A Tangled Mess

My cabinets and closets are so embarrassing. If you look at my classroom when all the cabinet doors are shut, you might actually think I am an organized person. Just open up a door and you are in for a big surprise. This tangled mess has been bothering me for way. too. long.

With spring just around the corner, I have been itching to overhaul some areas of my room that are simply getting out of control.  The yarn basket was an easy place to start.

I started saving Clorox wipes containers last year because they are just too reusable to send to a landfill. My students bring these in as a part of our school supply list. We go through about 24 containers per year. The nice thing about these containers is that yarn slides so nicely through the slots at the top.

The hardest part about organizing my yarn was getting it all untangled. Now, it will actually be difficult for the yarn to tangle. For some of the smaller pieces of yarn, I was able to place two or three colors in one container and the yarn still pulls out smoothly.

I am already dreaming up uses for the rest of my containers. Plastic bags? Markers? Maybe mini trash cans for learning centers? Place value models? A leprechaun trap? The possibilities seem endless!

Have you used a Clorox wipe container or another recycled container in a unique way?