Sam here from @colormadehappy . I’m excited to share with you a special space in our home that has become a favorite creative area for my son. While I love crafting with my son at our kitchen table, it was important for me to make a creative space for him that’s all his own now that he’s getting older. I had three goals in mind when creating his art and craft space, which I’ll share with you below to help you create your own art space.
And keep reading if you're looking to add some great art and homework supplies to the workspace you're creating. I also share all of my favorite OOLY art supplies that we use on a regular basis.
-Decorative signs. There are so many wonderful makers on Etsy who can create a great sign for your space. The “Rainbow Maker” sign I got was by Just Add Sunshine Inc.
-Display pretty art supplies. I love putting beautiful supplies front and center. It's easy to add pops of color with clear containers of paint like the fun poster paint pods I displayed on our storage shelf.
-Lots of paper! It's hard create unless you have a surface to create on. I keep loads of paper on hand at all times. The paper is stacked on top of the rainbow storage cart so that my son can grab a piece from his chair without having to search for it.
- Don't forget the kids' art table! The best desk or art table for kids to draw, color, and paint is the one that supports their creativity. Look for a sturdy art table with plenty of room for storage, especially if your art space is in a common area. Will you be moving your table around or putting it away? Consider size and weight. Does this art table need to last generations? Look for wood instead of plastic. No matter which art table you choose, you'll want to find one that's easy to assemble and contributes to your child's "safe place" to create uninterrupted and without damaging your expensive furniture.
Jars for loose parts. Glass jars of all shapes and sizes are your best friend when it comes to craft space organization. I use them for all of our loose parts and embellishments. Look for mason jars and storage jars at your local craft store or even the Target dollar spot.
-Color Appeel Crayons. Every art and craft space needs crayons, and I love that these crayons last so long and when they start to wear down you just peel away the paper. They make beautiful desk decoration too with their patterned barrels.
Check out our blog post on how to create beautiful zentangle art with children using Color Appeel Crayons.
-Oil Pastel Twisty Stix. If you want the beauty of oil pastels without the mess, you’ll love these twisty stix that come in a mess-free barrel. You can even use them on leaves!
-Chalk-o-Rama Dustless Chalk Crayons are wonderful for creating art on many unique surfaces, including rocks, wood, and leaves. These chalk crayons get used more than any other supply in my son’s craft area.
-Lil’ Watercolor Paint Pods. Water colors are essential for any kids’ art space, and I love that this watercolor palette is filled with so many pretty colors.
-Note Pals Sticky Notes these cute sticky notes are the prefect little reminders; they come in just about every design you can imagine.
-Magic Puffy Pens and Creatibles DIY Eraser Kit. While it's important to keep basic art supplies available in an art space, it’s also just as important to have some extra imaginative and creative supplies on hand as well.
We would love to see where you and your kids create. Show us your space on Instagram and tag @weareooly and @colormadehappy and #artwithOOLY.
Goal 1: Make an art space that’s colorful and inviting.
My son is a big fan of color, and so am I. It was easy to make his art and craft space match the rainbow décor of my own arts and craft space. Even if your child has only a few favorite colors, do your best to incorporate those colors into the creative area. Because children often change their preferences, you can always keep the furniture simple and incorporate color with décor and art supplies.Here are some easy ways to add color:
-Painted mason jars. I was a lot of fun making a rainbow set of Kawaii inspired mason jars for my son’s desk. It's easy to paint your mason jars. Check out this tutorial to learn about the secret weapon when it comes to decorating mason jars.
-Decorative signs. There are so many wonderful makers on Etsy who can create a great sign for your space. The “Rainbow Maker” sign I got was by Just Add Sunshine Inc.
-Display pretty art supplies. I love putting beautiful supplies front and center. It's easy to add pops of color with clear containers of paint like the fun poster paint pods I displayed on our storage shelf.
Goal 2: Create a space with easily accessible art supplies.
Children are more likely to use supplies when they can see them! I know it sounds simple, but the key is not to overload the work space. I use a rotation method when it comes to our art supplies. I rotate out supplies every month with ones that are stored away. I can't tell you how many times my son has grown tired of an art supply only to see it as something new and exciting when it comes out of storage a month later.
Here are some easy ways to keep supplies accessible:
-Front and center. Put the most-used supplies front and center in containers on the desk. I like the Target dollar shop for cheap tin containers. These are perfect for markers, pens, and pencils. I also love this “Things” container that I got from Crate and Kids. In it I have scotch tape, glue, and our favorite Color Appeel Crayons.
-Lots of paper! It's hard create unless you have a surface to create on. I keep loads of paper on hand at all times. The paper is stacked on top of the rainbow storage cart so that my son can grab a piece from his chair without having to search for it.
- Don't forget the kids' art table! The best desk or art table for kids to draw, color, and paint is the one that supports their creativity. Look for a sturdy art table with plenty of room for storage, especially if your art space is in a common area. Will you be moving your table around or putting it away? Consider size and weight. Does this art table need to last generations? Look for wood instead of plastic. No matter which art table you choose, you'll want to find one that's easy to assemble and contributes to your child's "safe place" to create uninterrupted and without damaging your expensive furniture.
Goal 3: Keep an organized space.
Children thrive when they can create in a space that's organized and inviting. I often have to help my son cleanup to keep it that way, but we’ve set up his area so that even the biggest messes can be easily cleaned up and put away.Here are some ways to keep an art and craft space organized:
Storage carts. I love storage carts because they’re open, and you can see all of the supplies without having to search. For supplies that are used less often, I use our enclosed rainbow storage bin cart. The one thing I recommend doing, which I haven’t done yet, is labeling the outside of any storage bins that are not clear or open. While my son is just learning to read, as he grows, and for my own sanity, it helps to know where to return each craft supply.
Jars for loose parts. Glass jars of all shapes and sizes are your best friend when it comes to craft space organization. I use them for all of our loose parts and embellishments. Look for mason jars and storage jars at your local craft store or even the Target dollar spot.
Now that you have a space created, it’s time to fill it with some awesome art and homework supplies. Here are some of my favorites:
-Chunkies paint sticks are vibrant and can be used like a jumbo crayon, but they are paint! They dry quickly and require no clean-up.
-Color Appeel Crayons. Every art and craft space needs crayons, and I love that these crayons last so long and when they start to wear down you just peel away the paper. They make beautiful desk decoration too with their patterned barrels.
Check out our blog post on how to create beautiful zentangle art with children using Color Appeel Crayons.
-Oil Pastel Twisty Stix. If you want the beauty of oil pastels without the mess, you’ll love these twisty stix that come in a mess-free barrel. You can even use them on leaves!
-Chalk-o-Rama Dustless Chalk Crayons are wonderful for creating art on many unique surfaces, including rocks, wood, and leaves. These chalk crayons get used more than any other supply in my son’s craft area.
-Lil’ Watercolor Paint Pods. Water colors are essential for any kids’ art space, and I love that this watercolor palette is filled with so many pretty colors.
-Note Pals Sticky Notes these cute sticky notes are the prefect little reminders; they come in just about every design you can imagine.
-Magic Puffy Pens and Creatibles DIY Eraser Kit. While it's important to keep basic art supplies available in an art space, it’s also just as important to have some extra imaginative and creative supplies on hand as well.
We would love to see where you and your kids create. Show us your space on Instagram and tag @weareooly and @colormadehappy and #artwithOOLY.
