Creative Ideas Needed; Moving & Can't Hang up Anything

[Shelsi]

We're moving in the next 6-8 weeks and we're still trying to sell our house. As such we need it to always be "show" ready and can't have stuff hanging on the walls, particularly since we do not have a "school space" but instead have always used the kitchen.

 

We're starting school on Monday and I'm not sure what to do with some of our bigger stuff. I've got a big map of the world, with a 12" mat board frame for us to glue pictures of animals/landscapes on for a year long biome project.

 

Dd is starting kindy and I want her to see stuff: a big calendar, words for the days of the week, etc. Plus I made a chart of the phonograms that the kids will get a sticker for each one as they master it and then they'll get a reward when they reach their goal (going out to lunch - yay, I get a reward too lol).

 

Basically what the heck do I do with this stuff that I can't hang but I want them to see? I really can't figure it out. We thought we'd be moved by now but the gov't works ridiculously slow (dh is a fed employee) so now it's not going to be October until we're settled.

 

I keep thinking there's an obvious answer but I'm just not seeing it.

[SorrelZG]

One idea I recall is laying a map on the table and covering with clear plastic as a table cloth .. but would that be "show ready"? What about on the fridge? I don't know ..

 

I just recently started getting my home they way I've always wanted it and now we're getting ready to put it up for sale and I have to start purging. So much for that large whiteboard I've been waiting forever for DH to hang (and kept forgetting to nag him about) - it's not happening at all now. And we're moving overseas so it's not coming with us, either.:glare: I guess I didn't need it as much as I thought I did. :tongue_smilie:

[Shelsi]

I think possibly dh found a space for our map. People will still see it but it'll be kind of around the corner in a hallway so it will be one of the last things they see and therefore shouldn't "flavor" their opinion much. Maybe I can put their phonogram chart there too - won't be near our school work area but it's the best I can come up with.

 

I once read that most people decide if they're going to buy a house or not in the first 30 seconds and the rest of the time spent in the house is just to confirm their initial feelings. I have to say I agree - I think I decided to buy my house within about 7 seconds of being through the front door.

 

All I can say is selling a house is absolutely no fun at all!

[momsuz123]

I am in the same boat :confused:. So, I really can't help. I am frustrated too because I want to start school, but everything is packed away. It seems like every time I pull some things out...rrrrring, we get a showing. Ugh.

[Shelsi]

I am in the same boat :confused:. So, I really can't help. I am frustrated too because I want to start school, but everything is packed away. It seems like every time I pull some things out...rrrrring, we get a showing. Ugh.

 

I feel your pain. We've been off for the summer but I swear we never have a showing unless we have a ton of projects all over the place - then we're in a full panic trying to clean it all up. And it's just discouraging because our house has been up for sale since March. These showings are getting really old.

[momsuz123]

I feel your pain. We've been off for the summer but I swear we never have a showing unless we have a ton of projects all over the place - then we're in a full panic trying to clean it all up. And it's just discouraging because our house has been up for sale since March. These showings are getting really old.

 

Yes, this just stinks. We actually "sold" our house (really had an offer), within the first 24 hours we listed it, but then their financing fell apart (even though they had no contingencies listed :glare:). So, we are back on the market. It has been about 45 days now - hang in there. This is our 3rd house we are selling, sometime they just take awhile. But yes, I wasn't trying to homeschool when we had the last 2 houses!!!

Good luck!!!

[awisha.]

What about using those 3m command adhesive hooks??

We've used them for our white boards (2 hooks for each wb), paintings in the kids rooms etc.

 

http://www.google.com.au/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=en&gl=au&tab=wi&q=3m%20command%20hooks&sa=N&biw=533&bih=237#p=0

[fairy4tmama]

One idea I recall is laying a map on the table and covering with clear plastic as a table cloth .. but would that be "show ready"?

 

 

You could throw a colored table cloth over top of it for showings.

 

Also you could mount some of it on big tri fold project/display boards and slide it under or behind a large piece of furniture such as a sofa or entertainment center during showings.

[skeeterbug]

For posters I would just use sticky tack/blu tac (whatever it's called!) and have a plan for storing them if needed. That way they could be removed in seconds, rolled up or placed behind a bookcase, in a closet, etc. Something framed (if it's something you don't want out for a showing) I'd probably just have on the floor leaning against a wall and move it into a closet during a showing. It's not ideal but it is the best you can do.

 

Do you have a kids art easel? We haven't been using it lately so right now I've got our calendar hanging on it from clips at the top. On display but can easily be moved.

[PeterPan]

Your calendar, phonogram reward charts, etc., could all be on 8 1/2X11 paper and put in a notebook. Might not be your dream, but it will work fine. For the biome project, do that on the computer. Have you seen Glogster? There's a student version that is totally private, so look for that one.

[Spryte]

Dd is starting kindy and I want her to see stuff: a big calendar, words for the days of the week, etc. Plus I made a chart of the phonograms that the kids will get a sticker for each one as they master it and then they'll get a reward when they reach their goal (going out to lunch - yay, I get a reward too lol).

 

Basically what the heck do I do with this stuff that I can't hang but I want them to see?

 

We don't have a dedicated school space, and I was tired of hanging all the visuals in our main living space. So DH and I came up with a "school board" that we could pull out for school, and put away when not in use. Maybe something like that would work for you? Mine was a bit large, but we measured, and made sure that it was the right size to slide behind a large armoire, so it was perfect for us. You could make yours any size that seems easy to hide in your house!

 

We used very thin plywood. I mounted our calendar activities on one side (days of the week, weather, etc), and on the other side I put clips to hang various posters/charts (I tend to cut these up and make them into activities so they don't become blind spots, as someone else mentioned). I also painted part of the board with chalkboard paint, and mounted a small magnetic dry erase section.