I’m embarrassed to admit this, but there have been quite a few times when I have accidentally thrown away important school papers. It just seems like the little desk area in our kitchen is a dumping ground for my kids. It’s an area that always seems to be cluttered and messy.
So this year, in an effort to organize my home and help myself stay a little bit sane, I decided I need a place to keep all of those papers so they aren’t lost. Plus, we can’t ever find a pen or pencil! Does your home have a giant black hole like ours does which sucks any writing utensil into a never-to-be-seen-again vortex?
This is an older picture, but it’s basically what this area looks like generally.
I needed a place where we can keep things the kids need for assignments, pencils, pens, scissors, a calculator and then also folder for each person in the family for papers that need to be returned or filed. And a place to charge phones. Kind of a Homework Station and all-around Family Command Center.
So when Scotch Expressions (3M) contacted me and asked me to create a project with their super adorable new line of Scotch Expression Tape for Back-to-School (#ScotchBTS), I knew what we needed!
This post is brought to you by Scotch Expressions. All opinions and ideas are 100% mine.
Here’s how I created our new and happy Family Command Station:
I went thrifting and found a vintage wooden jewelry box, a wooden file box and a little wooden box that would be perfect for pencils. Yay!
Then I took them home and gave them a coat of primer and then a coat of Apple Green Spray Paint.
One they were dry, I got to the fun part — tape!!
Have you seen the new Scotch Expressions Tape?? They have so many amazing colors and designs of washi tapes, masking tapes, shipping tapes and more! I had a fun time at my local office supply store picking out some patterns and colors that would go with my home’s decor.
I took my thrift store finds and covered them with some of the cute tapes! I love the way they turned out!
And I also took some manila folders and attached Scotch Expressions washi tape to the tops for each of the members of my family and then an initial at the top. (they even have GOLD washi tape!!)
I attached the wooden file folder to the wall with Command Strips – so I didn’t have to put any holes in my walls.
And I loved that the Scotch Expressions black and white shipping tape I picked for the front of the file folder holder almost exactly matched a resin tray that I bought a few years ago. You can create the same look on a plain tray by smoothing some of the same packing tape on a flat tray and matching up the strips. And the shipping tape is smooth so I think it could be wiped down with a damp cloth.
To make the tape seamless on the front of the file container –
- I lined up the tape with the sides of the wooden file box.
- Then I lined up more tape pieces all the way across the box – matching the pattern, leaving a little excess at the top of thebottom.
- I used an x-acto knife to trim the sides and bottom pieces of he tape.
- At the top of the box, where there was a curved line, I traced the shape all the way across with a light-colored pen.
- Then I cut the tape at the top along the lines.
And I even put some of the tape on the bottom of the drawers. It’s such a pretty POP against the green.And I even added a shiny new knob to the drawer!
I love this little organized area of my kitchen!!
And be sure to check out a FUN contest that Scotch Tape is running right now for the Most Gifted Wrapper! Eight finalists will win 3-night all-expense paid trip to New York to compete for a $10,000 Grand Prize and the title of the 2013 Scotch® Brand Most Gifted Wrapper™. So awesome!! Be sure to see how YOU can win — the deadline to enter is coming up soon — September 22nd. Don’t miss out!
Be sure to enter to win!!
How do YOU keep your family organized??
Share YOUR ideas with me in the comments. I would love to know!
Have a Creative Day!!
xoxo
Disclosure: 3M provided me with product and compensation for this post. Regardless, I only post about products or companies I love. All ideas are 100% my own. See my disclosures for more information.
Too bad everyone is letting Scotch get away with false advertising. Their tape is clearly not real washi tape.
fun! amazing what a little time spent does! i need to definitely do something fun like this for my command center
What a cute little corner! I love it and I love that you used washi tape to decorate the file folders. What a great idea!
This is so pretty Jen! The green colour is fabulous! I wish I could find some washi tape that I loved for a project, but it is so hard to find where we live! Angie xo
Organization makes my heart sing! Especially when it’s so chic! 😉 Love this command center, thanks for another great idea!
-Devin
saltandpeppermoms.blogspot.com
you clever girl! i just picked some of this tape up at Target. I haven’t used it yet, but you gave me some great ideas. i have lost more paper than i can count, and we have just started the school years over here. not good.
beautiful homework station!!!
xoxo
kellie
Your command center is gorgeous – I love the color! Wish I would have had something like that for my kids when they were in school – so pretty.
Wow, this makeover is great. Amazing what a little washi tape can do. So glad to see these fun patterns will be in stores. YAY!
Thanks Amy!!!
I know! It’s so fun to see all of the colors and patterns. The project possibilities are endless.
Thanks for stopping by!!
xoxo
So you made a duct tape storage with duct tape! Seems legit. Haha. Anw, great idea! I wanna try this. Hope to find duct tapes like those tho 🙂
xoxo Zoe
That’s Zoe
Follow me. I follow back.
Thanks Zoe LOL!! You can find them at most office supply stores 🙂
xox
I should say that it is a really nice way to organize all the papers but I noticed that it can also serve as a perfect decoration for the child`s room. I think my son would be really happy to make such a thing by himself.
Hi Maria!
I love that idea. Thanks!! I think it would be great in a childs room too!!
xoxo
What a simple idea, use textured and graphic tapes to customize your folders. Great tips thanks.
Thanks so much Tim! And I love that it will be easy to switch up if I ever want to change the tape!
xoxo
Love this!! And I love that chair!!
Thanks Krisha!!
xoxo
love that ghost desk chair you have!
Thanks Mindy!!
The kids love pushing each other around the kitchen in it LOL!! I love that it seems to take up no space 🙂
xxo
That turned out beautifully. I’m very inspired to do something similar, thanks!
Thanks Allie!! I really love the color and it’s made things so much more organized around here. Thanks for stopping by!!
xoxo
I LOVE this! My favorite color of green, and OH, the organization! Beautiful thing.
Oh yay!! I really love the green with the black and white. It seems so happy and fresh. Thanks for stopping by Laura!
xoxo
Came out so cute- LOVE the colors. I am so loving the tape products available these days. Makes getting creative so much more fun.
Thanks Gina! I agree – all of the different tape colors and prints are so fun. There are so many ways you can use them!!
Have a great day!
xoxo
Wow! This is amazing! I love it! Surprisingly I bought a few items yesterday at my local Target, for the exact, same purpose. You simply nailed it, and have given me much inspiration.
Thanks Delia! I can’t wait to see what you make!
xoxo
Looks rad, I love the color combination!
Thanks Christina!! I spent a long time trying to decide what color to paint those thrift store finds. I’m so glad I went with the green!! I am loving the green with the black and white tape!
Thanks for stopping by!!
xoxo