I use hard plastic pencil cases (about 6x8) to hold small scissors, containers of pins, pencils, pens, markers and a smaller soft plastic pencil case that holds two of my rotary cutters and a few seam rippers...I am still using the first one I ever bought but have 4 or 5 more just for backups...also they have hard plastic pencils cases that snap and have a small pull out drawer that I also use for rotary cutters. And of course graft paper or spiral notebooks for pattern making and notes(I just bought 10 at 17 cents each), crayons, bottles of glue, glue sticks, colored pencils, pencils and markers. I always stock up at before school bargain prices. I keep a tote just for school supplies in our quilt room.