Today I’m sharing how I used PVC Pipe to make our new math basket storage shelf! You see, we have this amazing storage unit for our literacy tubs and I wanted the same thing for our math baskets. But these amazing units are old. Like 30 years old. So you can’t find them. So when you can’t find a math baskets shelf, you load up on PVC Pipe and Dollar Tree dish tubs and make one! It was so easy and took me about an hour.
So this is our original math baskets center shelf. It worked OK. It wasn’t quite wide enough so the baskets kept falling. And since there are only three baskets for each group, the baskets had multiple activities so they students had to grab a bag and take it with them. So really it was just always a hot mess. This is different than our reading tubs because they take the reading tub with them. Again, I wanted to bring that consistency into our center time. (I’m leaving the original how to instructions at the bottom of this post for anyone who wants them!)
And here is our new and improved math baskets center!!!
You can see it’s very similar to the original math baskets shelf just bigger. I tweaked the measurements to fit the Dollar Tree dish tubs. The Mister color coded the Dish Tubs with duct tape to match the math groups and the center wheel. Now our math baskets or math centers work just like our reading tubs or literacy centers! The measurements are on the picture. Again these measurements are for the 8 quart Dollar Tree dish tubs.
For the NEW math baskets, you will need: (Follow the steps below in the directions for the original math tubs shelf!)
3/4″ PVC pipe
28 pieces cut into 27″ sections
48 6″ pieces
27 7″ pieces
12 elbow pieces
14 cross connectors
28 T connectors
The total cost for this project:
PVC Pipe and connectors was about $60. The baskets were $36.
Compared to all of the other options we’ve found online, this is a bargain!
Here’s a little video of me working on the math baskets shelf!
Below are the measurements for the original shelf:
(NOTE: I followed the same steps to make the new, larger math baskets shelf. Just the measurements are different!)
54″ long (cut into 2 27″ pieces)
20″ tall (cut into 5″pieces)
10″ deep
Here’s how we made it:
We bought 5 pieces of 3/4″ PVC pipe that was 10 feet long.
We cut 12 27″ pieces.
Then, we cut 6 10″ pieces.
Next, we cut 24 5″ pieces.
Then we pieced the 27″ pieces together with a cross joint. (These are in the plumbing section at Lowes/Home Depot) This will give you the front and the back. You will have 2 pieces that look exactly the same.
To make the shelves, we placed 5″ pieces vertically using the cross joints. We did this on the ends and the middle.
Then we placed the 10″ horizontally to make the shelves deep enough to allow the baskets to sit on the pipe. We connected the top bottom with elbow pieces to make feet for the center to sit on.
That’s it. It’s really simple.
Total cost: $30 for the shelf and $9 for the baskets. The fittings (cross, T and elbow) are the most expensive part!
The measurements are specific to these baskets from the Dollar Tree. If you use different baskets, you will have to tweak the measurements!
For more information on how we run centers, check out this post!
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23 comments
Love this! I need something different for my math tubs. This would fit perfectly under my whiteboard too! Thanks for sharing the directions. Looks like my hubby has his next project. 🙂
Amanda
Mrs. Pauley's Kindergarten
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Wow! Love it! I've built a PVC pipe chart paper holder, but never considered making a shelf for tubs. Oh, the things we can do with PVC pipe! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah from Mrs. Jones Teaches :o)
Looks fabulous! Great details and photos… Makes me want to make one.
I love it! This seems like a project I can do!! Thanks for sharing the deets!
Rachel
A Tall Drink of Water
Love your new storage!
Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms
Your shelf is awesome!!!! I only bought one if those baskets at dollar tree. That was dumb!! How lucky that someone with tools comes to your rescue. I have many piles of messed up projects and no one to repair! Send him my way!
Just a Primary Girl
Love this! Do you mind telling me the measurements of your baskets? Trying to figure things out.
brilliant!
I did it…and I love it! Thanks so much for sharing this amazing DIY!
Love it! I'm going to ask my husband to help me with this! 🙂
Love it! but definitely not as easy as I thought it would be. Cutting PVC pipe is a serious workout!
Buy a PVC pipe cutter at Lowe’s or Home Depot…life saver!
Hi! Love this project, working on it right now, but I’m a little confused as to why there are 27 7″ pieces needed? I only count six 7″ pieces needed. 3 for the bottom, 3 for the top. Am I missing something?
Off the top of my head I am not positive but I simply kept up with what we used. If you only need 6…..that’s ok….only use 6. Do what works best for you!
How long is your small group block of time?
1 Hour
I absolutely love this!!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I will be making this, this summer. Random question, I see that the center is 6ft, do you have step stools for the kiddos or do you help out?
No they can easily reach the top row.
Hello,
I am curious where you find your center activities. I looked on TPT and I saw some things there but couldn’t find the cute hands-on things in your pictures of center activities. I’d like to go ahead and prep them this summer. Is there a bundle for the year for center activities like those pictured on that blog or did you pick & choose ? (If that makes sense)
Thank you!
Hi! I make them all and they are all available for purchase in our TPT & TKS Online stores. Those that you see throughout the blog are all mixed and matched throughout the year. They are all by theme in our store. If you have specific ones, let me know! Email us a kindersmorgie@gmail.com
Your center system is brilliant! I am very interested in implementing it in my classroom. However, I have a question…Do you do both Reading & Math centers everyday? When during the day do you do the Reading centers, and when do you do the Math centers? At my school, each day we have about 8-10 “literacy” center activities, which include Science, Art, Math, & Reading/Writing. These center activities change out each week. We teach by thematic units, and the center activities each week revolve around those themes. A unit is usually 2 weeks. Our center rotations are not only Reading or only Math. We have our Reading block right after lunch where we teach Reading/Phonics skills through whole group, then we transition to our literacy center rotations (2- 15 minute rotations). We also have what is called “Purposeful Play” rotations at a separate time of the day (mid morning right after morning meeting). This lasts about 30-40 minutes. With these, the students can choose between Sensory table, Dramatic play, class library, construction, etc. We will usually have them rotate between 2 center places each day (kind of like you do). Math block is around 30 minutes total, but within that time I have to teach/review a concept and have independent practice/work places (per our Math curriculum). It is at the end of the day, then we get ready to go home. So, I don’t know how or if I could make the Math centers work. Any suggestions or ideas would be super welcome and much appreciated! Thank you so much for your time!
Lisa
HI! You can see my schedule in the “Resource Center” right here on this website.