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I’m seriously having the hardest time handling the fact that summer is pretty much over… we’re in the last few days of the pool being open for the summer, back to school sales are in full swing, and the curriculum has arrived, which means it’s pretty much time to get back in the swing of homeschooling… and that means a major need for organization and staying powered up. Today, I’m showing you an impossibly easy DIY charging station for YOUR desk!

This DIY charging station is so easy to make, and only requires two items– a desk organizer box from the office supply section of Walmart, and a craft blade. When it comes to a desk organizer, you’ll want something that’s easy to cut through– this one is made of a thick paper and cardboard material, so it’s still incredibly sturdy, but super simple to get the craft knife through. You’ll also need your existing charging cords for your devices, and the devices themselves.

To make the charging station, simply make a small hole that’s just large enough to get your power cord through in the back or side of the charging station. Next, slip the charging cord through the hole.

I like to secure my cords with a little piece of washi tape so they’ll stay within reach and I don’t have to dig to the bottom of the organizer to reach them when they’re not in use.

Then, simply plug your devices in and let them get charged up. I chose a desk organizer that had varying sizes of slots to make sure I could fit different devices.

To keep your device from resting on the cord (which may damage it), I also like to stick one of those larger pink rubber erasers under the device, allowing for a little space for the cord to hang freely. It’s just one little cord-saving trick that may help you when you try this DIY!

If you have more slots than devices, you can also use the extra slots to store things like pens, pencils, scissors, and more– then you’ve got everything in one handy organizer, from your devices and charging cables to your regular office supplies! Because we sit at my desk a lot when working on worksheets or projects, I made sure to have plenty of colored pencils and other supplies handy in the additional slots in my office organizer!

Staying organized is such a big thing when it comes to back to school. Not only are our schedules a lot busier, but our desk space is, too– with homeschooling, we always have worksheets, projects, and all kinds of stuff to work through, and being organized can really help with getting things done seamlessly.

Another thing that helps me stay organized is a great computer– we use it for a lot of different aspects of our homeschooling life, so when I’m shopping for a computer, I look for something powerful and reliable, but also affordable. That’s why I like to turn to HP computers– and there are some great brand new ones, both laptop and desktop, that can be found while shopping at Walmart, like the one I use, the HP All-In-One 22-b013w! It has the latest processors, and since it has 1 terabyte of storage, I don’t have to worry about running out of space, whether I’m storing homeschool stuff, work stuff, or even just fun stuff like family pictures on it!

This puppy is backed by over 100 tests, making it totally family approved, and it’s super sleek and stylish, making it fit right into our office decor! It’s perfect for surfing and streaming, but also for tackling major projects together as a family, so it’s a great choice for all of the ways we use our computer in our homeschooling life.

And my favorite part? It has a touchscreen, so my little guy can quickly navigate the page easily. Right now, his big fascination is with maps, so he loves to be able to look at maps on my computer and easily drag the map with his finger on screen!

When it comes to homeschooling, the computer is really important… here are just a few ways that I use it for our homeschool classroom:

Browsing Pinterest. Browsing Pinterest totally counts as a homeschooling activity, by the way. I browse it to find specific crafts, activities, and ideas that tie into the current unit to make sure my hands-on learner is really grasping the concept!

Streaming videos online. Sometimes you need more than a book to grasp a concept, especially if you’re a visual learner. From documentaries to short crash-course style videos, streaming is a great way to drive home a point you’ve read in a textbook, making it a great resource to the homeschool classroom!

Keeping up with current events. Our teen student, Jeffrey, explores trending topics on social media, then uses news sites to write a current events report around a specific theme each day of the week, from election news to sports, science news to world news, in a fun and exciting way using sites he already loves to browse.

Gaming… for real! There are tons of educationally based games on the market that allow for honing those problem solving skills, which makes an interactive learning environment. Further, computers in the homeschool classroom can provide opportunities to work on your own programming skills, as well!

Embracing the Arts. Whether it’s video editing, photography, or music, a computer in the homeschool classroom helps you really bring those skills to life. HP computers are powerful enough to handle these things, and have plenty of storage for keeping these projects close at hand.

Keeping an Organized Digital Calendar. Our schedule, both at home and on the go, can be a little crazy. We love to use an online calendar that every member of the family has access to… not only does it include lesson plans so we’re sure to get in all of our daily work, but it also has appointments, sports, homeschool group activities, field trips, and more added in so we never miss something we need to do!

How do YOU stay organized at Back to School time, and if you’re a homeschool family, what is your favorite way to use a computer in your homeschool classroom? Let me know in the comments below! 

We LOVE to use our HP computer for a ton of different homeschooling ideas– if your family loves using their HP computer for homeschooling, homework, and more, don’t forget to head to the Walmart website to share your experience!