I know chair pockets are a hot topic because it is SUPER nice to be able to have a place where students can easily get to their independent reading items without having to dig through a desk or go to a cubby to grab it.
I always dreaded certain transition times in the classroom: lining up for lunch, packing up at the end of the day, and believe it or not – independent reading time.
Why?
All the rustling through desks, looking for the right book, hearing the crunching of the papers and the clinking of the 100 half-eaten pencils within the desk, clanging of the desktops, and the eventual “I can’t find my book” statement yelled from across the room.
Of course, then it was like I was required to walk over and do the digging – only to find the book within seconds in the pile of rubbish within.
I knew there had to be an easier way that didn’t involve opening the pit of destruction (aka sudent desks). It needed to be a quiet alternative and one that had student books in their fingertips within seconds.
Seat sacks are the perfect solution! You can call them chair pocket or book bags too – they are just a chair organizer that hangs off the back of a student desk chair.
Storage Pockets for Books, Papers, and School Supplies
I happened to be at the Target Dollar Spot one day and grabbed a few items to test them out – and here are a few different options depending on your needs and desk sizes.
When you are buying in bulk for an entire classroom, finding the best price makes a difference. Especially if you are buying learning resources out of your own pocket.
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First up: Use regular stretchy book covers! Yes. It really is that easy.
Take one side and stretch it around the top of the desk. Place books in the other. They are super stretchable and will really hold more than you think.
I do think they would be a good candidate for being easy to clean and machine washable too, which is a bonus. As always, test one out first to make sure it holds up well.
The second choice is a Dorm Room Storage Caddy. This one had handy velcro straps that made it easy to wrap around the back of the chair and hold items into place. It also had a load of storage.
The only issue with this options was the width of the chair. Definitely measure before going this route.
I did think it would hold up well in the classroom as it was poly laminated fabric that was pretty sturdy. If the straps don’t quite fit right, you could sew elastic banding on them to make them fit snugly on the seat back.
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DIY Chair Back Classroom Organization
Number three is a bit of a stretch as a chair pocket as it is too long, but it could be used on a cabinet or door at student height. I would even add labels, vinyls, or student name tags or numbers on the front to remind students which pocket is theirs.
Grab a couple of Command hooks, pop the shoe organizer on it, and add books. Now, since the pockets are meant for shoes, it would be best suited for chapter books only (which usually means the older students). But this adorable pattern was too cute not to include somewhere in the lineup. Haha!
As a side option: Hang them from a whiteboard tray and use as ready to learn center stations! They are large enough to hold mini readers, writing utensils, and folded comprehension worksheets for sure.
The last Target chair pocket find today for me is by far my favorite! And the one I wasn’t sure would work at all!
It is a bath caddy! I added a Command hook to the back of the desk chair. Then, I added the caddy!
Easy peasy and so so so cute! It is big enough for picture books and chapter books and has 5 pockets for additional items if you wanted. I was worried it would stick out too far, but it really doesn’t actually.
Do you have other classroom ideas like the No Sew DIY Chair Pockets I made a few years back?
I would love to hear additional suggestions in the comments below! There are already several other suggestions, including using pillowcases, nylon zipper pouches, and more. #sharingiscaring
Have fun choosing your chair pockets!
~Charity
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Did you buy all of these items at Target? Would you mind posting the prices for each of the items that you bought? Thanks!
Yup! All from Target! I don’t have prices right now on me as we are heading out of town, but they all came from the Dollar Spot section at the front of the store. 🙂
I use chair pockets, but I got them from another teacher who didn’t want them any more. The kids store their folders and 1 book that they want to have to read during downtime. Their other books they are reading are stored in their browser boxes. We have tables so the supplies at the table are community supplies. Textbooks have been kept on the shelf but I may change and do something different this year. I’m still trying to decide. Right now each kid has a class set of books in the cubbies in the hallway. I would say use the book covers if all you are going to do is store the books they are reading in them. The shower caddy would be my next choice. I don’t think the shoe caddy would hold up to the kids constantly going up and taking things in and out, plus I see some difficulty with books that are smaller being hard to get out. The hook with the bag attached would be nice, so that the kids could take the bag with them wherever they go to read, but I see the hook being broken off or the bag falling off or knocked off. We have to stack chairs at the end of the day for the cleaning crew. Can you stack the chairs with the hook on the back?
Last year I used the cloth “tool belts” (they tie around your waist) from Home Depot as extra storage for kids’ school supplies and paperback books. They tied them around their chair or desk legs. If students put their chairs up at the end of the day, have them tie them to their desk legs instead. Each of these cost under a dollar and worked really well. I saw this idea on Pinterest.
Love the stretchable book cover Idea.
Glad it was helpful Linda. 🙂
I used the jumbo book covers last year. (waited until school was in session for a few weeks then was able to buy them for half price.) I loved them and they worked well for the children, but my Kindergarteners could not put up their own chairs in the afternoon, (flipping them upside down onto the table) so it created extra work for me in the afternoon.
Overall they worked well, but some stretched out a bit, sticking out from behind them a little more than others. I do not think I would use them again unless I could find a way to all them to survive going upside in the afternoon too.
…but I think they would be great for older students, who could handle them (either removing in afternoon or just putting their chairs up slowly/carefully as not to dump everything out.)
… oh forgot to mention, as I looked into getting these on the cheap, also read about using pillow cases (no sew) on the back as well! Will have to doing some manipulative folding and it creates one large pocket, but if you have some of those already it would be a no cost way to see if these would work for you… and you could even just have each student bring in their own, so there is no cost to you at all.
Love those ideas Denise! Thanks so much for sharing!
I bought jumbo sized book covers at office depot, pricey but they lasted all year.
Nice! Thanks for the tip!
My idea doesn’t hold books, but it holds all of the student’s basic needs. I purchase nylon zipper pouches then use zip ties to place them on the back of the chairs. Each student always has 2 pencils, a pink eraser, a glue stick, and a pair of scissors. If their pencil breaks during the week, or sprouts legs, I keep a container with 5 sharpened pencils in it and they may exchange their dull pencil for a new one. Students who bring their own pencils know that I only sharpen pencils on Monday morning before class begins. This pocket has eliminated class disruptions and wasted time searching for supplies “left” in their bookbag.
Keep in mind, the jumbo book-covers don’t work for all chairs… I bought them and my chairs (for 5th graders) are too big for the book-covers to work. 🙁
I purchased stretchable book covers for $1.00 each at walmart. They had colorful ones, but I went for a solid blue to match the chairs. I haven’t fully figured out how I will implement them and I also want to make name tags for each chair in case they get moved around. I am hoping to have students use them for their pencil cases so they are handy for assignments at their table. I will also have community supplies at their tables as well. I will update on how it all works out! School starts next week!
Awesome! Can’t wait to hear!
I am just seeing this post Sept 2017, and I LOVE the idea of chalkboard laptops. I HOPE I can find them somewhere, they are a MUST HAVE!!!! Your ideas are GREAT!