let's draw something

This little coloring table has been moved all over the house. Now it is tucked in a corner of our basement family room, and I think this is where it will stay.

I wanted something to store pencils and other supplies in view, but contained, and off the table surface. The fintorp rail system with hooks and buckets from Ikea was perfect. I love that things are still in sight, but tidy. It makes it easy for the kids to keep the table clean.

Cookies never stick around long enough at our house to make it into the cookie jar, so I donated it to the cause. I like that it is large and clear, so it holds lots of crayons and let's the kids easily find the color they are looking for.

A large trash can helps keep the paper mess under control.

My kids love the paper roll and holder because what is more fun than drawing on regular sized paper? Drawing on huge paper, of course!

I saw this hemnes chest and knew it would be just the right thing to hold the rest of our craft supplies. I thought the price was fair, and I love the hidden drawer for paper storage. Plus, I think it is the kind of piece that would work in just about any room in my house.

It holds paper and a few other supplies like perler beads and paper punches. I gathered Mabel and Oliver's random glass jar collections (things like buttons and bottle caps and rocks) and a few of their favorite books to display. Oliver's rock tumbler was the right size to fit on the shelf, too.

The bottom drawer has a box to hold pictures that they'd like to keep. When the box is full, we'll sort it, and the things that are really worth keeping will be put in special boxes under their beds.

Here's what I decided: The fewer crafting supplies we have, the better off we will be. So we are sticking to the basics: paper, colored pencils, and crayons. Things that aren't used often or are messy like paint, markers, and coloring books will stay upstairs in the newly-cleaned out kitchen cupboard. This makes clean up and storage downstairs much easier, and really, kids don't need a lot of stuff to express their creativity. I think a nice, clean space is the best thing for it, actually.

Ever since I finished putting everything together, all four kids have been drawing and coloring like crazy. I'd say that means it's a hit.

p.s. Thank you for sharing your organizing ideas on my other post. They were all so great!