For parents of young children, I highly recommend you research a few craft closet ideas to keep your kids busy without plugging them in all the time. When we first moved into this house, there were things I liked about it and things I didn’t really care for. Unfortunately, I will never be able to create a basement underneath my house but I have turned that weird space under my stairs into a superb craft closet for my kids!
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Craft Closet Ideas: Keep it Stocked for Creativity
I was a stay at home mom from the time my first child was born and that meant LOTS of hours in the day to fill with things to do. Since I didn’t want them plugged into the TV all day, the craft closet was born! When they were very young, we would do arts and crafts together…I colored lots of Barbie coloring pages and played with LOTS of play-dough! As they got older, they didn’t need my help so much but still had to ask permission before entering the craft closet. If my daughter was wearing her Sunday church dress she was NOT getting out the paint! Now that they are older they have free reign of the craft closet, although it gets the most use over school vacations. Here are a few craft closet ideas to help you stock your supplies without going broke!
Craft Closet Ideas for Frugal Fun
1. Look at your trash or recycling bin: If you are looking for FREE craft closet ideas, look to your trash! I am one of those pro environment, tree hugger types and I hate to throw anything away. There are so many ways to use your ‘trash’ before it actually becomes…well…trash! Cereal boxes, oatmeal containers, egg cartons, packing peanuts, string, buttons, old socks, clothing you cut into scraps of material, buttons, magazines, newspapers, and just about everything else you can think of should get stored in your craft closet! Get clear plastic storage bins and a label maker so you know what is in each box without opening it.
2. Visit garage sales: You would be amazed at the great selection of stuff to be found at garage sales! Small flower pots that your child can decorate, bags of balloons that you could use in a paper mache project, or any number of other items that the seller’s children no longer need. One time, I found a huge bag of wooden necklace beads for $2.00 and my daughter was in heaven! We are still using those beads several years later!
3. Look in your pantry: Grocery items make wonderful craft supplies and most of them are very cheap. I love craft closet ideas that are cheap! Things like pasta (all sorts of shapes), dried corn, beans of all types, small paper lunch bags, paper plates or cups, etc. You can check out the selection at the dollar stores, too. You aren’t really worried about how the food will TASTE, just that it looks like fun to play with! Get some gallon sized zip to lock bags to store things in to keep your craft closet slightly neater. This also makes it easier for little hands to open and close, thus preventing 8,000 beans from ending up on your kitchen floor.
4. Shop clearance at the craft store: My kids were never too picky about their crafts. They would happily color snowmen in July or build a butterfly mosaic in December. Craft stores, however, need to turn over their inventory quickly to make room for the next season’s merchandise. Pick up whatever they have that is cheap next time you are there. Your child will not walk into the craft closet and say “Hmmm, it isn’t Valentine’s Day, I can’t use these pink hearts for anything this month”. My daughter would happily create masterpieces with pink hearts every single day…she is a big fan of PINK!
5. Ask for them! When my kids were little, everyone asked what they wanted for birthdays and Christmas and the answer was always craft supplies! I was constantly giving them craft closet ideas that would keep my kids busy on a rainy day. Have grandma go to the craft store and buy an assortment of crayons, stickers, paper, glitter, etc and put them in one pretty package. If they sew or knit, ask them to throw in some material scraps or leftover yarn!
Next time it rains on a Saturday and you are stuck in the house for 6 hours with a 3 year old you will be SO glad you have a well stocked craft closet to rummage in! If you need more craft closet ideas, check out Enchanted Learning! They have a great selection of craft projects to choose from!
What sort of craft closet ideas are in YOUR head right now?
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician with two teens, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She has a BS in Microbiology but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging full time. She currently deals with emotional teens, suburban politics, and middle aged metabolism while sharing her opinions in an honest and down to earth fashion on her blog.
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