Art Supply Organization: What’s in the baskets?

Art Supply Organziation 2

Whenever I share a photo of our art space, I often get asked, “What do you keep in the large baskets at the bottom?” As an art teacher, I became accustomed to keeping large bins easily accessible for over-sized art materials like paper towel rolls, egg cartons, scraps of cardboard, fabric pieces, or bits and bobs of broken toys. Now in our home art studio (as well as my client’s art spaces) I always include these types of items without even thinking. But, of course, these materials don’t always come to mind for most people when thinking of art supply organization or setting up an art space for kids. So thank you for reminding me of this! I’m excited to give you a peek today into our large art bins and what we do with the materials.

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How To Make A Portable Art Box

I love a good art caddy. We have a simple little caddy in our studio that holds our markers and crayons, which makes it really easy to have an impromptu drawing session anywhere around the house. Sometimes my girls want to draw at the kitchen table during breakfast and sometimes they want to make treasure maps outside. They grab the caddy and a few sheets of paper and they are good to go.

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The Quickest Way To Set Up An Invitation To Create

Have you tried setting out “invitations to create” for your kids? Sometimes referred to as art prompts or provocations, invitations to create can help kids get excited about working with art materials in new ways. They are simply an invitation to engage with the materials laid out in front of them. You can learn more about invitations to create here.

I have found that an invitation, in and of itself, can be a quick and easy activity when a child needs a little prompting. But it can also spark inspiration and become a gateway to exploring other materials for a drawn-out creative session. Either way, invitations are all about the creative process, which is why they are one of my favorite ways to engage young children in the arts.

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The New Playroom – E-Guide Launch!

Today is an exciting day! I am finally launching my first e-guide, The New Playroom, a step-by-step guide on how to set up a home art space for kids (actually, I am launching my first two e-guides at once! I have also created a bonus guide, Invitations to Create, but I’ll leave that for another post).

For the past 13 years I have been on a mission to help kids gain creative confidence by exposing them to artistic materials and process-oriented art at a young age. I believe that being creative and understanding how to use tools and materials to make things is an essential part of learning.

The New Playroom Launch 2

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I am a strong believer in the Reggio Emilia saying, “the environment is the third teacher” (the first two teachers being adults and peers). When we create spaces in our homes that are stocked with interesting tools and materials- that are organized and inviting- we are giving our kids the message that they are creative and capable little beings. We are inviting them to explore the world around them through these materials so that they will gain confidence in their natural creative abilities and take these skills with them as they grow older.

Through my work I help clients design art spaces in their homes and schools. But this is not enough. I want to reach more families than is possible with a one-on-one service, so I created this guide for you to tackle it on your own. The New Playroom offers all of the insights that I have learned over a decade of working with kids in creative settings. I take you through my design process when working with clients and give you every tip and trick in my tool belt. And if you ever have a question or need a little encouragement, I’m here for you.

Thanks for joining me in this launch day celebration!

Click here to learn more about the guide or to make a purchase. And don’t forget about the bonus guide, which includes 30 days of easy art prompts!

Our Home Art Studio

When the new year came around last month, I felt a strong urge to clear the clutter and re-organize our house. Can you guess where the worst of our clutter lived? …In the art studio! Art supplies seem to have a way of rapidly multiplying and taking over a space. In order to tackle the mess, I decided to clear the shelves and get some new containers that actually fit our space and materials. I also splurged on a few streamlined items (the chairs and large baskets) to take the visual stimulation down a notch.

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Why Martha Stewart Is A Genius

I talk a lot about storing art supplies on open shelving so that your kids will have easy access and will constantly be reminded of their presence. Sometimes that just isn’t possible or appealing, so another great option is to store them in a closed cabinet. This was the case with a recent client who has older kids and doesn’t need to constantly remind them of their art supplies. They have a large armoire located in their homeschool room that they wanted to partially use as an art station. Here’s what it looked like before…

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Art And Play

Do you ever wonder how to incorporate an art space into your child’s play space? Whether or not you have a dedicated space for either, art and play go hand in hand.

These pics are from a space I recently finished in a client’s sunroom. It used to be a dramatic play space for her two kids, but she knew they would use it more often if it was an art studio. My client wasn’t sure what to do when her 3 year old daughter wouldn’t let her move the play kitchen and “market” out of the room.

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Top 10 Tips On Setting Up Your Art Space

Do you have a home art space for your kids? If you’re thinking about setting one up, or your current space could use a little help,  be sure to check out my top ten art space tips, featured on Hello, Wonderful. If you’re not familiar with Hello, Wonderful, you’ll want to poke around afterwards. This awesome resource is filled with gorgeous photos, clever projects, and inspirational interviews.

Let me know in the comments if you try out any of my tips and how they’re working for you. Enjoy!

 

 

Art Studio Sneak Peek

Here’s a sneak peek at the art space I am currently working on. The project is to design a full art studio for a 15 month old and 3.5 year old with a table for Mom and Dad as well. The space is the bottom floor of a back unit that used to be a kitchen, making it the perfect spot for an art studio. It has a country vibe, but my client’s design style is a mix of country, traditional, eclectic, and natural/organic (with a hint of modern). I threw in some industrial elements that work well in an art studio and this is what I came up with (within her budget).

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