Shared Big Kid Art Desk
I recently finished a client project for a big kid art desk, mainly for two girls, ages 6 and 8. They have a younger brother who is 3 years old, but my client didn’t think he would be using this space quite yet. I did create something for him that you’ll see later in the post.
The art space is in a corner of a large family room with areas for toys, TV, and music nearby. Because of an awkward low ledge that wraps around the entire room, my client wanted to do a custom built-in desk to work around the ledge. She designed it with a carpenter who installed the desk, shelving, and pegboard before I planned out the supplies. Because the built-in desk is standard adult-height, we chose “Jr chairs” (that are taller than regular chairs) and adjustable stools to keep the kids at a good height while working at the desk. If an adult wants to use the desk, they can lower the stools to an appropriate level.
(For your convenience, I have included links to some of the items I have used here -the Amazon links are affiliate links- but feel free to ask in the comments if you are curious about anything else!)
A pegboard is a great way to utilize wall space and allow for kids to see their tools and supplies in the open. This makes it easy to grab something when needed, but also is an inviting reminder of what supplies you have on hand.
I found a variety of pegboard accessories that would hold different types of tools and materials and I made sure to leave some hooks and jars empty for any new materials that might be added in the future.
Writing Center
I wanted this area to also feel like a “writing center” where the kids can expand on their artwork and use the materials for a variety of writing explorations. In the spirit of “Invitations to Create,” I wanted to display ongoing invitations, or prompts, for writing. I used the comic strip prompt from my Skill-Building e-guide as well as my story-writing prompts and hung them on clipboards as a creative invitation.
I also included a card-making station with blank greeting cards alongside the family’s stash of extra greeting cards in the basket. As a parent of similar-aged kids, I love having blank cards available for birthdays or holidays. Any time we have a party to go to, my girls head to their art space and make the most thoughtful, colorful cards for friends and family.
The blank paper dolls are also a favorite at our house. My girls love to color them with markers and dress them in fabric and yarn scraps (then they play with them for hours!).
Additional Storage Space
I utilized the awkward ledge underneath the desktop as a spot to store paper, larger materials, and art resource books. In the corner of the ledge I used a bookend to prop up the kids’ coloring books and added a book, “How to Draw Animals for Kids.”
The larger materials are stored inside the three baskets that sit on the ledge. One basket is for fabric and yarn, one basket holds plastic or metal items from the recycle bin, and the last basket is for cardboard and wood scraps. All of these items are great for building/crafting and for using with a low-temp hot glue gun. Just above them on the desk is an adorable pencil holder that my client already had. I filled it with high quality, colored pencils and included an automatic pencil sharpener on the pegboard above.
The floating shelves on the left side of the art desk were the perfect size for storing baskets and caddies with watercolor paint, brushes, and drawing materials (markers, crayons, gel pens, etc.).
I also added containers with washi tape, craft materials, play dough, and play dough tools. The top shelves that are hard to reach, each have a large basket for storing extra items.
Younger Sibling Portable Art Box
My client wanted her 3-year-old son to have his own set of art supplies that she could keep near her in other parts of the house or move around if necessary. I found this sweet portable art caddy that is perfect for toting items around the house. It’s Similar to our portable art box that I wrote about here.
Inside the caddy, I included some of his current favorite art supplies (stamps and dot markers) as well as a few of my not-so-messy favorites (super washable markers, stickers, play dough, and plastic scissors).
When thinking of where to display finished artwork, my client suggested using the top of the pegboard because it’s too high for the kids to reach. I added pegboard hooks at the top corners of the board that can be used to hang twine and clips for art display.
I’m thrilled with how this art space turned out and am so glad the kids have been using and loving it. It’s perfectly made to grow with them as they get older and hopefully they’ll be creating and exploring new materials through their teens!
It’s important for art spaces to grow with kids and for the supplies to reflect children’s interests and skills as they get older. I wrote a post about how we updated our art space when my girls began to grow out of our toddler-friendly version. You can read about it here.
5 Tips For Making a Big Kid Art Space
1. Keep supplies visible and easily accessible.
2. Include a writing center or supplies to encourage new forms of creativity.
3. Continue to offer art supplies that younger children use that encourage pretend play (like play dough, blank paper dolls, or construction materials).
4. Include kids art resource books (like “how-to draw” books, craft books, or books that teach art techniques) for inspiration.
5. Add new tools and supplies as skills and interests evolve.
*If you would like more information on setting up your kids’ art space, click here to check out my e-guide or e-course that take you through the entire process.
I also want to say a big thank you to my client for being so patient as she waited for me during my hospital stay and recovery. We were in the middle of this project when I got sick in January and I had to put it on hold for about 8 months. She has been a dream to work with! And of course, thanks to my husband, Aaron, who is now my driver and assistant for client work :)
