way, everyone knows where their stuff is, and there will be no more putting uniforms and permission slips in the wrong backpack! This is a great time to play with a Cricut machine or other labelling method. 
4. Add shelves, rods, and baskets to make small closets more functional.

You get the idea! For more details on the DIYs I used plus a few extra entryway organization ideas that are perfect for back-to-school, read the full post!

Kids Bedroom Organization Ideas for Back to School

Now is a great time to get your kids’ bedrooms organized and ready for the school season. I know in my house, tidying up and finding a spot for everything definitely helps us feel more ready for fall! Let’s talk about some kids’ bedroom organization ideas that aren’t too tricky to do.

• Go through their clothes and make piles for keeping and giving away 
• Make sure each type of clothing has its own special place to make it easy to put a school clothes outfit together 
• Invest in baskets and bins for toy collections
• Make a space for art and collectibles (If you don’t, they will!)

 With some creative storage and a place for everything, it is so much easier for your kids to clean their rooms in a hurry when things DO get out of control. Try these ideas and see how well they work! 

Closet to Pantry Makeover

I don’t know about you, but when the fall hits and my kids go back to school, I’m always on the lookout for easy projects I can do in a quiet house that will make my life easier during the school year! If you are the same, then you might love this small closet to pantry makeover idea. I took a closet we don’t use and added shelves, a door rack, bins, and labels. Adding some pretty contact paper made it the cutest little pantry. Now I can organize our kitchen supplies that much better and I feel much more comfortable in my space!

More Home Organization Hacks

Let’s talk about even more ideas that will make your life as a mom during back to school that much easier! 

1. Create a simple system in your child’s closet. I like to use a shelf system with baskets in the middle of the closet and add rods on either side.
2. Have a library book bin. As the school year starts, reading will ramp up again and I hate spending time looking for lost library books. This way, they stay contained and you always know where they are. 
3. Create a labelled area for extra art and school supplies. I have a dedicated cabinet with bins and baskets to hold all our extra things. 
4. Have a specified drawer in your kitchen for lunch supplies so your kids don’t have to search for them every morning. 
5. Make a family wall calendar. Virtual calendars are great, but sometimes a physical calendar everyone can see is a great idea too! I made one out of acrylic with my Cricut and I just love how organized it makes me feel! 

And that’s it! A whole bunch of back-to-school tips for busy moms that are sure to make your life that little bit easier as we get back into the swing of a fall routine.

Good luck and happy organizing!

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