Organizing Your Art Supplies

I like to think of my art studio as organized chaos.  

Art supplies are gathered with similar materials, stuffed in baskets, drawers & boxes. Sometimes, the papers and brushes spill over their containers, but mostly, I have space to store items and space to work, and I can lay my hands on what I need.

I love this way of working -- letting things spill over a bit, but mostly having room to create.  My trick is to gather collage papers in one basket, watercolor brushes in a mug or two.  I gather similar things together, and find inexpensive storage supplies to hold them.

David built me this wooden bookshelf from lumber we picked up at the side of the road.  I love the old, funky nature of the wood and the memory of scoring it on a morning walk.

I bought an Ikea drawer set and decorated it with some old scrap wood I had.  You can read the post about that transformation here: https://betsyblissart.blogspot.com/2024/06/an-upcycled-drawer-refresh.html

I like to keep certain often-used supplies near at hand. All sorts of useful things --from inspiring quotes to treats for the kitties -- live in these drawers.

I found this small metal drawer unit at a thrift store and labeled each drawer with white chalk.

Pens, erasers and pencil sharpeners are tucked into the drawers.

You may have seen the pegboard paint tube storage idea online. I got the idea of hanging up my acrylic paints from The Unexpected Gypsy.  It makes finding the right color easy!  And I love seeing my paints ready to help me create.

This old, wooden chest was $20 at Goodwill Industries.  I filled it with my watercolor tube paints and pastels (some of which were bought secondhand at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (PCCR), a wonderful thrift store for art supplies.

I made the drawer organizer from cardboard boxes and hot glue.

Sketchbooks, class files and a wealth of papers end up in this Ikea cabinet:

Labels remind me what's stuffed in each basket and box.

We used to grow produce and haul it to farmer's markets to sell.  When we retired from farming, I turned our wooden bushel boxes, like the one below, into storage.

I bought the various boxes inside this bushel at PCCR secondhand.

A dear friend found this old wooden tool box at an auction and bought it for me.  It stores my colored pencils, ink dip pens and a variety of brushes, organized by medium.  Displaying your brushes & pencils  alongside nature's feathers, crystals & twigs turns your art supplies into a funky still life.

Though I have bought a few things from Ikea, most of my art studio organization comes from secondhand sources -- thrift shops, the side of the road, etc.  I go through my art supplies every few months to pull out items I no longer use so I can donate them at the PCCR.  

I consider cleaning up my space to be great self care.  I always feel more relaxed and inspired to create when I'm done cleaning up!

What can you find around your home to artfully hold your creative supplies?  Which of your art supplies would you like to put on display?

Setting up a beautiful, organized space to draw and paint in is a form of creativity.

Happy Creating!