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JennGM
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**NOTE**
THIS THREAD ORIGINALLY BEGAN AS A QUESTION ON THE THREAD: HOMESCHOOL CONFESSIONS.
It was moved to its own thread so we can share the variations on the File Crate System as well as tools we use in implementing a file system.
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Mackfam wrote:
JennGM wrote:
So, do you plan the project? what do you do with your cut-outs?
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Not sure what you mean by "plan the project". ??? I just sit down with the book and exacto pages out of it. Then I trim the art with my paper trimmer. I back with cardstock and then laminate. Before I laminate, I pencil on the back of the cardstock the name of the work, and the artist and date.
My organization of the finished cut-art is a modified form of Dawn's file crate system and I've kept up this system for several years now and it really works well for me. The majority of my file system consists of 29 folders in a file system which lives right next to my desk. There are 2 folders for each month of the year, and 5 folders labeled:
Ordinary Time
Lent
Easter
Advent
Christmas
On the folders for the year, I keep two for each month - so November's folders look like this:
November - Seasonal Plans and Happenings
November - The Holy Souls (each monthly folder is labeled with that month's liturgical focus - so October/Rosary, August/Immaculate Heart of Mary, etc.)
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Most of the art I cut out is sacred art which coordinates with the liturgical year. So, those art images are filed under their appropriate month.
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I keep two more art folders in my file system which thus far have been unorganized.  They're just folders to stash my additional (non-liturgical) art. But, I have hopes of creating folders labeled:
Prehistoric to Medieval Art
Renaissance to Neoclassicism
Romanticism to Modern Art
Contemporary Art
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To add another embarrassing question, where is the best place to get crates? They used to be so sturdy, but the ones at Staples aren't like they used to be. Am I missing an obvious source?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Mackfam
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What kind of crate? Milk crate? What are you using it for? File crate system?
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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JennGM
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Mackfam wrote:
| What kind of crate? Milk crate? What are you using it for? File crate system? |
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Yes, I'm so sorry I'm putting up lame, half-done questions. You are so sweet and patient. I'm scattered this week (maybe always).
I want to do file crate systems.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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MicheleQ
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JennGM wrote:
| To add another embarrassing question, where is the best place to get crates? They used to be so sturdy, but the ones at Staples aren't like they used to be. Am I missing an obvious source? |
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They really aren't are they! My old "beat up" crates are better quality than any I can buy locally anymore. I can't use new ones for anything that's going to get too much use, they won't last.
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Michele Quigley
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Nov 08 2011 at 12:44pm | IP Logged
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I'm bumping your new thread, Jenn! 
We can share about files, crates, systems...and variations on how we use this tool in our home educating spaces here!
I have pics of mine I'll be back to share in a minute.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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Mackfam
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JennGM wrote:
Mackfam wrote:
| What kind of crate? Milk crate? What are you using it for? File crate system? |
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Yes, I'm so sorry I'm putting up lame, half-done questions. You are so sweet and patient. I'm scattered this week (maybe always).
I want to do file crate systems. |
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I have a plastic file crate that has lasted for years. I'm sure I got it at Staples, but I haven't looked at purchasing one in a long time. Oh dear that they aren't sturdy any more. Maybe you could find an older one at a thrift store, or put out the request on a local yahoo group - Moms are always looking to give stuff like this away.
I just keep mine in a small rolling file cabinet that always sits next to my desk. My laptop lives on top of the file crate and then my files are below. Pictures:
I really need to give these files some attention! They're getting quite worn and tattered!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Grace&Chaos
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I've been curious about this. I hear the term often and always imagined a box like crate, but after seeing your pictures Jen I had to giggle.
I love our two filing cabinets(which are on the sides of our entertainement cabinet turned book shelf art supply hide away). The top drawer of each is for my files (I need to organize them better  ). The next two drawers are for the kids flat copybooks and paper back books currently used. The last drawers are for blank composition or drawing notebooks.
All to say that I guess a filing cabinet is an excellent crate  for a filing system 
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Donna Marie
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MicheleQ wrote:
JennGM wrote:
| To add another embarrassing question, where is the best place to get crates? They used to be so sturdy, but the ones at Staples aren't like they used to be. Am I missing an obvious source? |
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They really aren't are they! My old "beat up" crates are better quality than any I can buy locally anymore. I can't use new ones for anything that's going to get too much use, they won't last. |
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I have this problem too..for several things. We started purchasing supplies from Staples because of the "teacher card" and the fact that the stuff was more sturdy.
Some of the things that I notices that have changed drastically were the composition books (the covers are more flimsy), the clipboards (they snap easily) and the little notebooks that my kids used to use for assignment pads(they fell apart in the first week)...not to mention the crates! Mine just cracked!
I am so bummed! I plan on making an inquiry in person the next time I am in that neck of the woods...anyhoo
I have 3 2-drawer file cabinets under my computer table. I LOVE this..out of the way and very accessible for me and not so much for my toddlers.
I have one section for the liturgical year, too. I even color coded the folders and labels so the visual me can stay on top of things better. Anytime I have a printout or even a smallish item that goes with that time of the year, in it goes! I have a bit of extra room behind the files for some of the more bulky items. At least I know NOW where my stations of the cross images and coloring pages are!!  You have NO idea how much of an organization leap this is for me...
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Donna Marie from NJ
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Mary Chris
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I purchased plastic crates at The Container Store earlier this fall. They seem pretty study to me.
Lots of inspiration here....Thanks for sharing the pictures Jen!
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mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Erin
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For anyone considering using a milk crate but wants something rather more glam, consider covering your crate. I've no idea why I never thought of this option before, but I'm now considering the possibilities.
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Erin
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Donna Marie
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Erin wrote:
| For anyone considering using a milk crate but wants something rather more glam, consider covering your crate. I've no idea why I never thought of this option before, but I'm now considering the possibilities. |
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The cool thing about doing this is that things don't fall out or poke out of the holes in the crate...and if you add books that you want to read into your file system, they don't get as worn along the edges and corners.
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CrunchyMom
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Make Your Own File Basket
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Lindsay
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Donna Marie
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Great idea Lindsay!!
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CrunchyMom
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Makes me think that a sturdy alternative to the file crate would be to take a wooden crate like you find at Michael's or AC Moore and drill holes in it to slide dowels through to make a file crate.
I can't get up right now to check and see if it is wide enough on the short side or whether it is deep enough to have everything within the depth of the crate to allow for stacking of something on top, but it seems like there might be a few different variations on that which might allow for hanging files and maybe some binders all in the same bin
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Mackfam
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CrunchyMom wrote:
| Makes me think that a sturdy alternative to the file crate would be to take a wooden crate like you find at Michael's or AC Moore and drill holes in it to slide dowels through to make a file crate. |
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Oh, that does sound like such a workable option to try!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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TxTrish
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I own close to 20 actual milk crates. I picked up like 15 of them one time at Salvation Army for $ .99 each! I bought every single one they had.
Woohoo!
They are actually indestructable. I always keep an eye out for them when I am at the thrift stores and buy them whenever I see them.
The junk you can buy at the local Staples, Walmart or whatever wouldn't make it through a year in my house.
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CrunchyMom
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The actual milk crates are wonderful! We have a few inherited (my dh's grandfather raised dairy cows). But they don't have that little ledge for hanging files Now, if they would make a hanging file crate out of the stuff they make milk crates from, that would be PERFECT!
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Lindsay
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CrunchyMom
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So, today while sorting a pile of laundry, I found the two dowels from the St. Martin lanterns the boys made in German school. I kept them thinking they'd be perfect for trying the hanging files in a crate idea. Dh is home and cleaning out the garage, and it occured to me just before sitting down with the baby that I should grab a hanging file and see if it would fit in the crate and run it out to dh to drill a couple of holes.
Well. GUESS WHAT!!!
Hanging file folders fit perfectly inside the craft crates from Michael's, or at least the crates they were making 7 years ago, which look the same.
No need for dowels.
HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS??
You might take your hanging file folder with you to test it before you buy one just in case, but I'm pretty excited since they are longer and prettier than milk crate style file crates. You could even have two separate sets coming from the opposite ends.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Variations on the File Crate System
