Where to put the art supplies & a place to do art
We have young two grade school kiddos who love to do various art projects. At the moment their supplies are scattered in different places in our house. I'd like to centralize the supplies in one location or storage container so it's easier to start as well as to clean up. Can people share what they've done? For the most part, they do projects on the dinning room table, but I wouldn't mind getting advice on other good spots.
May 7, 2019
Parent Replies
We just got this, which also has wheels so you can move it around and tuck it away when not being used. Target also as a similar one
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30401789/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI35yWsMKM4gIVEqvsCh11-w6MEAQYASABEgLNf_D_BwE
I bought several "Smart Store" bins with various size inserts from the Container Store to organize paints, etc. and they work well. We do art projects at the kitchen table and also on the front steps, weather permitting (which it usually does here). For bigger projects I just clear a space on the kitchen floor.
When my kids were little, I got a sideboard from Ikea (I don't think they make the same model anymore, but something with a mix of drawers and closed shelves is ideal, so you can close up the mess) and put it next to the kitchen table, and that's our art spot for the most part. The drawers hold paper, and the cabinets hold lidded plastic shoe storage boxes and divided tackle boxes full of markers, paints, brushes, crayons, stickers, pipe cleaners, etc. - I like having everything sorted out so we can pull out exactly the boxes we need, but you may be less intense about it - I have a designated space for googly eyes. :) I like that we can leave a project there to dry or to come back to later without it being in the way like it would on the dining room table, so a surface you don't need to clear and use every day would be handy. If you're short on space, even something as simple as a big tool box that you could carry to your art-making space works well, too.