Storing Art Supplies

Last week Mamabug commented on my finding time post asking what I store my children's art supplies in. Instead of trying to explain in the comments section here are a few pictures...

I found these glass containers at Belk's, a local department store, 2 years ago. It was one of those boxed and already wrapped "presents" stacked near the front door at Christmas time. They were on sale so I couldn't resist. The jars provide easy access for the kids and they are able to see through the container to find what they need. Very quick and easy to clean up as well!

I keep paper on stacking letter trays right next to the jars.

Crayons, chalk, scissors, glue, markers etc., are stored in this drawer unit I found at Target several years back. The size is perfect to store all of the things I can let my kids handle themselves. I keep the messier art supplies that need assistance in a clear bin in the closet. I could go one step further and label the outside of the little drawers but so far the kids are pretty good about putting everything in the right space. The drawers can be removed and they don't usually take all of them out at once.Target no longer carries the drawer unit I have but the Fira mini chest from Ikea is the next best thing. Not only does it have more drawers but you can decorate this one yourself.

I also keep coloring books and crayons in the kitchen for those moments when mom and dad are trying to complete whole sentences without interuption.

Related Posts:

Finding Time
Kid Craft

Organizing Children's Books

Once again it is time to tackle an organizing question for "Ask the Organizer".

"Do you have any suggestions on how to keep books organized -so they are not all over the place?"

To help answer this question I decided to tackle the task in my own home as well.

My two boys share a room and I keep most of the books on a shelf in their room. The shelf was full and needed a little organizing so I took all of the books off and sorted them out. First, I set aside the books that were torn beyond repair. Some were board books from when my oldest was a baby. Then I made a pile to be donated. These were books that never quite made the cut and got pretty lonely. It is time to pass them on to someone that will enjoy them.

I then tried to group them by categories such as general stories, dinosaurs, bible stories, Dr. Seuss, Curious George, etc.

Any board books that could be salvaged were collected and put in a box to go in my daughter's room.

I also took out any books that belonged to my oldest son such as readers and chapter books and moved them to a higher shelf in the playroom. He loves having a special shelf that the other two cannot reach.

This is an after shot of the shelf in the boy's room. It was completely full when I started. Now there is room for growth.

We always had books migrating downstairs so I gave them a cabinet of their own which was in need of a little help as well. I sorted, purged and relocated what was necessary and this it what it looks like now...

Often my kids like pulling all of the books out and looking through them but putting them away is their least favorite thing to do, of course! By keeping the selection to a manageable size I notice it becomes a lot less overwhelming for the little ones to put them away.

Another option for keeping book clutter at bay is to store half of the books away and when the kids are ready for something new simply rotate the selection and it will be like taking a trip to the bookstore in their own home.

If your children cannot yet read the spines of the books sort them by categories and store them in baskets on a bookshelf. Your child can take out a basket and flip through the books to see which one he wants or just sit with that "category" of interest until he is ready to put them away.

Keep it simple but still provide an area where they can explore books and start a love of reading.

As always, If you have an organizing question feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Shoe Storage Options

In order to win the last bloggy giveaway here I asked readers to "Ask the Organizer" a question. There were quite a few questions asked and I plan on tackling each one. It will take some time to research all the answers but eventually those that left a question will get an email when your answer is posted. If you have any other organizing questions feel free to "Ask the Organizer".

Michelle, Asked the Organizer.....

"My organizing dilemma is when it comes to shoes. We don't have a

shoe rack or anything so all the shoes get piled up in our living room

closet. It's a pain but I don't know what to do with them."

Well, Michelle at least your shoes make it into the closet so that is a great start. Now to make them more accessible and a little a little less jumbled. Although it is great that the shoes are in the closet the first thing I am going to recommend doing is taking them all out. Match them all up and see if they still fit. Now, toss or donate the ones no longer worn. After sorting and purging you will have a better idea of what size storage you may need.

Very rarely will the shoes end up in a nice pretty row when left on the floor so it is a good idea to go vertical. At our house we opted for a 3-Tier Shelf that we put in our laundry room. The laundry room is near the garage so the kids take their shoes off and put them on the shelves when they come in. (most of the time)

The shoe cabinet would be great for keeping the shoes out of sight and its slim design is a real space saver. A horizontal shelf could be tucked away in a closet and you could stack two on top of each other if you need more storage space.

If you have hanging space in the closet you can try the 10 pocket shoe organizer. Better yet, why not use the over door shoe oragnizer for actual shoes.

Home Decorators Collection offers a variety of storage furniture for the shoes. In my next house I am requesting a seperate mud room for the kids. I would love something like this but perhaps built in.

The possibilities really are endless. These options can work when you are trying to keep shoes in or near a living area other than a bedroom closet. When storing shoes that you wear on a daily basis the goal is to make them easily accessible and more importantly easy to put back in their home when you take them off.

Recycling Bins for Small Spaces

I was asked recently if I had any tips on recycling in small spaces. So here are a few options I found...

Going vertical. If you don't have the space to have huge bins sitting out then I would suggest going vertical with your recycling bins using smaller containers.

2-Bin Recycle Center from The Container Store
Measures 13-1/4" x 9-7/8" x 36-1/4" h
Frontloading compartments with removable 4.25 gallon bins.

3-Compartment Recycling Bin from Stacks and Stacks
Measures 49.8"H x 14.6"W x 13.25"D
Top two bins pull out and bottom bin tilts out when you step on foot pedal.

If you have a little wall space to spare then the Small-Home-Recycler Bag from City Mouse Shop may be the option you are looking for. It is a 6 gallon container that can be mounted on the wall or behind a cabinet door.

No wall space no problem, the Apartment-Size Recycler from City Mouse Shop is another 6 gallon container that can fit under the sink, on a shelf or tucked away in a cabinet.

Children's Artwork

"What do I do with the artwork my kids bring home?"

I hear this question asked the most from my clients that have school aged children. I have several options but first I must say this...

You don't have to keep it ALL! Most of the time it is we, the parents, that are more sentimental about the works of art that our little Picasso's bring home. Take action before the piles take over! Keep only your favorites.

Sit down with your school aged children and work with them to pick out some of their favorites and get rid of the rest. Explain to them what you are doing and why. "Let's sit down and go through some of your art from last year. We need to pick out your favorites to make room for your new art." For the preschool aged children feel free to do this on your own, keeping a few of your favorites.

OK, now on to the storage part...

Yes, I know that is a pizza box. It's getting late and I am hungry. No really, a pizza box is a great (and did I mention cheap) way to store all of your kid art. Just go to your local pizza place and ask to buy a couple of boxes from them. If you are a regular like myself they may just give them to you. What's even better is that you can store the artwork by size... small, medium, or large. Label your child's name on the outside of the box with your handy little labeler. (we will talk about labelers later)

If you want to display Junior's art then the Li'l DaVinci art frame may be just right for you. (No, plastering the art all over the refrigerator is not an option here.) These frames come in sizes 81/2" x 11" and 12" x 18". They can store 50-100 pieces of art. When Junior brings a new piece of art home you just slip it in front of the frame. When the frame gets full you know it is time to purge.

Here is another option from Pottery Barn Teen. This three-box panel frame flips out so you can quickly change things around and add new pictures. However, it does not come with the storage capabilities as the Li'l DaVinvi frame.

I previously posted about using job ticket holders to create your own little art gallery. Once, again a cheap and quick way to show of some artwork.

Last but not least, while I was writing this I popped over to Jeri's wonderful sight and saw that she has posted a few great options herself. Go check it out!