How to Create an Art Station

I’m so excited the month of August has arrived!!! This month signals that it’s time for back-to-school activities. Whether we’re buying supplies, clothes, or locker gear, I always get excited about back-to-school time.

Each Friday this month, A More Organized Life is going to help you get ready to go back to school. What is so exciting about this series is that I have three special guest bloggers helping me out!

My first guest is Tauna Woodruff. Tauna is a Southern girl who loves sweet tea with lime, dark chocolate, all things creative, and her amazing Jesus. She is the Children’s Ministry Assistant at Park Hill Baptist Church in North Little Rock, AR. creative confetti is her miscellaneous musings on family, friends, photography, faith, and fun.

Check out her awesome DIY art station!

 

 

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Are you a parent that is caught between encouraging your children’s creativity and having to wrangle the mess that goes with all things creative? Don’t fret. There is a simple solution to help you collect everything into one tidy area.  You can use an old, inexpensive bookcase to create an art station, and you don’t have to buy costly organizers to corral your supplies.

 

I started out with a 6’ bookcase that had been given to me, but you may be able to find a large shelf for a low price at a local thrift store. Better yet, ask around to see if anyone is upgrading or has shelving they no longer need. As you can see, the shelf I received had minor damage, but that wasn’t a big deal to me.

 

The bookcase received a good sanding and two coats of paint. I actually used three paint samples from a home improvement store. It was just enough to cover every surface. Additionally, I waxed and buffed the bookcase to help protect the finish from scraping baskets and bins.

Here’s the best part. You can use whatever you have on hand to organize your supplies. Mismatched jars make great containers for paint brushes, pens, and pencils.  I also used small tin buckets and a wire basket to hold items in check. The containers don’t have to coordinate to obtain a tidy appearance. (NOTE: if you have younger children and don’t want the risk of a broken jar, you can use soup cans wrapped in scrapbook paper as decorative containers.)

 

Another great tip is to use a tension rod between two shelves. In this example the rod holds a roll of paper towels and a roll of craft paper.

The baskets on the lower shelf are an example of how using just a few coordinating containers can help set the mood for the entire appearance. The baskets came in sets of three (L, M, & S). I used the two medium and two small baskets on the fourth shelf and the two large baskets on the top of the bookcase. This bit of repeating style harmonizes well with the eclectic grouping of vessels above.

Be sure to space your shelves according to your needs. I placed the top shelf near the top of the bookcase to house papers. Likewise, I adjusted the second shelf lower to allow for taller items like paint brushes. Finally, don’t forget to leave room to display finished art pieces.

Once you’re finished you will have a tidy place for your arts and craft supplies. And let’s face it, we’re more inclined to encourage creativity when we don’t have to hunt down everything we need for a project. Have fun, and feel free to share your ideas for organizing your kid’s art supplies.

-tauna marie

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Isn’t this art station awesome! What a great way to corral all those art supplies you’ll need for school projects or fun craft projects at home.

I hope you’ll show Tauna some love by visiting her blog, creative confetti.