My New Year’s Resolution is to get more organized. I've been known to let my artwork spill into my whole house. Canvases and paint take over the dining table, piles of wood strewn about the back porch, hot glue all over the kitchen counter… This drives me nuts, and makes it hard for me to focus on my important goals. I've got a designated studio space. I just needed to make a change, so I invested in some much needed supplies. I can't tell you how much relief I felt once everything had a place. I'm going to give you the rundown on what I found to help keep my art studio, and home tidy. Maybe it will give you some inspiration to tackle your organization needs.
1.) Double Computer Desk with Printer Shelf- This amazing desk was one of my Christmas Presents from the Santa-Hubs. He thought I needed a better work space than my plastic folding table. He was correct! (Just don't tell him that.) I designated the left side for my laptop, and the right side for painting. The middle portion I did not wind up using for my printer. I already had a little printer cart, so I used the center area to store art supplies.
2.) Under Desk Printer Stand- This I previously purchased to store my printer under my table. It's the perfect size for my new desk. I use the storage area to store my scissors bin, and hot glue gun bin. The bottom cubby is used to store my stencil folders, but you could totally tailor this to your storage needs.
- This paint storage is a life saver! I mounted two of these on the wall above the right side of my desk. It's been super convenient to have all of my Paint colors visible, and readily available. Plus, it looks super cute as I stored all my paint in a rainbow pattern. It brings so much color and organization to my space!!
Previously I stored all of my paint brushes in cups. I have so many of each brush because I teach classes, that I just designated a cup per brush size. This became a problem because I was constantly knocking cups over and spilling my brushes all over the ground. Now, I love a good game of pick up sticks, but not every other day. I'm a klutz, what can I say? I ordered this pen organizer and am using it to store my Paint brushes. I am now able to store the eight different size brushes I keep stocked, plus there's room for more! I used the top slots for my brushes, and the bottom slots for pencils, permanent markers, and color pencils. Then in the little drawer I keep my stickers and business cards.
5.) Mobile Art Drying Rack- Canvases…. Canvases EVERYWHERE!!! Well, not any more. I grabbed one of these, but will eventually get a few more. I've accumulated so many canvas paintings throughout the years. There's only so many you can fit on a wall, and I've hung all I can. This drying rack has decluttered so much of my art room. No more stacks on the table, or in the corner.
6.) Sterilite 6 Quart Storage Box- I have to order so many little bottles of the same color paint for my classes. Finding a place to keep them all tidy was proving difficult. Before I got ahold of these storage boxes, I just kind of threw all of my paint into one big box. Keeping stock was a nightmare. With these new plastic boxes with lids, I'm able to store each color paint in its own container. I carry nine different colors of paint so I had three extra bins. I used one to store my scissors, one for my hot glue guns, and one for hot glue sticks. I may have to order more of these little storage bins. Organize EVERYTHING!!
7.) Storage Bench with Padded Cushion- The wall directly opposite of my desk was completely empty, with the exception of my artwork hanging on the wall. I wanted to add a bit more storage, but also some place for my friends, and the kids to sit when they hung out with me. I found this cute storage bench with a padded cushion. It softened up the room and added much needed storage. I used the cubbies to store all of my 6 quart storage boxes. I also used this bench to store all of my Dewalt Tools. My drill and saws fit nicely and are now up and out of the way. I drilled a hole on the backside of one of the shelves, so I could plug in my Dewalt Battery Charger. Always keep a battery charging for stealthy standby.
8.) 26 Pockets Expanding File Folder- I handmade a lot of stencils for my classes. Sometimes an artist needs a little guidance, so I like to create stencils to help my students. I've accumulated so many stencil templates, the pile was overflowing and completely chaotic. I bought this expanding file folder so I could file my templates alphabetically. Talk about life changing. No more going through stacks of templates. Now, if I need a dolphin stencil I just go to the D and bam, that takes five seconds!
9.) Craft Organizer Tote Bag- All of my art classes are mobile. That means I have to pack up all the supplies I need and haul it wherever I'm teaching. I needed something to make that task a bit easier. I found this craft tote that is just what the doctor ordered! The large tote area fits the paint and stencils. And the side pockets store my brushes on the go perfectly! No more searching under the driver's seat for my paint brushes that fell out of the cup during a sharp turn.
10.) Rolling Collapsible Wagon- Do you know how much I needed this cart? I didn't realize how many trips I took back and forth to my Jeep, just to unload and load all of my art supplies for each class. This collapsible wagon is a space, time, and effort saver! It literally cut my set up time by almost half. Storing my supplies while on the go has never been a tidy task for me. Crazy how one little cart could make my life so much easier. Now while I'm teaching I've got everything in my cart, organized and ready to go!
New Year, New gear. I'm so excited to grow my business in a much more organized manner this year. My hope is that I will spend less time cleaning, and much more time creating and booking for my Paint N Puff Events. If you have the same problem I did, maybe some of these items can help.
Thanks for stopping by!
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