I have a few different ways I store craft supplies, depending upon the age of the child/children. We have a simple plastic rolling cart with 6 drawers that is accessible at all times. The drawers are labeled: crayons, markers, colored pencils, lined paper, blank paper, and colored paper. My children also each have a plastic pencil box that holds a few sharpened pencils, a glue stick, kid scissors, a ruler, and an eraser. If we have a brand new box of crayons that they don’t want to co-mingle with the drawer crayons, that gets put in the pencil box too.

As for playdough, paint, sidewalk chalk, glitter, and real glue, I keep them in the garage. I’ve got one of those plastic bin storage units with a bunch of colored shoe-box sized bins filled with messier art supplies. I keep stickers and recycleable items out there too, for collages and other creations. My girls are currently 5 and 8, and can be trusted to get out one thing at a time, and not put feathers in the paint, etc. If you have younger children, or regularly entertain children who don’t adhere to the family’s rules, I’d definitely put the messier stuff up high and bring it out only when supervised.

As for our garage set up, we’ve got a mini playroom set up out there, because our house is just too small to have an art area set up all the time. I’ve got a super cheap throw rug out there, with some little tables and an easel. It’s nothing fancy, but it keeps the glue and glitter off of the hardwood in the house, and the kids seem to not mind being in the garage.

xoxo steph

There are fun extras like Artist of the Week and different contests if your child is really into art. My daughter is prolific so we will put together a CD plus try out this online gallery so out-of-state grandparents can enjoy her many works.