DIY Memory Box For Kids School Year Keepsakes
This weekend, I finally finished the DIY memory boxes for the kids’ school year keepsakes. And even though our youngest is just shy of three and about to start her first year of preschool this fall, I set up hers so it’s ready to go.
I adore having a school-year memory keeper for the kids. To say our kids’ paper clutter has been out of control is an understatement. Now, not only do we have a system for collecting and sorting the kids’ school papers, but there’s a home for the special memories and work from school
The actual creation of the school memory box is super simple, affordable, and quick to assemble. Honestly, you could put these keepsake boxes together in under 30 minutes. The hardest part was going back through the papers we’ve collected over the years with our eldest and backfilling them.
AND to make creating your own memory box even simpler, I include some free printables you can use. You can find them at the end of this post.
How To Make A DIY Memory Box
There are so many different ways to make a DIY keepsake box and so many different memory box ideas. You can check out a few other ideas on my storing kids’ school papers post, from photo books to storing items in a shoe box. I’ve tried a few.
But the one I landed on and the system that has worked the best for us, is the school memory boxes using file folders for each school year hanging in a file box. It’s an easy way to organize all the papers for kids school work. From preschool right up through high school.
Supplies
Ideally, you would want one set per family member. So for each kid, one sturdy box to hold the files and a set of hanging file folders per child. These supplies are common and can be found at any office supply store, container store, and your favorite online store.
- File Boxes (Staples)
- Hanging File Folders (Target)
- Printer Paper (Target)
- Labels or Sticker Paper (Staples)
- Pens (Amazon)
- Glue Stick (Target)
- Scrapbooking Glue Tape (Target)
Tools
- Printer (Target)
- Scissors (Target)
- Label Maker – Optional (Amazon)
Set Up File Folders
After gathering your supplies, your first step is to set up the vertical file folders.
Since I’m a creature who tackles the easiest thing first, I started with the file tabs. I labeled each of the tab inserts with a different grade in school. Two for preschool (3-year-old- and 4-year-old preschool) right through high school. Essentially, one tab pre-k through 12th grade.
The idea is that you’re limited on space for each school year. It’s a great way to force yourself to pare down on the piles and years of papers to only the most important. Because if everything is important, nothing is.
After labeling all the tabs, I inserted them into the file folders. I liked having them offset by two spaces for each tab but space them as you like.
Print And Attach Interview Sheets
The next step is to print out and glue on the interview sheets, one for each school year. Free printable interview sheets are at the bottom of this post if you want to use the same sheets I did.
The annual interviews are a unique way to get a snapshot in time of your child. I’ve noticed that as our kids get older, the years feel like they blend. I forget what their handwriting looked like in kindergarten or that three years ago their favorite “color” was pink, purple, and white.
There’s even space on the interview sheets to include school photos. Instant photos work too if you don’t partake in annual school pictures. Another sweet idea to accompany the annual interview sheet is to write a special note to your child and attach it to the inside of the folder. I wrote one for Rowan this school year talking about all the moments I was proud of her and ways I saw her grow.
Per how we did this step, the interview sheets are printed on plain computer paper. You could also use cardstock but regular-weight paper works fine too. Then I just glued them to the folder using a basic glue stick. And done!
Then attach the photo to the interview sheet using adhesive specifically for photos. Scrapbooking glue tape is my personal favorite. It’s so easy to use!
At this point, I also sat down with Rowan and filled out her interview sheets for the last couple of school years. How is she starting second grade in a few weeks?!
I’m missing her signature for pre-k and kindergarten though. I’m hoping I’ll find something she’s written on that I could maybe glue on there as an alternative.
Sort Through Special Mementos
The next step and the hard part of this project, is sorting through all those school memories and school work and deciding what is worth keeping. As a sentimental person and recovering packrat, this process is difficult and takes me a long time. Especially when I include the kids.
In general, we kept standout art projects, mementos from special events, year-end report cards, special birthday cards (handmade by best friends), class photos, and a few pieces of important school work. I share all kinds of sorting tips in this collecting school papers post.
I’ve found this process works best if you can spread it out. Feel free to take over that kitchen counter or dining room table.
File Keepsakes
After whittling down the mountain of keepsakes it’s time to file away all the kids’ school memorabilia. The hanging file folders are a perfect way to store all the keepsakes and keep everything contained in one place.
As you file items into your children’s memory box, you may realize you kept too much. Guilty. Raises hand in pack rat shame. It’s okay to do multiple rounds of paring down the paperwork. I prefer to do it in rounds since each go at it gets easier to let go of the less special items.
Label The File Box
The next step is to label the file box. This step is extra important if you have multiple children. Basically, label the side of the box with your child’s name.
Options abound with how to label your child’s special container of school memories. You could go fancy with a custom-printed vinyl name decal from your favorite Etsy shop, use your beloved label maker, or keep it simple with some masking tape and a Sharpie (often my go-to).
I used a basic shipping label for now knowing that a label maker is on my short list of items for the home. I’m obsessed with this vintage aesthetic label maker from Amazon. I love the different size options.
Find A Place To Store
The final step is finding a place to store your child’s memory box. The key is finding a place that’s easily accessible when kids want to look through it. AKA not buried in a pile of junk in the attic. But not too accessible so they dump out the contents on the regular.
You also want it handy enough to add to the memory-saving system as you go. A great place would be a living room cabinet or the top of a linen closet.
I’m storing our children’s memory boxes behind the door to my craft room. It’s out of sight so they don’t feel the urge to peruse often but accessible enough that I could easily grab it when needed.
Time To Make
All in, the total time to complete these memory boxes was a couple of hours. This was to set up the boxes and file papers for two children. But this time included designing the interview sheets, which took about an hour.
To just set up the box, no filing papers and no creating the interview sheets takes less than 30 minutes. It’s just printing out the sheets, gluing them to the file folders, and adding the file tabs.
If you set up the boxes before kids start school and come up with a consistent plan for sorting through and filing the papers, this could be one of the easy systems in your home for controlling paper clutter. While also being a fun way to store away favorite memories.
Total Cost
All in all, the total cost of the project was $28. That’s broken down to $23 for the file box and $5 for the hanging folders. I already had the other supplies on hand.
The DIY memory box gets more expensive to make if you need computer paper or glue, but those expenses are pretty minimal compared to the cost of the file box.
School Memory Box Printables
As promised, here is the PDF free printables for the annual school interview sheet. There’s one for each school year pre-k through 12th grade.
Hot tip for printing. I kept getting vertical lines on the paper when printing. After changing my print settings from “normal” to “best” quality, the lines went away.
Purchase A Pre-Made School Years Memory Box
Purchasing a kit like this is a great option if you don’t want to DIY one. I had originally thought of storing all the kids papers in file folder boxes and started searching Pinterest for beautiful ways others had done it when I came across the school years memory kit from The Short Years. In fact, I took their interview sheet idea and modified it for how I wanted it.
Purchasing their kit would be a great gift idea for the parents of young children in your life. The Short Years also sells a DIY kit which is a printable DIY memory kit.
I love how much larger their file boxes are leaving plenty of room for paperwork through the years.
Make With Your Kids
This was such a great project to do with our children. Rowan (currently age 7) was so engaged with picking out the work she was most proud of and helping file it away. And the interview questions were fun! She loved helping make her own school memory box and putting in a little hard work to make such a great keepsake.
It is a little more time-consuming to do with kids but it’s also so much more rewarding.
Happy Building
So I hope you choose to make a DIY memory box for kids school memories. It’s such a perfect place and easy system for storing sentimental items from the school year.
I am excited to fill the rest of the box over the years with Rowan. AND to start filling it as Beatrix starts preschool this fall. Let the back to school countdown begin!
