DIY Family Command Center
If you are looking for a way to organize your household then these tips on how to Diy family command center will get you on your way. Another amazing tip on creating a command center in your home that you are going to love.
If you’re like most women, you’re juggling a lot of balls – work, family, social obligations, and on top of that your house is a hot mess. It probably feels like you are never going to catch up. Good news, the answer is easier than you think. What you need is a family command center to help organize your life. A place where everything has its place and everything is easy to find. You can make your own family command center with just a few simple DIY projects. Get ready to stay organized and get your life back on track!
What is a family command center?
A family command center is a central location in your home where you can keep track of family announcements, important papers, and other items. It’s a great way to stay organized and keep everyone in the family on the same page.
There is nothing I hate more than wasting time looking for things. It frustrates me to no end, and it was that frustration that pushed me to set up a hub in my home. A designated area where I could run our home from. In that hub, I was able to take care of the kids’ scheduling and meal planning. I took care of paying the bills and celebrating Birthdays. It was also the area where I held the information needed for our family’s healthcare and our pet’s healthcare. Yes, all of that was run from one binder that sat on one shelf, and it was a game-changer for how I managed our home and activities for our family.
Since then, my setup has changed dramatically. As an empty nester, I no longer need the full setup that many family command centers have. Yet, I still find my simplified version incredibly helpful. So, even if you do not have kids at home, I would still like to encourage you to give a command center a try and see if it helps you to streamline another area in your home.
What supplies do you need for a family command center?
Everyone is going to have a list of wants that are specific to them, and the time of life they are in right now. The best way to determine your supplies is by knowing what you want to keep and control from your center.
Your basic list will consist of the following:
- Bulletin board
- Calendar
- Whiteboard or chalkboard
- Hanging wall organizer
- Baskets or bins
- Hooks
- Shelving
- Binders or clipboards
Next, let’s go over each section of a functioning command center so you can begin to create a list of the supplies you will want to use to take care of each area efficiently. Remember, our goal is to set up a command center using what you already have on hand, which means you will want to “shop” your home for the supplies you put on your list.
How to DIY a Family Command Center
When setting up an area to organize your family’s schedules, pick and choose the areas that make the most sense to you.
Create a family command center hub:
This is the central place where everyone can drop off their keys, mail, papers, or anything else they need to remember. Where you put your hub will all depend on the layout of your home. For most locating a hub in the kitchen may make the most sense, yet that is not a steadfast rule of thumb. Look at where your family put items now and use that as a starting point for your location.
A few ideas of where to locate your family command center are:
- An area on your kitchen counter
- A wall near the entry door
- A table in a mudroom
- On the front of the refrigerator
- An area in the home office
- A cabinet in the kitchen
- A bakers rack or a china cabinet in the kitchen
Set up a Wall Organizing Area:
A simple bulletin board can be used to organize family schedules, menus, and school forms. You can attach the bulletin board to your wall, inside a door, or on the front of your fridge.
DIY tip: Once you have a location, be sure to utilize each area in the best way. The wall is good for lists and calendars, whereas the counter is better for bins or binders. Make it easy to use so you are better able to stick with it.
A Family Calendar:
It’s true that one command center setup will be different than the next, but there is one component that will be included no matter what phase of life you are in; a calendar. This is a great way to keep track of everyone’s schedule in one place. You can use a whiteboard or corkboard and write out each family member’s activities for the week or month ahead. Be sure to include space for reminders and notes so you can turn this calendar into a full “at a glance” family organizer.
DIY tip: A wall calendar is your best bet for this, as it will be the most utilized part of your command center. You can purchase one at a store or print one out online. Size and layout all depend on the room you have and how much you will need to write in each day.
Have a Binder of Important Papers:
This is important to have as it will hold the most current papers that you use most often. A large, sturdy binder is your friend for this, so be sure you shop around before you invest in one.
What papers should you keep in a Family Binder?
- Warranties of your main appliances for when you have a service call.
- Addresses of family and friends for holidays and other correspondence.
- Take out menus of restaurants you love to frequent as a family.
- Phone numbers of doctors, vet, utilities, and other important companies.
- Babysitter information for both your kids and your pets.
- Weekly menu planner pages.
DIY tip: A good binder you can label on the spine and front cover will work the best here. Use tab pages to keep the inside more organized, along with a pen and highlighter nearby.
Bins for Mail:
Mail is the clutter that comes in every day, so it is important to get a handle on it. You can do this by setting up a basket for the mail that is easy to access. By making it easy, you will ensure that your entire family will use it. Make a point to go through this basket each day or so to ensure you are not missing anything important.
DIY tip: A box that is bigger than a magazine will do nicely to hold your daily mail. Be sure to choose one that is 4-5 inches deep so it will hold more than one day comfortably.
Bins for Family Members:
Designate a small paper bin for family members to toss in papers you need to review. This is best used for school-aged children, so you never need to worry about missing a commitment again. A set of plastic drawers with a name on each will work perfectly in a family command center.
DIY tip: You can cover cereal boxes in contact paper to create a DIY bin for each person in your family. Use white index cards and a large black marker to create labels that are hard to miss.
Chores and Daily Schedules:
Another great tool to have in your command center is a list of tasks that need to be done each day and/or week for each family member. You can set up one chore chart listing each family member’s name so everyone knows who is responsible for what. Using magnets to check off completed tasks will help you know everything is getting done.
DIY tip: A wall schedule will work the best here. You can make one on a sheet of paper and stick it into a plastic page protector so you can use it over and over again. Use washable markers to check off chores and wipe the entire list clean with tissue to start fresh each week.
A Shopping List:
One of the most important parts of a command setup is a current shopping list. This will give you so much comfort knowing you are armed with the list of things you actually need while you are at the store. No more guessing and risking purchasing the wrong items. If you have an Alexa, you can tell her what you need and print out the list before you head out.
DIY tip: I suggest you make a template online of items you frequently eat in your home. Print out a few copies and keep them in your binder. Now you will always have a customized shopping list that you can use to streamline and shorten your trips to the store.
Extra things to have in a DIY Family Command Center
Below are a few additional areas you may to have in your family command center.
Designate a family homework station:
This is a great way to keep track of everyone’s homework and school projects. A simple desk or table with some storage bins nearby can be used to organize all of the family’s school supplies.
If you are short on space, a drawer in the kitchen near an open counter or the kitchen table will work as a homework station as well.
Set Up a Pet Hub:
Our pets come with so many supplies nowadays that having a separate area just for their things will keep you, and them, much more organized.
By creating a DIY family command center in your home, you will have a place for everything, and everyone will know where to find what they need. This will help reduce the stress of trying to keep track of everything and everyone. A huge step toward a clutter-free, organized home you love to be in. So, get started on your family command center today!
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