Arts and Craft Supplies Organization – Page 2

Gorgeous Boxes and a More Realistic Option

Another post in the never-ending arts and craft storage organization saga…

If money were no object, I would immediately snatch up these beautiful, handmade Serena and Lily boxes for our arts and craft storage:

Alas, $88 for a set of three (on sale!) seems pretty steep for a budget organization project, especially when I’d need several sets. Besides, I like the patterns now, but I may not care so much for them in a couple years. I don’t know about you, but my taste changes over time. And those are some crazy, vivid patterns.

In the meantime, these more affordable boxes from IKEA are growing on me:

I was hoping for something other than cardboard (thank you all for your fantastic storage tin suggestions!). Unfortunately after several (unsuccessful) trips to various container stores, I’m slowly reconciling myself to the idea of cardboard storage boxes. I especially like this green color and the various size options. I’m concerned about the construction and how they’ll hold up over time. I also think they look, well, cheap.

I prefer these PVC-free scrapbook storage boxes from Amazon, but I am not sure the sage green color will match the IKEA boxes and these Amazon ones only come in one size (that I can find):

Maybe we can make this size work. I think we’ll need a bunch of them though. We have a lot of art supplies.

Updated to add: Be still my heart! I found them in other sizes (though they are still on the small side). Finding the boxes in the sage green color (without paying outrageous shipping costs) may prove to be a challenge though. Is it worth it?

To shake things up even more, I saw this garden storage cart in the April issue of Country Living magazine:

I love the re-purposed wooden crates with the chalkboard painted sides. I even have chalkboard paint in the garage waiting to be used. I didn’t have any luck finding the crates at the thrift store today; maybe I’ll have better luck at a flea market. I like the idea of spray painting them turquoise too.

I actually like the idea of incorporating both types of boxes — mixing and matching the green archival boxes with the charming (bright blue!) wooden crates.

What do you think I should do?

Arts and Craft Storage IKEA Fail

Remember that arts and craft organization project that I started but haven’t yet finished?!

Two weeks ago the little miss and I headed down to IKEA to pick up these metal boxes to fill with paints, glue/tapes, stickers, pipe-cleaners, sewing supplies, etc.

Despite the IKEA website saying they were in stock (with 3 units left — exactly what I needed!), the sales associated couldn’t find them! (“I have no idea where they are. They really could be anywhere.”)

As of yesterday, the IKEA website STILL showed our local store as having those three sets in stock SOMEWHERE IN THE STORE! I could cry.

MAJOR IKEA FAIL!

To make matters worse, it doesn’t look like the store will be getting more (according to the sales associate) and other stores appear to be out of stock across the country. I’m feeling a little defeated over here.

I want to find something that’s not translucent (so I can “hide” what’s in there from the toddler), not plastic, not cardboard, is stackable, has a tight fitting lid and is super affordable. Maybe something like these tins, but larger? I’ll let you know what we figure out. Sigh.

The Bobbin Winding Continues

We’ve been hard at work organizing our arts and craft supplies. Today I am focusing on our ongoing attempt at bringing order to our giant stash of embroidery floss.

We have been slowly and steadily winding our way through the enormous quantity of embroidery floss that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. (Have I mentioned how much I love that my in-laws own an arts supplies store and gallery?!)

Lucky for me, our three-year old daughter loves to help me wind bobbins.

I believe bobbin winding is a great activity to build hand strength. I’ve read about how cutting with scissors helps build hand strength in children, an essential first step towards writing. I believe that bobbin winding also helps with this as well. Both the winding of the handle and the holding of the string helps develop hand dexterity and strength.

We also added a color lesson to today’s bobbin winding activity. (I love how every day activities can be transformed into learning experiences!) We sorted the strands into piles of different colors:

We also giggled when we mixed them up, purposefully placing (throwing!) a pink floss in the blue pile, for example, which sent my daughter into a fit of giggles:

The kid loves adding chaos to my attempt at finding order.

We so enjoy these mama-daughter activities. We’ve found sorting floss and winding bobbins to be a calming, quiet activity to do together.

We only have a couple hundred bobbins to go. Piece of cake! I think it may take us all year.

Arts and Craft Supplies Organization – Paper Storage Inspiration

We’ve been working on organizing our arts and craft supplies. Today I am focusing on different ways to store paper.

I adore the simplicity and functionality of this writing center, from one of my favorite educational sites Playful Learning:

Everything stored is easy to see and readily accessible!

Ali Edwards also has fantastic paper storage ideas in her old studio:

I love the three different types of paper storage shown in the above photograph, but I am not sure that any of them would work for us. I especially like the open paper storage, but I wonder if the paper might get dusty being uncovered in our house.

I also like the idea of using clear magazine files to organize paper:

I like how this solution takes up little space and with the clear files it’s easy to see the different papers. My concerns with this solution are that we’d have to keep the files full or the paper might warp, and that the paper may get dusty.

(Clearly, the theme of this post is that I need to dust more frequently.)

A dust-free solution might involve this IKEA drawer unit shown in Victoria’s beautiful (!) home office all the way on the right:

Unfortunately those drawers would take up space that I’m just not sure we have. Sigh.

What paper storage method are we going to use? I have absolutely no idea! I need to get to the stores and see what inspires me.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m going to be reusing the plastic, semi-transparent drawers we already own.

Stay tuned…

Arts and Craft Supplies Organization – Supplies Storage Inspiration

We’ve been working on organizing our arts and craft supplies. Today I am focusing on different ways to store our everyday, frequently used arts and craft supplies.

I originally thought we would organize our most frequently used art supplies on a lazy Susan like this one from The Crafters File Box:

Then I remembered that we most frequently make art at the kitchen table where, frankly, there isn’t room for this particular project.

Besides, I want something that I can easily move from the kitchen table for meals.

Perhaps something more like this writing caddy from Playful Learning:

I found other similar caddies online at Magic Cabin and Birch Leaf Designs. While I prefer the idea of making one ourselves, I may break down and buy one of these wooden ones.

I love the industrial look and thrifty-nature (plus eco-groovy benefit) of reusing aluminium cans to store supplies (though I’m less enamored with storing them against the wall above our kitchen table):

I’ve found that I like the idea of individual bins or compartments for each art medium (pencils, crayons, markers, glue pens). I like the idea of them being adhered to something so they can’t fall over or be easily dumped upside down (ahem).

So my current, do-it-yourself plan is to glue bins (or reuse empty aluminum cans) to a tray that I can easily pick up and move away from the table.

Yes, we won’t be able to swing it around like we could have with a lazy Susan, but reaching over the tray or rotating it ourselves should work just fine for us. We also already have all the art supplies to fill the caddy, so it doesn’t make sense to buy the already outfitted Playful Learning wooden caddy or the smaller wooden ones where our supplies just may not fit.

I’m excited about my plan. Now, to make it…