Teacher Toolbox -Create the Perfect One for Your Classroom

Have you jumped on the teacher toolbox bandwagon yet? If you are on the fence, this post will push you over! I am going to show you tons of inspiration for creating an awesome toolbox for your classroom. This includes all the dos and don’ts and options for different sizes. Plus, I will show you step by step which ones to get, what to put into it, how to label it and at the end of this post you will find one more idea to make it stand out even more. I will also show you where you can get the best toolboxes and labels too. Sound good? Read on to take your organization to the next level with an awesome teacher toolbox.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase using my link, I make a small commission –at no cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Why Do You Need a Teacher Toolbox?

Well my friend, a toolbox will just take your classroom organization up a notch. First of all, it will make your life so much easier to have every small thing that you need in a designated spot that you can easily find. Depending on how you set it up your students could easily find what they are looking for and put it away in the righ spot too. Plus, there is something very satisfying about knowing where everything is and where it goes, or is that just me?

What to Put in Your Teacher Toolbox?

These toolboxes are a great space to coral all the little things that end up all over the classroom and are always so hard to find when you need them. To give you some ideas here are the most common things I am seeing teachers putting in their toolboxes.

• Tape
• Binder Rings
• Paperclips
• Magnets
• USBs
• Command Strips
• Rubber Bands
• White Out
• Glue Sticks
• Sticky Tack
• Binder Clips
• Washi Tape
• Push Pins
• Brads
• Hot Glue Sticks
• Erasers
• Safety Pins
• Staples
• Velcro

If you have a larger toolbox that includes large drawers here are a few more ideas

• Sticky Notes
• Index Cards
• A place for Misc. Items
• Stapler
• Markers
• Band Aids
• Pens & Pencils
• Tape

What Size Teacher Toolbox Do You Need?

Let’s explore what size toolbox you need. It really depends on what you want to use it for and how much space you want to devote to it. I am going to show you small ones that have between 12-16 compartments and can fit on your desk and then I will show you what you can do with a huge one with over 50 drawers plus, a few in between. Then you can pick the best one for your classroom.

Small Teacher Toolboxes

A small toolbox might be perfect for you if you don’t need a ton of drawers and you have limited space in your classroom. You can put these right on your desk. These work best if you are just concerned with organizing the smaller items that are hard to keep in one place like paper clips and staples. Let’s check out some of my favorite small toolboxes to give you an idea of what other teachers are doing.

IMAGE SOURCE | ASHLEYMCKENZIE

Here is a great example of a cute small toolbox with a cactus theme. This one has 12 drawers, just enough for the essentials.

IMAGE SOURCE | DOCCOPTEACHING

Here is another 12-drawer toolbox but with a mix of some small and some larger drawers. You can find a similar one here. Keep reading to find out the best way to paint it.

IMAGE SOURCE | ASHLEYMCKENZIETPT

Even though this toolbox is pretty small it has larger drawers than the first ones I showed you so you can add those bigger items like markers and band-aids.

IMAGE SOURCE | THE.CRAFTY.TEACHER

Here is a nice assortment with 8 small drawers and 4 larger ones. Keep reading to find out tips to make it pop like this one. Here is a similar one from Amazon.

Below are some of my favorite small toolboxes and where to find them.

SMALL TEACHER TOOLBOXES | WHERE TO FIND

ONE | 10 DRAWER BLACK TOOLBOX

TWO | 16 DRAWER STORAGE

THREE | 12 DRAWER ORGANIZER

FOUR | 10 DRAWER WHITE TOOLBOX

Medium Sized Teacher Toolboxes

So, the next group of toolboxes that I will show you are medium sized. They have a mix of small drawers for the little things like erasers and magnets and also larger drawers for bigger items like glue sticks and sticky notes.

IMAGE SOURCE | POCKETFULOFPRIMARY

If you need more room for those larger items, a box like this is a good start. This one has 8 larger drawers plus 12 drawers for the tiny items. You can find one with the same layout here.

IMAGE SOURCE | THEJOYINMRSJOHNSONSROOM

I love the label that says random stuff, I feel like I would have like 5 of those ones. 😊 If you think this is the perfect size for you then check out this one.

IMAGE SOURCE | DIGRAPHSANDDONUTS

Here is another great example of a medium sized one with a mix of small and larger drawers. This would give you a little more versatility with what to put in it.

Here are some of my favorite medium size toolboxes and where you can get them.

MEDIUM SIZED TEACHER STORAGE | WHERE TO FIND

ONE | 24 DRAWER WHITE STORAGE

TWO | 24 DRAWER BLACK TEACHER CONTAINER

THREE | 22 DRAWER STORAGE

FOUR | 26 DRAWER CONTAINER

Large Teacher Toolboxes

If you checked out those storage toolboxes and realized that you have way more stuff, don’t worry I got you covered. Check out below some epic ideas for huge toolboxes.

IMAGE SOURCE | LEARNINGANDLOVINGIT

This toolbox has 30 small drawers plus 9 larger ones. This teacher was able to create 3 drawers just for misc. stuff. I also love the rainbow color scheme that she has going on! You can pick up this toolbox here.

IMAGE SOURCE | HANGINGWITHMRSHULSEY

Here is the same set up as the one above. I wanted to give you some more inspiration of what you can do with the larger toolbox. I imagine there is nothing out of place in this classroom, well at least after the kids go home. This toolbox can be found here.

IMAGE SOURCE | HANGINGWITHMRSHULSEY

Here is another 39-drawer beauty that you can find here. I love how it is so bright and fun. Read on for ideas to label your toolbox like a pro.

IMAGE SOURCE | KELAWLY

New record here 44 drawers. Oh, the things you can organize! Doesn’t this make you a little excited? You can find this toolbox here.

IMAGE SOURCE | MRSBIN2ND

A spot for everything and it is so pretty too. Has all the modern farmhouse vibes I love!

IMAGE SOURCE | KRAUSMATH

The white labels and same sized drawers give this teacher toolbox a bright and uniform look. Here is a similar toolbox for sale on Amazon.

IMAGE SOURCE | MRS_BS_CLASSROOM

This is a super kid friendly toolbox. If you want to encourage your students to put away their supplies this is a perfect way to do it. I love how she has a drawer for chocolate! If this baby is calling your name you can find it here.

Below check out where you can get large toolboxes for your classroom.

LARGE TEACHER STORAGE BOXES | WHERE TO FIND

ONE | 64 DRAWER TOOLBOX

TWO | 36 DRAWER TOOLBOX

THREE | 50 DRAWER STORAGE CONTAINER

FOUR | 44 DRAWER CABINET

How To Label Your Teacher Toolbox

There are a lot of options out there for labeling your toolbox. You could go the DIY route or you could purchase custom labels.

If you want to go the DIY route, create a template in Word based on the size of your drawers. If you have more than one size of drawers you will have to create a few different templates. You may have to do a little trial and error to get the size just right. In Word you can experiment with fun fonts and colors. You will want to print them on cardstock so that they won’t get destroyed and bonus points for lamenting them too. If you don’t have a laminator yet, I recommend the Blusmart laminotor that you can find here.

I also like the idea of purchasing custom labels because there are creative teachers that have made some gorgeous labels. You can click your favorite labels in this post many of them are available for sale on TPT.

Once you have your labels you can simply attach them with double sided tape to the front of your drawers or tape them to the back of your drawers. Depending on the drawers many times you will find that they look better on the front of the drawer because they will be clearer and easier to read. But if your drawer is very clear it may work to be taped to the back. Just experiment and see what looks best.

Teacher Toolbox Labels

Let’s check out some inspiration below of the very best teacher labels that I have seen. Read on to find out where to get your own.

IMAGE SOURCE | LEARNINGWITHKIKI

This is one of my all-time favorite teacher toolboxes. I also featured it in my post 83 Best Organization Ideas for Your Classroom, which you may also like. You can steal this style with a similar storage container here.

IMAGE SOURCE | TEACHINGWITHMISSLE

I love how they created black labels. This makes this toolbox really stand out. The 12-drawer toolbox can be found here.

IMAGE SOURCE | ASHLEYMCKENZIETPT

The pretty colors and the beautiful vintage looking flowers make these labels really stand out. I love how they have art that extends over multiple labels and most of all I am digging the "be kind" front and center. If you are crafty you can create a similar look for your own teacher labels by creating a large picture and cutting it apart for your labels. If not, you can click on the link for info of where to find these ones. Here is where you can score a similar box.

IMAGE SOURCE | ERICABOHRER

Here is a genius idea. You can take pictures of what’s in each drawer for your labels. This is a great idea if your students will be using the toolbox and they are still learning to read. You can get this 24-drawer toolbox here.

IMAGE SOURCE | KINDERISBETTERINPINK

I am always a sucker for pineapples, anyone else? I love how this teacher made her toolbox so bright and fun. The 12-drawer box can be found here and read on to find tips for painting your toolbox.

IMAGE SOURCE | FABULOUSFIGS

Here are more pretty label inspirations. You can re-create these labels in three or four colors to match your room. You can snag this 26-drawer toolbox here.

IMAGE SOURCE | ASHLEYMCKENZIETPT

These lemon labels are gorgeous. I love how they have the lemon tree branches on the outer drawers. Since those drawers are not labeled as to what's inside this would be perfect if you want to have a few drawers that you can change the contents of.  If this is the toolbox for you check out these similar ones here and here.

IMAGE SOURCE | MANDILYNMOORE

Here is another example of a way to show what is inside the drawers for those non-readers, this time with cute illustrations. You can find this toolbox here and it is already white, no paint needed!

IMAGE SOURCE | ASHLEYMCKENZIETPT

I'm loving the cute farmhouse wreaths labels. This would look perfect in a farmhouse themed classroom.

IMAGE SOURCE | TEACHINGWITHNAT

These labels are bright and fun and notice how this teacher added two drawers for binder clips. A tip here is to put what you want in your drawers before you create those labels because you may find like this teacher did that you need two drawers for some of your items. If you are digging this toolbox you can find a similar one here.

IMAGE SOURCE | ASHLEYMCKENZIETPT

I'm loving these tropical themed toolbox labels. A similar toolbox can be found here.

IMAGE SOURCE | ASHLEYMCKENZIETPT

Here is another pretty farmhouse style teacher toolbox. The labels just make it, right?

Ok if you just read that section and got inspired to do some DIY labels, that is awesome! If not check out where you can purchase some awesome labels for your toolbox below..

TOOLBOX LABELS | FIND THEM HERE

Paint Your Teacher Toolbox

Here is my final tip to really make your toolbox stand out.  Most toolboxes only come in black and white, if that doesn’t go with your class décor you can just spray paint the box. If you want to do this you will have to remove all the clear drawers, you don’t want to paint those. You can really pick out any color that you can find a bottle of spray paint for. Look around your classroom for some color inspiration or pick out your labels first and then pick one of the colors in your labels.

Let’s check out some inspiration of how some other teachers painted their teacher toolboxes to go with their classroom décor.

IMAGE SOURCE | MISS_JESS_LITTLE_SUCCESSES

You can see how this teacher picked a color that coordinates perfectly with her labels and her class décor. A similar box can be found here.

IMAGE SOURCE | THESASSYAPPLE

Pink is a bright fun choice that will make your toolbox pop in your classroom. Get the box here.

IMAGE SOURCE | ABUBBLYCLASSROOM

I am a big fan of teal so, I had to show you another one. A similar box can be found here.

IMAGE SOURCE | LEARN.WITH.LAURA

Here is an example of a pretty purple that looks awesome on this teacher’s toolbox. You can find a similar style here.

So, now I have shown you tons of ideas to hop on that teacher toolbox bandwagon. I showed you how to select the size for your toolbox, what to put in it, and how to label and paint it. Did I convince you that it will make your life easier and more organized? Nah, you probably already knew that, right? Now that I am done with this post, I realize I need one of these for my house. Future post idea… I digress.  A big thank you to all the creative teachers that inspired this post, if you want to give them love click on the link under the pictures and give them an Instagram follow.  Do you have a toolbox yet or are you considering creating your first one? Any extra tips that I missed? Leave a comment and let me know!

PS- This post has got me super motivated to create some custom toolbox labels for you guys so stay tuned for that. If you have not yet signed up to get my freebies you can go here to pick out some free classroom printables.

If you like this post you may also like-

The One Thing You Need In Your Classroom This Year

83 Best Classroom Organization Ideas

10 Teacher Hacks You Wish You Would Have Thought Of