My closest school friend and I were a lot into drawing, painting, and artwork, beholding precious kids’ art supplies. Our drawing teacher was, of course, our favorite! I remember holding on to 1 set of colors and brushes for a year and using all those paint tubes very sparingly. I guess the growing up years sowed the seeds of architecture and a profession related to arts. My husband and I are both architects, and obviously, we think of ourselves as incredibly visual people. No doubt, colors, forms, and shapes intrigue us. So, not surprising but, whenever I make art purchases, I feel this weird thrill. Then again, art supplies are also perfect thoughtful gifting ideas for most birthday parties we attend. 

Simple Storage for Art Supplies:

I think the hope is that we can replicate the same artistic encouragement for my 5-year old. Mostly, on weekends and weeknights, we focus on some artwork activities with the Kiddo. Nevertheless, it has to be fitting neatly into a small apartment space. So, we keep a small selection of necessary art supplies which she can manage without too much supervision. We like to resist the temptation ourselves to buy her more than she needs. Hopefully, it is not an onslaught of materialistic holdings (even if it is a good cause) because then the items’ value is diminished for kids. 

We try to maintain ease of access when it comes to storing supplies. For practical use, I do believe it is essential to sort, categorize, and remain visible. We don’t have a desk for Mira, but the coffee table we had is a perfect convert as an art table. The desk gives us some space to store most of her paper, workbooks, and coloring books. We use a small sheet tray on top to quickly collect loose supplies and keep the table tidy. 

I used a few essential white zippered pouches and labeled them with stamps. We have one for pens, pencils, markers, stamps, crayons, miscellaneous items like stickers and tattoos, and more oversized items. In the living space, we have a small toy storage unit with bins for Mira, and it holds some of these pouches. We keep brushes in a glass jar, which is also a water cup when painting. Beneath the table sits a paper bag for collecting watercolor pans, coloring cloths, or craft cutouts. 

A Few Supplies:

Notebooks – Muji recycled paper notebooks are the best buys as they are relatively inexpensive, yet the paper’s quality is good, and it is ring bound. We also keep one watercolor sketch pad as it feels good to have thick, high-quality paper for special projects. Otherwise, if we have to go to a Dollar store (a toy shop as it is perceived by the little one) nearby, we mostly buy her a coloring book. 

Paper – We keep saving Packaging paper – brown or green paper that is great for coloring. 

WaterColors– This set has worked well, but she is always eyeing this Mommy’s set all the time. After all, my girl!

Brushes– We have this set, and it has served us well. 

Pencils – Specifically, this set has been extremely smooth on paper, and the colors are impressive. I love its tin box. For drawing, this pencil has been our go-to.

Dot Colors – This box has been a staple for coloring since she was 2 years old and never dried up.

Play Dough– Tricky, messy, but yes. Sometimes. Off late, I have started handing off the homemade Roti dough that I make, and Mira is rolling and cutting out cookies while I cook. 

Crayons– Admittedly, Crayola Crayons are excellent to color and are affordable. We also bought a few metallic and glitter crayons, which Mira fancies for coloring castles and fairy dresses.

Pens and Markers – These Muji pens, these sign pens, and the Crayola Washable markers are working fine. We also add a few glitter pens for limited use. 

Alex Discover My Giant Busy box Craft kit – A friend gifted Mira this kit on her birthday, and the multiple art projects kept her busy on rainy or wintry days. 

Stamps – Got this wooden stamp set, and it has been useful for creating scenes.

Other Miscellaneous Items – Wiki Stix, Sharpener, Eraser, Construction paper, Stickers, Pom-Poms, Scissors, Washi tape, Glue stick, Googly eyes, Pipe Cleaners, and Fuzzy sticks. 

Finally, not complicated! Never bought much beyond these items, and we feel this has been sufficient to keep our 5-year old engaged with most creative pursuits. What are we missing?

Just a Little Bit More …

~ Pictured above is an inspired project from the.creativityproject.

~ Also, another IG account, DayswithGrey, for keeping toddlers busy. 

~ For Crafty kids, my friend from architecture, IG account origami.sas does these Amazing online Origami sessions.

~ Interesting Art Lessons at Deep Space Sparkle.

~ What a detailed Resource Guide for Parenting during Covid times.