by Debra Norton of Vintage Paper Parade

It’s no surprise to most who know me that both my children love to create. I come from a family of makers.  Some of my earliest memories are of my Mom teaching ceramics classes in our basement and my father patiently teaching me oil painting techniques. My mother was a talented artist. She loved to dabble in different genres and seemed to excel at most. She and my father have always encouraged our children’s creativity.

Today some of my children’s most vivid memories of my Mom, whom we lost to cancer last August, are of crafting at her kitchen table. There was always a big basket of craft materials to inspire and giggles with Grandma with each visit.

Creating a space in our home for our children to create is important to us. We live in a small house but have managed to carve out a corner.

Desk:

We created a desk area for the kids using Ikea drawer units and a tabletop.

Storage:

Colour pencil crayons, markers, paintbrushes and other supplies are stored in vintage mason jars. I find they make it easy for the kids to keep their supplies organized.

A portfolio for kids art corrals all the doodles, drawings and paintings we just can’t part with.  At some point , I know I’ll have to pare down this collection, but until then it keeps it safe.

I love the idea of photographing the kids’ art to keep as a memento.  I’ve seen companies who offer this as a service. You send them the art and they send you a beautiful collage. This would also be an easy D.I.Y.  Maybe a summer craft project?

Display:

A shelf  showcases our most important art.

A bulletin board and a vintage enamel tray serve as display pieces that allow the kids to pin-up notes, photos, doodles and to-do lists.

My daughter’s current passion is Fimo. To house these tiny creations my Dad Ikea hacked some cubbies out of frames.

Ideas for organizing art and supplies:

From Smidgebox a sweet fabric storage bin.

This is a great idea from Martha Stewart for using mailing tubes as storage.

Lost Road Vintage has this great vintage sorter perfect for supplies or storage.

Clothes pegs from Jelly Beans Studio plus twine = art display

One of my little makers has been asking me for months if she can open an Etsy shop of her own. After a couple of appearances at school bazaars and numerous requests from friends for her creations, at the age of 10, she wants to sell her Fimo creations to the world. She has started to photograph and write descriptions in an effort to convince me she is capable. Another summer project perhaps?

Debra Norton designs stationery and paper goods for her business Vintage Paper Parade. She loves hunting for vintage treasures, sharing her love of handmade and producing and styling events to share via her blog.