I have always been a firm believer in allowing children to have full access to art and craft resources as it is such an important way to foster creativity and encourage independence and responsibility. So from as early as I can remember there has always been a steady stream of creative stuff around the house.
My first storage solution was turning the nappy change table into an art trolley. Well that was an epic fail, as it was always a mess and sat out in my very small house for all to see.
That was when I realised that it needed to be out of sight, so that it did not become sooo annoying that I just wanted to throw it all in the bin. And believe me this happened on a few occasions.
So a cupboard was chosen. It is the type of cupboard designed for brooms and vacuum cleaners, so therefore it was missing shelves. Easy fixed, I added a very cheap bookcase purchased from the op shop and created a perfect spot for the art and craft STUFF to live.
Over the years many of my friends have thought me mad letting the kids have free access to the art cupboard and yes my house is not as tidy or perfect looking, but they have now learnt to manage the situation independently and only need a reminder to put their stuff away.
Finding a space for the craft stuff is the easy part, then comes the organising and storing of different craft materials, glue, scissors, the list is endless. I have stuck with my trusty Crazy Clarkes mini baskets and I love them. We also have a huge useful box full of all sorts of interesting things my mum collects for the kids to use in their creations. This has also been a huge help with homeschooling in the early years as there are always resources of some kind on hand.
Now I know that I am not alone in this epic quest of a well organised, child friendly craft cupboard, so I have put together some great art and craft storage ideas for you all to check out.
I hope this is helpful and if you have any great ideas that you can add please share them here or over on our facebook page.
Independence, responsibility and creativity. If we are able to foster these traits in our children I think we are doing ok!
You gotta love IKEA! These storage draws are great and allow easy access for small hands.
http://indulgy.com/post/ozkIsdu5M1/journal-storage
I just love this cupboard. You need to remember that it has to be easy access and easy for the kids to put away by themselves and this allows for all of that!
This is another great idea!
If you are working within a strict budget, getting family members to collect food containers is a great way to avoid spending extra money and they provide neat and easy access and can be laid out on the craft table very easily.
http://www.tealandlime.com/2011/07/whats-in-the-arts-and-craft-bins/
I love this idea! If you are short on space this is really useful.
This is so good for stopping containers falling over when little hands are crafting. Old tins can be purchased very cheaply at op shops!
Well I am sure these ideas have been helpful to some if not most of you. Have a good week and we shall see you back here next week. Next week we are going to be talking about different art techniques and the way you can introduce them to your little people in fun ways.
The design fairies have been very busy here at Kids Art and soon we will have some very cute new designs to share with you all.
Have a great week everyone and happy crafting!
The Kids Art Team xxxxxxxxxx
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