A MacGyver-like Storage Solution

Give me a Ziploc bag, some masking tape, and a hole puncher

and I can get all MacGyver on ya! 

Well, not really. I mean, I can't diffuse a bomb. Plus, I don't wear a mullet. But, what I can do is create a storage pouch that will work well for you if your friends use binders.  My students use two binders.  One is for science and social studies and the other for reading and writing.  Over the years, my friends have needed to store extra materials in their binder such as vocabulary flash cards, sticky notes, pencils, and even the book they are reading or need to take home.   So, where to put all this?  I've tried pencil cases, but they usually aren't large enough or they are just too expensive.  This is where the Ziploc bags come in.  We use them to make storage bags for our binders.

Here's what it looks like in the binder.  This is the science and social studies binder of one of my friends.  Inside his baggie are his vocabulary flash cards for social studies.

It's quick, cheap, and they last.  All you need is a hole puncher, masking tape, and a box of gallon size Ziploc bags.  I ask the kids to bring in three bags as part of their school supplies.  I prefer the ones with the slide lock on top, but as you can see in this picture, the press and seal kind also work well.  The only thing that I would suggest is getting a good brand.  The store brand tend to be thin and tear.  I've never had that problem with a name brand.  The name brands also stay closed without a problem.

So, here's what to do.  Tape the front and back of the left side of the baggie and hole punch it.  That's it!  It's simple and quick.  The tape allows you to easily hole punch the baggie, and it keeps them from tearing around the holes.  I like the baggies because they are large enough to hold almost anything. And, did I mention a CHEAP solution?

In our reading/writing binder, they usually keep the book they are reading, a pack of sticky notes, and something to write with in the baggie .  I think this type of storage system would also be great if you were doing any type of word work that had little pieces your friends have to use.  In our science/social studies binder, we store our vocabulary flash cards in them.  One other nice thing about this is that there's no time lost looking for things.  Everyone keeps their flashcards in the same spot.

There you go, it's the quick tip of the day!  Hope it's useful for you.  If you have any other ideas on how to use these, please feel free to share.

By the way, I'm assuming you know who MacGyver is or else I sound like a nut!  If you aren't familiar with him, then you don't know your 80's tv! Click HERE to find out more about our resourceful friend.