the craft closet

Hello craft closet. I have a love/hate relationship with you. 

We are always up to something over here and I try to keep some semblance of order, but three kids can put a hurting on a craft closet. My primary goal is that they be able to get whatever they want, without my help…. that they can pull stuff out and go to town on a project, all by themselves, and put it away just as easily. There is quick potential for it to become a disaster area, but I have done some research and removed the offender. Read on for the secret.

There are two solid things I’ve learned as an art teacher and mother of prolific artists.

Less is more when it comes to art supplies.

AND

Don’t bother with cheap art supplies.

Let’s start with the cheap stuff. If you pay a quarter for a box of crayons, they are going to behave accordingly. Crayons should be bright and wonderful, not pale and waxy. The worst offenders in the cheap category are crayons, colored pencils, watercolors, and regular pencils. Rose Art? Don’t bother. I’m not saying that you have to buy the mega expensive German crayons, but don’t buy the cheapies. Your children will thank you. There’s a huge difference.

When it comes to art supplies, too much can be a curse. It’s distracting. The entire essence of a project can fall by the wayside if a kid has access to five thousand colors and feathers and glitter and sequins and felt stars and …you get it, right?! Curate your collection of baubles and sparkles and put some of it aside for a rainy day.

OK. Let’s break it down now.

Drawing and Coloring:

More than anything, kids color and draw. When it comes to crayons, I actually prefer oil pastels. They are super saturated and glide nicely. You can buy one set and they will last a childhood. That’s a savings and they create a fantastic look. We have crayons, too, but they usually reach for these.

Kids also need colored pencils for journalling and more intricate projects. Again, buy good ones at the art supply store. They will get your kids through high school. And do yourself a huge favor and get a REAL pencil sharpener. The old fashioned kind that goes on the wall or an electric one. This will end your homework woes, too. Just do it.

I love magic markers, but hate that they’re so disposable. We have them anyway. Throw them away when they dry out.

Painting:

We have a jar full of brushes, a jar for water (so they don’t use every glass in the kitchen), a palette, and a bucket o’paints. In this case, cheap is good. I LOVE the $1 Apple Barrel craft paints {from wal-mart…sorry}. The colors are fun and they mix nicely. Remind your older kids to mix their own colors, not to use them straight up. They will be better artists for it. The best thing to paint on, in my opinion, is broken down boxes. Cereal, cracker, cookie, even heavier cardboard boxes make perfect canvases and are never in short supply.

Sewing:
{everyone should sew…boys and girls alike}

Hello thrift store. I buy everything sewing related at the thrift store. Never new. You could, but it won’t be as groovy and will cost more and you will have removed the siren song of chance from your creative endeavors. Here is a list of what I like to have on hand.

a small stack of vintage calico fabrics for making pillows and whatnot ~ balls of yarn for pom poms, finger knitting and tying stuff together ~ embroidery floss for braiding, sewing, and making friendship bracelets and a huge needle for little hands ~ felt, always felt ~ a tin full of buttons ~ and of course, my own project

The buttons are key. Kids love buttons. I love buttons. Everybody loves buttons. Buttons are stand alone fun. Della and Lewis will spend hours choosing buttons. They are always at the thrift store, old and unique. Buy them. Bottle caps are good clean fun, too, FYI. 

This is the caddy. A thrift score for sure. It has all the basics in it for a quick grab and go. Markers, pencils, scissors, watercolors, a little glitter, tape {the frog rocks}, modeling clay, glue sticks and regular glue. This is one stop shopping for Della. She grabs it and sits down and is ready for most anything. There is almost no clean-up, just put the whole she-bang back in the closet and your done. I will mention that you can’t have too many scissors. Not possible. We use them 3,000 times a day.

Have you noticed what’s missing?

It’s an integral item, really.

It  has given me fits for years, and I finally said no more and no one has even noticed.

No one asked. No one missed it.

It’s really a mystery to me. They turn out projects and drawings galore… 

I do not give them…..

paper. 

I used to have a stack of paper on the shelf, fresh and white or out of the recycling bin at school, and they would go through it like lightening. They used way too much, with no regard for filling a page and then the back….just more more more. And it would fall off the shelf, and pile up in the costume basket on the floor and stuffed all around. They would draw and toss. No good. It was everywhere and anonymous and I’m no clean freak, so it believe me when I say it was a problem. 

We have one sketch book that they share, and somehow or another, they can always come up with a sheet of paper. But it’s not around to be inhaled and swallowed whole. Every now and again, I go to the art store, and they sell huge pieces of paper, and I will buy three sheets and they are like gold. They inspire big ideas! They are rolled up and savored for special inspiration. 

In a large nutshell, that’s the craft closet. It shares space with the games and is in the center of all the action. When it’s tidy, we are more creative. Go figure.

I have some other tricks up my sleeve that I will share around kids and art.

Stay tuned.

and they’re off

1st day for my 1st grader!

School started yesterday here in Durango. The kids are excited. I look forward to a bit of routine, because there are things that I need to get done. I look forward to a complete and uninterrupted thought.

Back to school is very much like the New Year for me. A fresh start and clean slate and all. This will be the first time, repeat, the first time, that I will have all three kids in school all day and not also be teaching kids all day. For twelve years it has been kids kids kids. Then more kids. Oh just pile on a few more, why not.

I am teaching only one morning a week to home schoolers who come to the shared school program in the public schools. It’s my job to share my crazy wild wonderful love of reading and writing with them. That’s easy! Can do!

Otherwise, I’ll be working on other projects that are more ‘adult’. I almost feel guilty writing that.

But not really.

Last night we had a special back to school dinner. We had a Pho bar and peachy spinach smoothies. Very fun and tasty! Then german chocolate cake ice cream cones.

Della took flowers and a fresh tomato out of the garden to her teacher. (Matt chopped down our apple tree! Bastard!)

It was nothing like last year, which was totally traumatic for us, as the kids were all at new schools.

If you are a boy going into seventh grade then these might interest you.

They are da bomb! He designed the entire shoe himself…. down to the color of the stitching. Tell me that’s not cool and I’ll say your just green with envy. I know I am. I had to turn tricks to pay for these. We mothers will do what it takes, right? We’ll bronze them when he’s done. Go here for your very own.

Max asked me, very earnestly, if we could all try to be super organized in the mornings.

Amen Brother!

I will try. Keep reminding me, sweet boy. It don’t come natural, that’s for sure.

The morning went swimmingly. Super organized, we were. Sausage and biscuits and peaches and cream. Lots of coffee. Backpacks and school lunches and snacks. But then we were almost late to school because we found a baby bunny in the garden, and it was so damn cute that we lost track of time.

On an unrelated note.

Della took this picture. ‘Grab the camera for your blog,’ she yelled!

No, she didn’t stage it at all. 🙂 Love that girl.

I hope your back to school is lovely.

Over and out.