storage

I blogged about Knock Off Wood back in March (read the post here,) a really wonderfully empowering make-it-yourself site where Ana White creates building plans with supply lists for furniture inspired by retailers like Pottery Barn for your home and yard. Yes, even YOU can build a Farmhouse Bed, Apothecary Cabinet , a changing table, or even the very bed my son sleeps in every night, a fort bed…although his really is from IKEA.

The first thing I made inspired by Ana’s site was the clip art rails, a really easy project that you can do in a couple of hours, and get your child in on the action. My version of the rail was a bit simpler than hers, mostly because I’m just lazy.

Materials needed:

Inexpensive pine craft boards, 1.25” by 4”, from any home improvement store
Clothes pins, about 8 per board
Hot glue gun
Paint for the boards and clothespins

First things first, paint the boards with at least 2 coats of paint and let dry.

My little artist

I set up a painting station for Nate with a couple of dozen clips and several washable paint colors, and let him paint the whole clip instead of taking them apart. You know I’m all about easy and fun haphazard art! I let them dry over night, then took my favorite ones and evenly spaced 8 of them along each board and glued them down on each board with the hot glue, alternating the clip’s directions.

Finished and hung

Aaron screwed the two rails onto the wall in Nate’s room one afternoon while he and I were out, and put up a bunch of Nate’s artwork from school and friends. Nate walked in the room and just LOVED it! I love how even the way we display his artwork is touched by his sweet hands.

Pretty blue, painted by my sugar pie

I’m telling you guys, this is so easy…go out to the store this weekend to get the supplies and by Sunday you’ll have a great way to display your little Picasso’s works of art not only in their rooms, but in the hallway or dining room of your home. It makes kids so proud to see their handiwork displayed with love by you!

Photo from Gardnervilla.com

I thought this was the most appropriate idea to craft about today: bookshelves made from rain gutters! Thanks to Yavonda of Baby and the Beasts for the very timely project link.

I hope to see you guys out at Boo at the Zoothis weekend! Come visit us at our table near the carousel where we will be sponsoring free rides. Hope to see you there!

i don’t know if you are like me, but i shudder every time i start to think about cleaning out the artwork my son brings home from preschool. i am so excited about every single piece, that in my mind they are all mini picassos and pollacks, and how dare i recycle/trash these wonderful masterpieces! i mean, who else can scribble like that? the gods?
anyway, i’ve come up with a few cute ways to display his art throughout the house, like in our tv room above the blinds-

hanging above the window

framed artwork with our liquor collection…yes, i know it’s on the edge of inappropriate-

a masterwork and maker's mark

and on a former window in his bedroom, turned into a bulletin board by my fabulously handy husband-

the bulletin board of fame

i also found a little website called a craft life, and she had some great suggestions for art storage . small notebook , a wonderful place with tips to simplify every thing in your life, had some great advice and more links to other blogs on organizing and displaying  children’s art.  her key deciding factor in what she kept and didn’t keep? she kept the ones that made her smile the most. great idea!

so what storage solutions have worked for you? send me an idea and we’ll try it out…thanks!