It’s 9:47 p.m. and your child’s illustrated book report awaits the crowning touches that only a clear plastic cover and some glitter can provide. You have exactly 13 minutes to get in the car, drive to the drugstore, and buy the missing supplies before closing time — and before that quivering lip leads to full-blown waterworks. This year, instead of making a dozen last-minute trips to the store in your pj’s, try keeping extra supplies in a single stowable kit.

The Basic Kit

Pencils (regular and colored)

Pencil sharpener

Pens

Markers

Crayons

Poster board

Construction paper

Printer paper

Report covers

Post-it notes

Glue

Glue stick

Tape (regular and double-sided)

Scissors

Stapler and staples

Paper clips

Extra Credit

Composition books

Sharpie pens

Graph paper

Magazines and catalogs (for collages)

Masking tape

Thumbtacks

Hole punch

Pipe cleaners

Cotton balls

String

Glitter

Pom-poms

Ribbon

Googly eyes

Stickers

Plus...

A stock of ink cartridges will guarantee that you won’t have to dust off the old Smith Corona to type a paper at midnight.

Supply Storage

Store supplies in a big see-through bin with a handle so they’re visible and portable. Prevent smaller items, like pens and erasers, from getting lost in the shuffle by stowing them in a smaller bin within the larger one. Keep this stash separate from the usual craft supplies so it will be intact when an emergency strikes.
To Buy: Large Tote Translucent (171/2 by 123/4 by 97/8 inches), $13: www.containerstore.com; Small Flip Box (51/4 by 31/2 by 23/4 inches), $1: www.containerstore.com.