7 Tips To Organize Craft Rooms

It's never too early to teach young kids and budding artists the benefits of organization. The task becomes easier if organizing and storing seem like fun. Here are some of the tips that will help in organizing a craft room.

1. The storage area should be such that it could display items so it is not difficult to find.
String a wire along one wall of the child's room and use metal clips or wooden clothespins to create a personal art fair. Rotate pieces out as new ones come in.

2. Add two or three narrow shelves to a section of wall and prop artwork on them. Frame favorite pieces and attach others to foam board with double-sided tape so they're rigid enough to stand up. Or mount acrylic clip frames or shadow boxes at the child's eye level, raising them as the child grows.

3. Store favorite paintings and drawings in an artist's portfolio, and slide under the bed or behind a door. Install good lighting over all work surfaces. Large, south-facing windows are a boon to any creative endeavor.

4. Group a bookcase with stackable, clear plastic boxes for all their creations. Labeling the visible ends of the boxes will help the system work. Use a photo or drawing if your child is too young to read. Regularly cull the collection to make room for new pieces.

5. Place picnic baskets, either new or from the flea market, in a corner of the child's room to hold art projects. The hinged lids make it easier to keep things tidy.

6. Keep surfaces and work areas clean. Creative people get messy, but make only one mess at a time. There's nothing worse than oil pastel on your worktable getting all over a charcoal drawing, or spray-mount debris destroying a watercolor.

7. Stick to a small budget and still create great storage for art supplies. Muffin tins, drawer dividers, silverware caddies, earthenware crocks and plastic storage tubs can all do valuable organizational duty in the studio. Create an art cart similar to the ones teachers use in classrooms. Place casters on a nightstand or a small bookcase to make a movable storage piece.