Homework Stationery Caddy

I really should've bought shares in some of the stationery companies before the kids started school. I reckon I've boosted prices. Buying stationery likes pens, pencils, rubbers and crayons for school and home is my second largest purchase to food I think. My son is doing more homework this year so between him and his sister, I had pencil cases and drawers full of bits and pieces. 

On one of my thrift store trips, I picked up this basket. It was brand new with a tag and I thought it looked like it was good quality. I had visions of it being the perfect hanging basket for the kid's homework folders but it just wasn't wide enough nor was there anywhere really suitable to store it. (My daughter has her own desk in her room but we've just got into the routine of doing homework at the dining room table straight after afternoon tea so everything is in the one spot.)

I rounded up all the loose pencils and sharpened and sorted them.

Using the cardboard from an old box I cut 3 pieces, painted them with a little grey spray paint and cut slits as per the above photo. I slightly tapered the sides of cardboard as the black basket tapers in slightly.

Interlink the dividers to form compartments. I have one for lead pencils, felt pens, colouring pencils, scissors, crayons and markers/sharpeners/erasers. I could've gone out and tried to buy something that suited but this hanging basket was just perfect. Why buy something new when you can use something else you've got lying around, right? It can be put on the table while the homework's being done, packed away in the cupboard or just hung on this drawer unit for easy access. My kids are always colouring or drawing. It cost me the price of the basket which was about 50 cents.

I was thinking something like an old basket from a bicycle would work just as well. We'll see how long this lot lasts before I'm up for more stationery again!