Monday Made It :: Pencil Drawers

It's a great Monday for a new Monday Made It!  I had so much fun with this one!  I love any excuse to pull out my Silhouette Cameo and I LOVE adding color to my classroom!

I've been using buckets for my sharp and dull pencils for the past few years.  You know, those adorable buckets you find in the dollar spot at Target?  The kind that I can't stop buying even though I already have more than I know what to do with?  Yes, those. ;)  

I wish I had a picture of what I used before, but I didn't want to drive to my classroom just for that.  My setup was very similar to this from Peace, Love, and Learning.  Even the same signs!

While they were cute, the problem I had with them was that they tipped over ALL. THE. TIME.  There were newly sharpened pencils and also dull, broken pencils on the floor every day.  My students were always good about picking them up, but it was messy and just became less and less practical with every tip of the buckets!  I needed something different for this year.  

I wish I could remember where I got this idea.  I know that I saw it somewhere before, but I can't remember where.  Anyway, I saw a teacher that used small Sterilite drawers for her sharp and dull pencils.  I loved that idea, so I set out looking for a drawer set for myself.

I actually was on the hunt for a 3-drawer set because that was the kind used in the photo I had seen, but the store I was at didn't have any.  They only had 5-drawer sets.  At first I thought that would be too many, but I quickly thought of other things I could use the drawers for to simplify my life at school.  I picked up a small 5-drawer Sterilite just like this one.

I started with this... 

 

...and then I got to work with my Cameo!  I designed and cut the words for each drawer.  I also added a star to each drawer just because they're cute!  I covered two words on the middle drawer because it gives away the name of my school, but you get the idea.

 The other drawers I added are things I have kept behind my desk before, but it will make my life easier for students to have access to them.

  The bright colors and practicality of this classroom addition just make me happy!

 Keeping pencils in these drawers will eliminate clutter and mess, and everything will still be just as easy for the students to access.  Win win.

Thanks to Tara for hosting Monday Made It!  Head on over to add your own item to the linky or to check out what other teachers have been up to!