Upcycled Broken Binder

I upcycled a broken binder today and wonder why it took me 15 years of teaching to think of this! I will never throw away another binder! This is super easy and free. Got to love that!

I have wanted some kind of strudy writing surface for student to use in class. As an AVID teacher last year, I learned a really effective teaching strategy called a Gallery Walk. Student walk around the room looking at different items and complete an assignment. It allows them to get up and walk around while doing an assignment. It was AWESOME with middle school students. One issue I kept running into was when the kids were trying to fill in answers they had no firm writing surface. I considered clipboards but they are so bulky to store! Even five clipboards are too messy for me. PROBLEM SOLVED with the upcycled binder!

All you need is a broken binder (or you could even go to the dollar store and get binders if you wanted several right away) and a pair of scissors.

Broken binder

Cut the front cover and back cover away from the spine. 

Cut apart binder

The binder I used was a view binder so the front has a clear cover on it.  This is where I will put instructions for my students. If your cover is just a regular cover use a binder clip to attach instructions. The back side has a pocket. This is where I will place the worksheet. 

View binder cover 

Pocket side
Now, this isn't just a teacher thing. This could be used at home for all sorts of things. One idea that came to my mind was spelling lists. A parent could label the view side/front side with each child's name and slip in or attach the list for the week. The pocket on the back could hold flash cards and lined paper to practice on during the week. 

Another use could be a menu planner. Write it on a piece of paper slide it into the view side or use a page protector and attach with a binder clip. You could use a dry erase marker to write in the menu too!  Attach a command hook and hang the menu anwhere you want! On the pocket side you could keep a shoping list and coupons. Below are two photos of what is hanging in my kitchen. 

Menu side

List and coupon side

Give it a try! I would love to see what you create!