Saturday, September 10, 2011

Kids' art supplies, workbooks, and therapy items

I love this. We took a bookcase that wasn't functioning well in my youngest daughter's room and moved it to the downstairs playroom (a topic I'll cover some other time). Linking it to OrgJunkie's post about like-with-like items this week - although this was my FIRST 52 weeks of Organizing project! How cool is that?


I got the clear PLASTIC jars on the top shelf from Oriental Trading quite cheaply. They are great - don't break if dropped. The smaller size is perfect for standard and toddler crayons; the taller ones work great for markers, paint brushes, colored pencils and the like. The bottom shelf houses all the workbooks we use to supplement their schoolwork on holidays and during the summer, and the scissor set was a gift from my mom to them.

Changes made since this photograph was taken:
The Playdoh went away and was replaced with Theraputty containers when my youngest was diagnosed with autism. The top shelf where the Playdoh was now holds the jars seen on the second shelf that are my oldest daughter's beads roughly sorted by color, thread and elastics, etc. The scissors gained a home in a bin in my craft closet due to an UnfortunateIncidentTM. The middle shelf now holds 3 bins I found at IKEA - one for therapy items, one for the aquadoodle items and one for miscellaneous supplies. The bottom shelf now utilizes poly magazine sorters in a rainbow of colors from The Lakeside Collection. Each grade level has an assigned color except for the last two which are used for coloring books.

The jars are just so cool! I have 3 dozen more in boxes in the attic for future organization ideas and/or replacement needs. If you can't find them on the OT site, check under "imperfect items" - I scored a dozen tall jars for less than $3. They are not food safe, nor are they water tight - so I don't suggest trying to grow sea monkeys in them, use them as beta bowls, or make cocoa mixes in. Stick strictly to non-cosumables unless they packaged (medicines, for example.. a possible future use for some of my extra jars!).

16 comments:

  1. I just did a post about organizing as well. http://lifecurrents.dw2.net/?p=5668 I love that the jars in your post are so inexpensive. I may have to get some. thanks!

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  2. Thanks, LifeCurrents! :) I buy expensive items sometimes for organizing when I need them to be fairly permanent, but with kids craft items I definitely didn't want to invest a lot. So far though (this has been since Jan) the jars are holding up very well and none have cracked.

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  3. awesome. I have been thinking of doing something similar. I have arts and crafts supplies all over the place in little bins collected over the years and need to consilidate in just one place. Adding this to my next project list.

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  4. The jars are currently in the "not quite perfect" section at Oriental Trading for around $4.50. There is a code (google for it, I found one on retail me not) for $10 off $79 PLUS free shipping. The smaller jars (fit crayons perfectly, etc) are more expensive, but still cheap http://www.orientaltrading.com/jar-with-embellishments-craft-kits-a2-41_1240-12-1.fltr?Ntt=plastic+jars at $4.29 for 6 of them.

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  5. What a cute idea. I just saw this post and the short jars are now 7.00 a dozen and I couldn't find the large jars :(

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    1. look at the dollar tree for spaghetti containers. :)

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  6. This is great but I can't find the large jars either:( Has anyone been able to locate them?

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  7. Try Paper Mart. You can get a package of them for fairly cheap.

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  8. Sorry OT doesn't have them in stock; they've carried them for several years running. I'm guessing since the last run was put in "less than perfect" that they are looking for a new manufacturer, but they will come back.

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  9. I LOVE this idea and have been looking on the internet all night trying to find similar jars. What size are the jars you have? The tallest ones at Paper Mart are 5 7/8 which is just over the length of a regular marker. Any suggestions you have would be GREATLY appreciated!

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  10. I love this organizing system! Perfect for art supplies! I am hunting the large jars too and haven't found any on Oriental Trading...only the short jars...how tall are your large jars so I can try to find something similar?

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  11. I will get the pics back up as soon as possible. Not sure what happened! Thanks for letting me know.

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  12. ikea sells jars very similar

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  13. We use big plastic peanut butter jars to store craft items. Markers fit in them perfectly!

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  14. The pictures are gone! I saved this page so I could go back to it for reference and now they're not there

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