What do your kids keep their pens etc in?

[MIstletAOU]

Dds 1 and 2 got lots of drawing things from santa - felt tips, pencil crayons, metallic markers, gel pens etc. Rather than them just disappearing now they have got them, I thought I should come up with a good "storage solution" whereby they are easily accessible (and likely to get put away after use!) Pencil cases seem just too fiddly really. Any ideas - or shall I just get each of them a big tub?

We got DVD storage boxes from Staples ... they're clear plastic boxes (called Really Useful Boxes) with really easy snap clasps on either side. We have some for the kids DVDs, some to store loose crap in (batteries, staples, bluetack etc) and one for all of ds1's felt tips & crayons. They come in lots of different sizes too - marvellous things.

Really Useful Boxes here

Going to buy a new one for ds1's lego he received for Christmas too!

What about those plastic tubs you get from the chinese? (I have also seen them in pound shops and lakeland) They are see through and stackable, but the pencils etc have to be small enough to go in them.

oooh they look fab, Georgina! In fact I remember seeing something similar in WHSmith recently - they might even get used by the kids too rather than just leaving them heaped in a pile somewhere

I live about 80miles from my nearest chinese lol - good idea though!

yeah, they have the same sort of thing at WH Smith (in a range of colours). I have often looked at them!

They really are brilliant - made really sturdily and kids can manage the handles easily (and I promise I don't have any connection with them, lol).

I found their homepage earlier here - I notice they're billed as "strong enough to take a person's weight" and they have a picture of a car resting on four of them! I can vouch for that - my two boys stand on them all the time... and none broken yet.

We've had tons of different type of storage boxes - these are definitely some of the most practical.

I brought a "Keter 6 Drawer Storage Chest" last year in all the sales. Pencils in top draw, crayons in second draw, paper in another draw , stickers in another draw. Pens get sprited away to a land far far away (I have a 4 year old who draws on the furniture and they are now banned!) By having draws I find things can be put away quite easily.

The floor [GRRRRR]

I'm holding out for drawers Weatherwax... the type you mention sounds fab. Currently I have an old shoe box and a bucket!!

last christmas dh was given a bottle of jack daniels in a tin, and the kids have now claimed the tin for their colouring pencils, had tried loads fo other options, but somehow this one seems to work the best for us!

I saved a load of old coffee tins, peeled the labels off and covered each one in different wrapping paper. They're great for storing felt tip pens, glue sticks, etc etc.
You can either keep the lids or not, depending on how likely it is that your munchkin will use it.

Side note: I am crying with jealousy over mention of WH Smith, as we don't have it here in America, and it feeds my stationery addiction.

i just got a multipack od boxes (3 in a pack) from ikea, little plastic tubs. perfect size for pens.

Reindeer we use those plastic tubs from the Chinese too. They're a good depth for pens so the child isn't minded to tip them all out to locate the colour they want.

Weve got one of those plastic three draw things in the cupboard under the stairs. All writing and drawing stuff goes in one paper in another etc... that way the kids can just get them out and put them away themselves, which they are pretty good at doing off their own back.

The ones we use most often are kept in a Balamory mug! All others are in a basket upstairs. We seem unable to throw out pens, crayons etc and I think they actually multiply when no one is looking!

we use the plastic tubs you get fresh soup in - the labels peel off easily and you're left with a nice see through pen container