With January in full swing, lots of us are are taking the opportunity to get organized for the new year. I think that is just great! My project for the week, was working with a mother to get her children organized. Now I know what you are thinking…”What’s the sense in organizing for kids? It will never stay that way!” So let me impart my logic about the whole deal. Getting organized with young children can really be hugely beneficial to everyone involved. Creating a system that is simple enough for children to understand and work with is the key. If everything is uncomplicated, kids with have no problem returning things to their proper home when they are finished. Now keep in mind, obviously, you might need to remind them to clean up behind themselves every once in a while. But, after they have grown accustomed to being neat and tidy (when they are teenagers, or moving into dorm rooms) you will be thanking me.
The work begins. With upstairs being unofficial kiddie territory, the homeowners made sure to plan for plenty of storage opportunities when building the house. Mom had the hope of giving her children a little craft area. A place where they can do homework, school projects, or just be creative. A wide hallway flanked with floor to ceiling bookcases was what we had to work with. First things first…considering there was nothing in the space to begin with, I asked mom to go ahead and purchase anything that the kids might use regularly for school projects. After that, it was all about systemizing and streamlining. Cute little canisters and carry-all baskets are great for showing off the pretty things, and well, hiding the “ewgly.”
Above: large boxes from Target are perfect for housing different types of craft paper.
Voila! Crafting made kiddie! It is simple enough for them to keep up with, understand, and enjoy.
Use glass canisters and jars to display all the fun, colorful things. It also makes for easy access, and no labels necessary.
A home for EVERYTHING!
With the intention to control the craft paper, I placed it on a cheap-o tension rod. Easy as that y’all! I also wanted to make ribbon-handling a bit more practical, so I stacked bolts onto this cute lucite paper towel holder (from Target).
Stay tuned, as I work my way through the rest of the house!
XO- Jordan
