Organization Tips for Art-Loving Kids
Jackson is a big fan of art. He loves to draw, do craft kits and create. I absolutely love this passion of his and do my best to foster and encourage it, but it can lead to having a lot of stuff in the house. We’re overflowing with pens and markers and paper and drawings and and and…it can be exhausting.
One thing we do that has helped a ton is dedicate an entire closet in our home to arts and crafts supplies. If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ll know that it doesn’t always stay particularly organized, but we do our best. Having one dedicated spot for everything makes a huge difference and really cuts back on the clutter around the house. But, the older Jackson gets the more he wants to do art in his room. He’s always drawing and creating in the evenings before bed, and his room quickly gets chaotic.
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how we can set up systems for him that will let him keep some art supplies in his room without having them take over. He used to have a desk in there but it became a dumping ground for junk, and he tends to prefer drawing in bed. I’ve come up with a few things that (so far) are working really well, so today I’m sharing my tips!
1. Have an Easy Way to Display Art
My number one tip for a kid who loves to create is to provide ample space for them to display their creations! Not only does it keep the papers from floating all over your house, it’s a great way to encourage their creativity. Jackson has had a (giant) bulletin board for years now, and it’s been such a game changer for us. It’s always full of a rotating selection of art and if I find anything downstairs I let him know he needs to decide if he wants to display it or toss it. We also added some bulletin board panels to the door of the art closet, so even more art is displayed down there.
You could use picture frames, bulletin boards, shadow boxes…whatever. The key is to have a place where your kid has free rein to display whatever art they want to.
2. Create an Art Cart!
This is the biggest recent change we’ve made when it comes to organizing craft supplies, and so far I’m loving it. I kept noticing that Jackson’s room was constantly scattered with paper and stickers and pens and markers and he really didn’t have a good way to organize it. It was all just tucked away near his bed and shoved into plastic containers.
No more! Now, it’s all organized and easily accessible.
I grabbed him this three-tiered cart and some organization supplies as part of my year-long collaboration with The Container Store. I spent a couple of hours going through everything he has and getting it fully organized for him, and now it’s a whole new system! He has a little art hub in his room that lives right next to his bed and is super easy for him to use. It stays mostly organized, it looks adorable, and he can find what he needs immediately. He loves having a more dedicated place for his art and I love that it’s no longer scattered around his entire room. Win-win!
Art Cart Sources
Other Art + Organization Sources I Added
3. Have Systems That Work For YOU
I could spend all day talking about the specific ways we organize art supplies in our home, but the key is that those are the systems that work for our family. They might not work for yours. For example…
- We keep our markers and crayons in plastic turntables. It makes it easy for the kids to pull out one thing at a time. Other families might use bins, keep them in the original boxes, or something else entirely.
- We use plastic magazine holders for coloring books and these plastic bins for just about every other category of art supplies. You may prefer something that isn’t see-through, something with more compartments, or something that can fit in a drawer!
- We’re also big on craft kits, which I keep in the box on a shelf. I know some people like to keep them away from kid reach, or even break them down into separate containers for easier storage.
Your mileage will vary with any organization tip with the types of things you use all the time. My biggest recommendation is to try things and pay attention to what works for you. If you organize things one way and find that no one is using it properly or putting it away, try something different!
4. Embrace it a Little
And finally, the tip that I’m still working on but that I think is totally vital. When your kids are little, you have to just embrace the chaos to some extent! I don’t know about you, but I can get really caught up in trying to keep my house clean and organized at all times. And that means sometimes I don’t really slow down and appreciate all the adorable art my kids are creating.
Lately, I’ve been challenging myself to display it. Because, while I love having a well-decorated and organized home, part of a beautiful home is also the little family memories sprinkled throughout it.
Over the last few months, I’ve been hanging art on the fridge, displaying tiny clay creations in windowsills, and just letting it be a part of our home. And it feels good. You don’t often see those little mementos proudly displayed on Pinterest or Instagram, but they’re what makes your home a home. Embrace it. Be proud. Let it make you smile every day.
And if it ever feels too cluttered, don’t feel guilty about tucking them away, either.