Like many parents, I had been spending a considerable amount of time deciding how the upcoming school year would look in our home. I considered our school district, virtual schools, as well as homeschool options. And, what I came up with was a combination of being enrolled in the school district, as well as a homeschool curriculum to help supplement. With the final decision came the need to create a minimalist homeschool space, but on a budget.
I didn’t want to buy a whole lot of unnecessary items, just because. Nor, did I want to spend a boatload of money. Keep reading for five ways to create a minimalist homeschool space on a budget, as well as what our actual homeschool space looks like.
1) Make Note of What You Need
For starters, you will want to make a list of what you actually need such as a table or desk, dry erase board, pencils, paper, etc. Keep it simple so that the task isn’t overwhelming.
You will also need to know where you are creating this space. Will this be in the child’s bedroom, in the basement, at the kitchen table, etc?
For us, I rearranged our living room, just like one of my fellow bloggers, Dani did. Our homeschool space is pretty much the living room which works out perfectly because it is beside the dining room table where I normally sit to do most of my work. With the area being together, it is easier to work together and get each day’s work accomplished.
2) Shop Your House
Now, once your list has been created, don’t immediately run out to the store to buy up everything. Remember, you are doing this on a budget with the idea of keeping things simple. Instead, take the time to shop your house first.
Are there things that are already in your home that can be moved and rearranged? For example, my oldest son never used his desk in his room. So, I moved the desk into the living room and, instead of buying a new desk chair, I simply used a dining room chair.
Everything matches and looks great! There was no need to actually run out and buy a new set. Would a nice new set be great to have? Absolutely, but for now, we are going to gratefully begin with what we have which will ultimately save us money, relieve any stress of spending a large amount on new furniture, as well as minimize clutter in our home. There are so many benefits of being more minimalist.
And, if you are wondering about there being a missing chair at the dining room table, have no worries. I moved the zebra bench from where the homeschool bookshelf now sits to the other side of the dining room table. So, instead of a chair, there is a cute zebra bench there.
Everything worked out and I spent nothing. The idea is to continue moving through your list by shopping your house first.
Are there other items that you have that can now be incorporated into your homeschool space? Think school supplies, calendars, books, games, lamps, etc? If so, locate them and recreate your new space, which brings me to rearranging and organizing your area.
3) Rearrange and Organize
What I have learned from this is that Pinterest is, of course, great for inspiration on creating your new space. But I have to caution you here.
Please do what works for you, your children, and your family. A Pinterest pin to a blog post may look amazing, making you want to copy it from A to Z, but what good does it do if it doesn’t work for you? So, be sure to arrange and organize according to your family’s needs and workflow.
Here’s another example.
I moved a bookshelf from my room that once held jewelry. It is now the homeschool bookshelf as I mentioned above. I put it in between the dining room table and the desk so that it is easily accessible for me to grab something, as well as my son.
Using bulletin boards can also complement your space well, providing a centralized location for important notices, educational materials, and reminders.
I then organized all of the contents with red (one of my son’s favorite colors) plastic containers from Dollar Tree, which brings me to the idea of shopping for what you actually need.
4) Shop Only for What You Need
After, I had a nice plan in place and things began to look the way I envisioned them, it was time to shop for a few needed things which included some basic school supplies, a dry erase board, and some storage containers.
I did my shopping for school supplies and storage containers at Target and Dollar Tree and then found the perfect sized, dry erase board that matched our living room colors at Home Goods. I spent well under $40 for everything and still created an inspiring and functional homeschool space.
5) Use Your Space
The last tip in creating a minimalist homeschool space on a budget is to actually use the space. I know this may sound odd, but how often do people create spaces, things, or habits, and fail to follow through? It happens more often than not, so don’t let this be you.
Final Thoughts
While these are just five tips to help you create a minimalist homeschool space, remember that you don’t have to “do” minimalism in any specific way. Everyone decides on their own terms because ultimately you are choosing what works best for your family.
Finally, if you are looking for additional minimalist homeschooling ideas, I would recommend taking a peek at my latest read that I ordered from Amazon, Minimalist Homeschooling: A values-based approach to maximize learning and minimize stress by Zara Fagen, PhD. Many of the homeschooling moms have recommended it, so I am passing it along, as well.
Visit the following link for additional information on budgeting and other key takeaways about minimalism.
Don’t forget you can view all of our homeschooling videos and posts on my Instagram Homeschool Highlights!
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