How should I organise kids craft/stationery stuff?

[Pannacotta]

I am arranging an area for my DSs (8 and 6) where they can do homework/colouring/cutting/sticking etc but I am not very good at organising stuff.
At the moment they have open shelves with mismatched boxes on with pens/scissors/paper all muddled up. We are all a bit messy and chaotic, but am trying to become better organised (hollow laugh!).

Do any of you have good/accessible child friendly storage which will keep this kind of stuff divided up and hopefully make it easier to keep tidy?

I don't live near IKEA so cant go there for a browse, though am happy to order on-line from there.

TIA

I'm sorting ours today, so hope you get some good advice for me to borrow!

I use cat litter trays for paper, colouring books, card, stickers etc (unused by cat, obviously!). They are cheap and come in nice colours. They can be piled on top of each other if necessary.

The rest is going into plastic takeaway trays with lids - good excuse for a takeaway! That's things like feathers, ribbons, sequins etc.

On open shelves next to kitchen table, by the way.

Ikea trofast storage

IKEA Trofast would be good for paper and books but not so good for the smaller stuff like pens/pencils/scissors I think.
Litter trays a good idea too, will have a look on-line for colours!

I sense I need some kind of divided boxes for the bits and pieces, but havent seen anything I like.
This would be good if it wasnt fabric and the sections were a bit taller
www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00191293/

I think this idea from Real Simple is pretty cool.

I use cheap tool boxes for my pens/pencils/chalks/scissors etc I've got a clearish plastic one with a bright blue handle and another one with a bright green one. They were in the stationery aisle at Tesco.
I've also got these mini drawers from asda for tape/glue/post it's & stickers/holepunches etc
I've got the multi compartment boxes from here for sequins/feathers/buttons/glitter from DSs craft stuff.

For pens, pencils, brush paint etc

I use a wood lazy Suzan (table top turn table)

I which I have secured metal kitchen utensil pots round the edge left the middle empty then we put one thing pot ie all pencils in one all felt tips in another etc works really really well

For paper I used a set of a4 draws white in one colored in another etc

For post art work storage I have a washing line secured over the window with pegs for drying the I use a hole punch and a4 lever arch file

Hth

Oh I like the Lazy Susan and pots idea, very clever! Thanks
Will go and have a browse now.

Forgot to say I put big things like paint pots in the empty space in the middle

The sizes of the pots will depend on what you want to store we do a lot of coloring so we have bigger pots but plastic glasses would work if you want more separation of things

Before this idea I used a kitchen rail secured to the wall with a roll of paper on it and snap on brightly colour untensil pots of ikea

inneed I have seen the rail systems and they are great but the table is in the middle of the room so need table top storage really.
DSs loves colouring too and has pens/crayons/chalk etc etc so is good to divide them up.
Where did you get your Lazy Susan btw?

I bought mine from a local charity shop!

BUT this one is similar amazon and they have a similar picture to my idea but I used stainless steal ikea utensil jar things covered in holes.

I use these on a metal wall board for little storage things pack of three

And these clipped onto a metal rail on the side of the table (it works better on the wall but I now have a bigger table) funky colours useing this type of rail so I can pull it out to fit a roll of paper but I do understand that not everyone wants to attach things to there table!

I use this type of shelf again in fucky colours and have put cup hooks onto the bottom of SOME of them DD and I then make colourfull drawstring bags for dressing up stuff / other bits of bobs]]

don´t laugh these work well for board game / paper / colouring book storage shoe cupbaord

I use these without the lids for soft stuff storage

And I have this type of thing bought secondhand and repainted for paper storage and big things like sheets of card

Oh and magazine racks work well for anything paper wise too, this type or this type

Sorry this is so long and everything is from ikea but it is easy for me to search there are plenty of other places that will have similar stuff!

I should metion at this point that I don´t have a play room (open plan house) so I have to make everything easy to put away and neat quickly!

Hope it helps

OH sorry one other thing. PIN BOARDS buy plan and spray paint if you want I love them they save my fridge! its somewhere to put stuff on display etc.

Oh bless you for all your links and help!
I wish I was better at organsising myself and my DSs!
I will have a good look through all your suggestions and make a shopping list up.

Really like the idea of the shoe cupboars for games etc. One Mother has used a wall mounted IKEA shoe cupboard for paperwork and recycling and it's really good use of space.
The IKEA Alex unit is on my wish list already, will see if I can pick one up second hand too, good plan.
And yes pin boards is a good idea, will look into these as DS2 is forever bringing home lovely painting from school!

Thanks again :)

Hey your welcome!

I´m a pretty organised I have to be, its working from home and kids, plus I am the diary and organiser for everyone in the family!

One other thing I do which may not be to everyones taste is that I have a pin board just for organising I have put cup hooks on the bottom one for DD school bag, coat, one PE kit and one for Car keys / house keys. I have sections on the board for a shopping list, Bills, birthdays, after school clubs / parties, and a day by day sheet of things to do / arrangments. It works for us as DH is so disorganised so having a one stop shop of what is going on makes life much easier.

I have a friend that has just finished a table she had a sheet of perspecs cut to size and puts pictures that her dc have done under it like a collage - its look such fun and the dc love it! She has used her Dining Table!

I´ve just bought some snap frames like these to start displaying some of DD pictures a friend of mine that fosters showed me her´s she has them on a stairs and each week changes the pictures for something new! I thought it was a lovely idea so I decided to get some aswell.

I think you can sometimes pick up the Alxe system or similar from Ebay etc.

Hope you get sorted.

We use Ikea Trofast for toys well we do when they aren't scattered everywhere but I agree they won't work for organising little bits and pieces.

My DCs pretty much only have colouring stuff ATM but I'm planning on getting a Really Useful Box tower thing (a little one on wheels that will fit under the living room table) full of other random bits and pieces for Xmas. I think this will serve them much better than occasional 'craft kits' which I get now and again.

I am trying to become more organised too... thoroughly recommend the 'm' (minimalist) thread :o

Trofast has shallow and deep trays

Deep trays take papers, books, large paint bottles and aprons etc

Shallow trays take pens, brushes etc - you can use a cutlery draw divider if particularly anal

So not just for toys really

Cutlery trays in shallow drawers is another good idea for pen control.
I do like the Trofast as its quite discreet looking but also easy to use.