Art Supplies

My good friend Nicole just moved to Las Vegas - my old home!  I miss her a lot!  She called me and asked me for some ideas on how to organize all of her kid's art supplies in her new house.  Since that is pretty hard to explain without visuals, I just snapped a few pictures to show her.  In a house with very, very limited storage space - it forces me to keep all the little things organized.  I wanted to easily see my art supplies  - so clear containers was a must.  I also wanted them to be very accessible so I keep them in the play room on the bookshelves.  I used to have all of my art supplies in my kitchen cupboards because we get into them quite often - but that just wasn't working since I ran out of space for things that belong in the kitchen:)  The play room seemed like the best spot - and that is where my kids are most of the time anyway.   So I have these 2 built-in book shelves in the playroom and I use the top two shelves on each one for art supplies that I do not want my kids getting into themselves.  Then my kids have to ask me to get them down and I don't walk in the playroom and find a million little sequins and buttons all over the floor.  I also keep some art supplies lower that they can have free access too....

These glass containers with the chrome lids are from Ikea's kitchen department.  I LOVE them.  They are the perfect size to store my different play dough tools.

The containers with the colorful lids were bought from Pottery Barn Kids.  I bought those a few years ago while my art supply collection was small, but now I switched to the Lakeshore Learning ones that are much cheaper.  I think the Pottery Barn Ones were $15 each, they still have them there - they are cute.

The large container with the textured rollers and paint brushes is just from Target.  You can get those anywhere.

These containers are the Lakeshore Learning Ones.  They go on sale a few times a year.  They are normally $2.50, I think I got them for $2.  I think I have 15 of them, so it still adds up!

I like to keep all my tiny things like googly eyes, buttons, sequins, jewels.... in canning jars.

I keep all of my art books in these cute organizers I bought from Ikea.  They were sold 2 for something like $6 - $7.

More Lakeshore Learning containers...  Lakeshore Learning is such a great store it is on something like 5500 S. and 9th E. in Salt Lake.  Nicole - LV has a Lakeshore Learning!  You can also buy them online.

I also love the IRIS brand containers like this one my play dough is in.  I buy them at Smiths but you can get them in a lot of places.  

I keep paint in this treasure chest on a shelf in my play room.

It works!  But I am thinking of investing in Gallon size paints and I have no idea where I am going to put those in this house!

So where do I put my (grown - up) art supplies and sewing materials?  I keep them under my stairs in more IRIS containers.  I did not get pictures of everything but I also keep all of my canvas under the stairs too.

.... and paint and paint brushes...

Oh, one more thing....  I LOVE the cute little art caddy on the table in the next picture.  It is from Pottery Barn Kids and they just came out with it a couple of months ago.  I always keep it out on the table or counter to encourage my kids to draw everyday.  And sure enough it gets used everyday.  It also just looks better than having a mess of pencils and markers all over the place all the time.

Well I hope this was of some help.  If anyone has any organizing ideas for me let me know - I do not consider myself an expert organizer or anything.  The hardest thing to keep organized is all the toys - that is another story!