Our Art Closet

 My favorite time of the year is when all the back to school supplies go on sale.  Crayons, markers, colored pencils, and art paper for way cheaper than the rest of the year. . . yes, please!  It's been 10 years since I stopped teaching, but I still find myself stocking up our own supplies.  For the longest time, I kept them stored in our office, where I could pull them out as we needed them.  As the kids got older, I realized that they needed to have access to the art supplies in an organized way that I had to figure out a way to make that work in our home. 

Next to our front door is a small closet.  Because we live in California, our need for storing winter coats and jackets isn't really needed. .  . I don't even think we own winter coats!  Plus, everything that was being stored in there, we didn't really need. I threw a lot of stuff away and moved some things into new homes to give me a clean closet.  This closet already had some shelves built in, so that made it perfect for creating an art closet that would make the art supplies accessible to my kids when they needed them.

I had picked up a roll of clearance peel and stick wallpaper from Target and used that to add some color and personality to a drab closet.  It worked out great so that when the door is open, it doesn't look all that bad.  I love the stripes!  Before I started putting stuff inside, we took a few minutes to take some pictures. . . man, I love these boys!  Also, they are so little in these pictures! 

From there, I bought some containers with lids to put things.  I used my handy dandy label maker to label the boxes, so we knew what was in each one at a glance.  I also bought a 3 drawer caddy thing to hold drawing paper, construction paper, and lined paper (for homework).  The stuff at the top of the closet was extra stuff or stuff that I didn't necessarily want them to be able to grab anytime they wanted (sequins, glitter, beads, extra glue). 

We have boxes for:
crayons
markers
colored pencils
stickers
glue
spirograph
stamps
foam pieces
perler beads
paint brushes
paints

We also have places for coloring books, travel binders, puzzles, and drawing books.  The large construction paper and larger coloring books are able to be in the floor.  

Sometimes things get a little crazy and things don't always get back to there correct spot, but for the most part, this has worked so well at keeping things organized and allowing the kids to have access to all the supplies in one spot.  Things have definitely stayed more organized since everything has a home, it's easy access for the kids so they are not always asking me to get them something, and it creates an environment that fully inspires my kids to create.  

Do you have a way inspires your kids to be creative in your house?  I'd love to hear about it!  Please leave a comment or message me on Facebook or Instagram. . . I'd love to hear from you!