How to Create a Special School Paper and Artwork Organizer

Inside: how to create a school paper and artwork organizer for your children to last from pre-K to senior year. This portable schoolwork and artwork organizer is durable and sentimental. It holds all your most precious memories in one convenient place.

Early on before my kids even started school I knew I’d want to save some of their most precious artwork and their grade cards.

I love looking back at my artwork from my grade school days.

My mom kept all kinds of different keepsakes. I never know when or where an old school project will show up to remind me of the girl I used to be.

I wanted my children to experience the same memories when they grew up. But in a more orderly fashion.

Create a School Paper and Artwork Organizer to Last for Years

When my children were still in daycare, long before they began school, I created a school paper and artwork organizer. But it’s never too late to start!

This school organizer holds:

My children’s favorite pieces of artwork
Report cards
Letters from teachers
Awards
Recognition
Growth charts from the pediatrician
School Pictures
Anything paper from that school year

Supplies to make your school organizer

Make sure you have enough supplies to cover 12 grades. 13 grades if you want pre-school included, as I did.

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12 x 12 Scrapbook Paper: I used Echo Park Paper Company 1 Back to School Collection Kit Paper
Wire Keychain Cable Key Rings
Adhesive Mat Stack – Brights, 4.5 x 6.5
10 x 13 Interoffice Envelopes
3″ Die-cut numbers, like these, or make your own from a die-cut machine
Various Ribbon – optional

how to make a School and Art Organizer

Cover each interoffice envelope with the scrapbook paper of your choice. I glued the paper onto the envelope. You want this stay forever so take whatever time necessary.

The envelopes should be 10 x 13 because lots of school projects are bigger than the regular paper size. Plus you’ll have a lot of papers for some years and it’s handy to have a larger envelope.

Because your envelope is larger than the scrapbook paper which is 12 x 12, you’ll have a small amount of leftover paper on each side. You can flip that part on each side to make it more colorful.

I also chose to cover the flap in scrapbook paper. I used a hole punch multiple times for the tabs and string to stand out.

Once you have your envelope completely covered, it’s time to add a place holder for your child’s school picture that year.

I used the Brights Adhesive Mat Stack, as shown above in the supplies. The colors matched perfectly with the Back to School scrapbook paper. Plus the mat stacks are 4.5″ x 6.5″ so all you need to do is find a 4 x 6 photo each year of your child and tape or glue it on the top of the appropriate years’ envelope.

As you lay the photo mat down, you can find the numbers and letters for the grade your child will be in for that envelope. Either buy pre-cut numbers and letters or use a die-cut machine.

When all your pages are complete, it’s time to line them up to punch 3 holes on the top of each envelope. Once the holes are punched, thread the cable rings through each one.

It’s okay if it isn’t perfect! You’ll have 12-13 envelopes plus a ton of papers inside each one. It’ll look a lot different in a couple of years than it does now. You won’t be able to tell if it’s straight later on.

Note: I highly suggest using these cable rings and not pre-set binder rings. The cable rings allow you to set the size and strengthen them. I’ve been using my children’s art and school organizers for nine years now and they easily weigh a few pounds. I carry them around by the cable rings. They are very durable.

The cable rings also allow you to open and close the binder of pages easily.

Your last step is to add pretty ribbon to the top of the rings.

And now, enjoy the years with having a safe place to document your child’s artwork, accomplishments, grade cards, growth charts, and more!

see all the pages of the artwork and school organizer

Check out the video of each of my children’s school organizer’s. In these videos, you can see how I created each grade, how I covered up some mess-ups, and how it looks 8 years later full of schoolwork and artwork but standing firm!

Create a School Paper and Artwork Organizer to Last for Years

Supplies to make your school organizer

how to make a School and Art Organizer

see all the pages of the artwork and school organizer

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