Kids’ art projects are notoriously hard to organize. The topic comes up constantly. There are a bazillion ways to store your little Picasso’s projects, of course, but really, simple is better.
My absolute favorite storage solution is the Li’l Davinci art frames. You can check out this video of how these front-hinge beauties from Dynamic Frames work. My kids (2 and 5) decide which creations are frame-worthy, and they love to help me load their new opus into the frames at least once a week.
While we have enough wall space in our house for a mini art gallery, we don’t actually have enough space in our house for the art studio it takes to create said art. So I was thrilled to take my little ones to a new place recently, the Creative Clubhouse in Havertown, PA. Unlike the pottery studio just down the street from our house, the Creative Clubhouse is geared for the younger set (12 months to 8 years), and I didn’t feel like I was bringing my bullish children into the china shop. The setup is simple, with areas set up for Lego play, dough play, simple glue projects, easel art, magnet boards, a huge chalk wall (sure kids, go ahead and draw on these walls), and an area for building towers from blocks. They also run scheduled art and music classes throughout the week. If I had an extra room in my house for art, it would look just like the Creative Clubhouse.
Look around this space, and you’ll see some pretty simple but effective art solutions that can easily translate into most homes, even if you don’t have your own art room. Owner, Amy, will tell you that they are all IKEA solutions, easy to pick up and easy to install. Supplies, like paint brushes, crayons, and any other high-risk implements can be stored in cute and shiny cans hanging from organizing rails, originally meant to organize a kitchen.
Smocks and aprons, the wardrobe staple of the preschool set, hung on simple keyhook bars in the lower left corner of that shot, were super accessible to the kiddos. At home, you might be able to hang these on the inside of a pantry door or coat closet door.
If you can’t spring for a set of Dynamic Frames, then a simple set of clips hung on airline wire, normally used to hang curtains in a hip loft space, will allow you to hang painted art, especially great for those that need a bit of drying time.
For hardback or canvas creations, this skinny ledge provides the perfect perch for a rotating display of color. It’s only about an inch and a half deep, so it can fit into just about any space. I like the idea of adding in some favorite books to create a seasonal or theme display.
Last, think multi-functional in every single piece of furniture you bring into your house once you have kids. I think it should be a crime to manufacture any bench or ottoman without storage underneath. With just a little planning and maybe a basket or two, a bench can store even more puzzles, games, and creative supplies.
We’ve been back to the Creative Clubhouse, and I love that my kids get to be creative and messy, but I don’t have to clean it up. If you need a few more ideas on how to store your kid’s art, check out how to organize creations in digital form, and 5 more ways to organize kids art supplies.
Great ideas for kids art supplies and displaying. I have been meaning to pick up some of the Davinic frames and will definitely do this. Love the hanging cans for brushes and other supplies, too!
Great post! I love the idea of framing, which we haven’t done yet. We display via a wire and clothes pins but I think my daughter would love to have something framed.
Love the tin pails. It looks like such an inviting space to be creative.
It’s such a simple space, but lovely. Seems like every neighborhood should have a place like the Creative Clubhouse in havertown. Great idea for someone who loves kids. Hint hint.
You’ll have to come visit Lawrenceville again. We have an art studio on Main Street where they teach classes upstairs, and display art downstairs. Hint hint.