Beneath the Kitchen Sink

I mentioned in my Utility Closet Organization post that we store our kitchen cleaners under the kitchen sink. The cabinet is lined with adhesive shelf-liner, and the supplies are labeled with a basic Epson LabelWorks labels.

I buy cleaning supplies in bulk when they go on sale or I have a coupon, so the cleaners fill one entire cabinet.

The other cabinet houses cleaning tools and a plastic bin for dirty dish cloths, cloth napkins, and other kitchen laundry. Our fire extinguisher also resides here.

I use a cleaning caddy to corral the small stuff.

Updated Art Supplies Storage

For our most recent update, click here.

I've previously shared the storage solution we have for kids' art and sensory materials. It's been working great, but it was missing a little something.



A little pretty.



Here's the new bookshelf:

Amazing what some spray paint ($3), chalkboard contact paper (maybe 1/16 of $7) and a chalk marker ($8) can do.

Large plastic bin holds scraps and works in progress.

The chalk marker works great straight on plastic, so I didn't have to stick a chalkboard label to the black play clothes bin (a repurposed dishwashing tub).

A new utensil caddy from Ikea ($3) corrals tools.

I cut construction paper and foam sheets into quarters for small-scale art. They're stored in painted drawer organizing baskets from Wal-Mart ($1/2).

A magazine holder from Target's Dollar Spot ($1) holds paper.

Sensory materials are stored in plastic jars (lids painted) from Wal-Mart ($2/ea).

The small art supplies are held in food storage containers (with painted lids) from Wal-Mart ($2/4). I drew my own template and cut chalkboard labels from the chalkboard contact paper. These labels would run about $5/12 on Etsy, but making them myself, they cost maybe 2-5 cents each. And I didn't even need an expensive vinyl-cutting machine to make them! ;)

A CD storage crate purchased on clearance from Wal-Mart ($1) holds socks and sunblock for outdoor play.

Salad Spinner Painting

We tried out some salad spinner painting today. Very simple activity. Place a paper plate or circle of paper/card in the bottom of the spinner, squirt some paint on top, then close it up and spin. Perfect for my 2.5 year old, who was able to do the entire activity on her own.

At first, I thought we didn't have any paper plates on hand, so Meg used some scraps of paper while I searched.

They worked fine, but the paper curled and buckled, as one would expect, under the heavy tempera paint.

When I finally unearthed some plates, they were too big, so I cut them down a bit. That worked splendidly.

We had to move the activity indoors thanks to some aggressive wasps out today, but Margaret was able to make some beautiful art anyway. She had access to 11 different colors, but she preferred to stick with green, blue, yellow, and red - always in that order - on every plate. They turned out lovely, don't you think?

By the way, our hanging art dryer is from Ikea. It's meant to dry clothes, but we love it for wet artwork. We usually hang it off the middle of our outdoor canopy on a hook that I believe is there to hang a potted plant from.

Organized Utility Closet

We're in the middle of a million home- and yard-renovation projects, which take up the majority of our free time at the moment and can be exhausting and wearing. So I took some time out last weekend to decompress.

By reorganizing our utility closet.

It's a sickness, I tell you.

Everything's a lot more accessible now, though, and just plain nicer to look at. (Because that's a very important function of a utility closet...)

Cleaning supplies are at eye-level. (I store our kitchen cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink, and basic bathroom cleaning supplies in each bathroom.)

Cleaning tools on the top shelf:

Simple labels for easy identification

Chemicals below, sorted by use

Tools and Candles:

Batteries, loose change, and electronics

"Indoor tools" and a tackle box of hardware

Plug-in scents, matches, potpourri, tea lights, votives

At the top of the closet are storage containers not currently in use and fragile seasonal decor that can't be stored in the garage.

And down on the floor of the closet are our emergency kits and picnic supplies.

The vacuum slides right in, and mops are stored along the side.

Storage containers were purchased from from Dollar Tree, Target's Dollar Spot, or were already owned. Labels made with Epson LabelWorks label maker.

Outdoor Toy and Art Supply Storage

Edit - See the update to this post: our garage art studio.

Here's a quickie today. I've been searching for a few months for a way to store our messy art supplies outside, as well as something to contain our outdoor toys. Our area gets frequent high winds, as well as full desert sun all day, so we need something sturdy and fully-enclosed. It's important to me that Margaret be able to access the toys herself, too.

I finally settled on these Ikea Josef cabinets. We purchased two and bolted one atop the other (they come with the hardware to do so). They are secured to the house and close with a magnetic lock that Margaret can open herself.

In the top one, we have the art supplies.

17 bottles of ~16 oz paints and 2 large gallons

Top: rags, waterproof tablecloth, water balloons, hanging drying rack for wet artwork
Middle: shaving cream, glue, pie pans, paint tray, masking tape, loofah, paint cups, droppers, spray bottles

The bottom one holds Meg's toys.

The toys and supplies are now protected from the elements, but easy for Margaret to access and clean up again on her own.