School Locker Organization Ideas and Tips
Updated: Oct. 13, 2023
The following tips will earn you an A in locker organization.
Organizing Your Locker: The Basics
Your locker is a hub, a place where you hang out with friends and your home base for the school day. But lockers are functional as well as just plain fun. A well-organized locker can help you stay on top of assignments and get to class on time with everything you need. Still, figuring out how to store textbooks, school supplies and personal items in such a small space is no easy assignment.
To keep your locker organized, employ three key strategies: Group like items together, give each item a convenient storage spot and put things away properly. Adding a few smart storage solutions will create more usable space and help keep your locker organized.
Read on for specific tips and tricks to help!
Maximize Vertical Space
Put the wasted space under your locker’s one standard shelf to use by adding a hanging shelf system, like this one from LockerWorks. Designed for various size lockers, the brackets slide easily onto the top shelf. Then the heavy fabric organizer adjusts as needed. The multiple exterior mesh pockets are perfect for holding sneakers or water bottles.
Start a Supply Drawer
Create a small storeroom in your locker where you can house extra school supplies. A heavy-duty drawer sits on the floor of the locker, providing enough space for extra paper, notebooks, spare highlighters, pens and pencils. No more panicking, especially on test day, when you realize you forgot your No. 2 pencil.
Multiply Shelf Space
Stacking things, especially heavy things, on the floor of the locker makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for. Slipping in an adjustable shelving unit instantly adds an extra shelf to help break up the bulk. This one by Tools for School can stack on top of an added locker drawer. Remember to store heavy items, such as musical instruments in cases, down low, and keep lightweight items like your lunch toward the top.
Add Extra Hooks
Lockers typically come with one standard coat hook, which typically isn’t enough to hang all the things you might want to keep off the floor of your locker. Stick heavy-duty magnetic hooks inside your locker. They support up to 65 lbs., which should be sufficient to hold your backpack, jacket, scarf, hat, purse and gym bag.
Embrace Color Coding
Establish a color-coded system by assigning each subject a specific color — a fun and functional way to easily recognize and grab what you need. Group what you need for each subject, like the textbook, binder and any accessories, and then label them with the assigned color. Extra credit if you use bold colors that are easily identifiable.
Keep Up a Calendar
An easy-to-see schedule is crucial to back-to-school organization. Stick a magnetic dry erase calendar to the inside of the locker door — the perfect place to get your class schedule, due dates and other reminders off your phone and in front of your face. Consider color-coding it by blocking out the color on the day and time you’ve associated with the subject (see tip above). At the end of the day, copy any notes into a planner or to-do list, or simply snap a quick photo for easy at-home reference.
Don’t Lose the Little Stuff
Earbuds and hair ties can easily get lost in your locker. Stick a set of small magnetic bins to the inside of the locker door. They make the perfect drop-and-go containers for small things, snack bars and dry-erase markers for your locker calendar. The wire mesh is easy to see through so you always know what’s inside.
Treat Spines Wisely
Make it easy to tell books and binders apart by labeling the spines. Store them with their labeled spines facing out, that way you can grab the one you’re looking for without having to search. Consider shelving them in the order in which you use them during the day or week.
Capture Loose Papers
Sick of wasting time searching for misplaced notices, study guides or handouts? Use a magnetic file folder to create a convenient temporary storage spot for loose papers that would otherwise get lost in your locker. Drop them there now, when you’re in a hurry. Then you’ll know where to find them later when you have time to deal with them properly.
Make It Yours
Your locker is your home base while at school, so you might as well add some personalization that inspires you or just makes you happy. A magnetic mirror, a motivational quote, a framed photograph — any little touch to make it feel all yours.
Do a Friday Refresh
Every space needs some regularly scheduled attention to keep it clean and clutter-free. Take some time at the end of each week to give your locker a quick tidy. Reorganize books and binders, sort through loose papers and straighten up your stockpile of school supplies. Then toss trash, recycle papers and weed out things to take home. A few minutes of attention on Friday will leave you with an effortlessly fresh start on Monday.
