How to Organize Kids Arts & Crafts Supplies

Art is so important in a young child's life. So, you want to encourage your child's love of creating arts and crafts. Besides, they are so darn cute to look back on, the little stick figures, painted hand-prints, and other creations that kids seem to always come up with. However, if you don't pay attention, soon the crayons, glue, markers, and paper take over your entire house. Here are some ideas for organizing your child's art and craft supplies.

Dedicate a special area for child's art and craft supplies, such as a small cabinet or bookshelf. If you don't want young children getting into the art supplies and finger painting your walls while you are in the bathroom, I would suggest a locking utility cabinet, such as ones they sell at Home Depot or Lowe's. They are more decorative now, so they can be purchases in either white, black, or pressed board wood finish, which fit with most decor. If you have older children, a small bookshelf will work. Consider a child's easel as well, these are great for finger painting, and often come with a chalkboard on the other side. You can get a wipeable plastic or vinyl rug to organize and protect your child's art and craft area from stains or spills.

To effectively organize your child's art and craft supplies, you will have to contain the supplies first. Make the decision that you will only have so much of one type of item, and cull the rest. In other words, fill one small plastic bin with crayons, then donate or store the rest, to replenish when some get used or broken. I like to shop the back-to-school sales in August or September to purchase inexpensive plastic pencil cases and small plastic storage bins. You can also look for these at thrift stores and second hand stores. You can have a bin for each of washable markers, crayons, watercolor paints, washable finger paints, glue sticks and Elmer's Glue, and safety scissors. For kids who can read, you can label the boxes in your arts and crafts area, or for younger children, putting a picture on the front helps them find their supplies as well as to help put them away.

To store papers, I like sturdy cardboard magazine storage holders. A free idea for this is to cut the top and part of the side out of a cereal box that you have recovered in decorative scrapbook paper. Another idea, is to cut the sides down from appropriately sized cardboard boxes. You can use an Exacto knife for this task. To organize kid's arts and crafts items that need to be dried, you can hang up a decorative, thin, cafe curtain rack with rings that have clips on them in the craft space. Similarly, a pretty ribbon with spring clothespins hot-glued on will suffice.

Finally, organize all other the little art and craft supplies in heavy duty Ziplock brand bags (I like the oven bags) in a bin, basket, or box. This includes things like: magazine cut-outs for collages, paint chip samples, pom poms, little ribbons, googly eyes, and glitter shakers. These can be labeled with Sharpies and stored together.

Have fun organizing your child's art and craft space using these suggestions and ideas!