Reorganizing Our Arts and Craft Area (Heaven Help Us) Part 1

Gets worse, before it gets better - Making Piles

SO… as usual our lives take over, our schedules go hay-wire and the first to suffer is our (seemingly) nicely organized art area. Primarily it’s because it is right by where we enter the house from our attached garage, so everything we are holding as we enter gets dumped there, likewise, as we leave the house everything the kids are holding gets dumped there as well. Our intention for this area was for our older daughter Julia to have an arts and craft area to herself (emphasis on herself) where she can write in her journal, draw, color, etc. without us worrying about Stella (22 months of energy) getting in her way.

The Dreaded

We started with really thinking through what needs to be in the area – her art supplies, craft supplies, her artwork, and if there is room, a small cubby for her ‘going out and keeping busy’ items – crayons, coloring books, note pads, markers, her Leapster, etc.

What to get rid of – ahhh executive decisions!

1. Incomplete (ie. unusable) craft kits

2. Glue/markers – anything that have lost their caps and WILL DRY OUT

3. Semi-dried out play doh — ugh

4. Sentimental half done crafts or ‘Art’

We then sorted everything into piles. Our piles:

– craft items – subdivided into complete kits (ie shrinky dinks, magnet sets, etc.) and craft ‘ingredients’ – ie. eyes, puff-ball thingies, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc.

– art items – brushes, paint, fabric paint, glitter glue, finger paint

– paper differing sizes and color

– toys (yeah they got in here)

– take out/car trip arts and crafts (small boxes of crayons, small tubs of playdoh, etc.)

– one tote for our 22 month old’s stuff…

We emptied out EVERYTHING! All our little drawers and pen holders – in short, things we thought would help us keep organized but didn’t. We ended up with (believe it or not) FIVE different empty organizational containers that we didn’t need anyway.

I am embarrassed to say, it took us about two weeks to do everything, so yes, we lived in our mess for a while. With two active girls to feed, clothe, bath, read, play, etc., our time is limited and honestly letting them ‘help’ is NO help 🙂

The grand unveiling of how it all turns out is in the next post… Stay tuned!!!

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• Repurposing Pasta for Kid’s Crafts! (declutterorganizerepurpose.wordpress.com)

Repurposing Pasta for Kid’s Crafts!

With an active 5 year-old daughter who absolutely LOVES arts and crafts, we are always looking for easy, affordable, creative and fun things for her to do.  When I came across the following article from Parents magazine, it provided simple, affordable and creative fun! 

We all have bags/boxes of pasta in our pantry and even if you don’t, generic or store brands are usually $1 or less a box!  For those of us with arts & crafts loving kids, we already have construction paper, glue, glitter, paint, etc. in the house.  So read on and let your kids get creative!

The building a train is a great idea for boys, who can also create cars, airplanes, spaceships, etc. out of pasta!  Then some paint or stickers will complete the creation!

My daughter liked making the tiara…but didn’t want to wear it outdoors!  LOL – I guess vanity can start young.  Using pasta and other craft materials to make signs provided her lots of creative fun.

 

Use Your Noodle: 6 Crafts to Make with Pasta

Try a Tiara

Dress up a plastic headband with brightly painted wagon wheels.

 

Noodle Necklace

Jazz up the jewels by adding a bow-tie pendant. Penne and rigatoni work best as the beads.

 

All Aboard

Gather your leftover pasta bits to build this awesome train. Make a few trees to complete the scene.

 

Sign Here

Kids can make plaques, oversize cards, or team posters with cute pasta shapes, paint, and glue.

 

Hip Clips

Get dolled up with fancy farfalle-and-rhinestone barrettes. Hot glue on a plain clip keeps the pasta in place.

 

Pencil Cup

Make this pretty desk accessory from a quart-size milk carton. Glue on pasta, then paint when it’s dry.

 

Tools of the Trade

Kid-friendly tools:

* Craft glue

* Tempera paint

* Paintbrushes

* Pasta

* Rhinestones

* Glue gun

* Spray paint
Originally published in the September 2008 issue of Parents magazine.

 

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