This week’s post is a follow-up to my previous post, on having a workable kids’ art table set up. If your kids have an art corner set up that’s truly functional, chances are there’s a storage caddy involved. Every kids’ art corner needs an art caddy: a place to contain markers, crayons, etc. when they’re not in use, so things stay neat and tidy.
Trouble is, as I realized several weeks ago when planning out my kids’ art table post, my girls’ table doesn’t really have the space for an art caddy. So I made one.
The thing I especially like about their new art caddy is that it’s mounted on the wall, freeing up table space while keeping all their supplies within reach.
If your kiddos’ art space – or your home-office desk space – is similarly short on surface area, this simple hack may be the answer to your clutter creep.
Why a wall-mount art caddy?
This is not my first post about going vertical to create space where no other room exists. I love maximizing horizontal surfaces by utilizing vertical ones. And my kids’ tiny art space is a prime candidate for the going-vertical solution.
Their table is perfect for a child to sit and color at, but not big enough for workspace plus storage space. Hence I’ve had to get creative with storing their supplies nearby:
- Last fall, I used some 3M Command removable hooks to mount a shatterproof wall file next to the table – perfect for filing practice worksheets.
- The bottom shelf of the hutch contains thrift-store filing trays to hold coloring books, workbooks, and notepads.
- I’ve also used 3M hooks to hang other supplies within reach of their caddy, without damaging the antique hutch long-term.
At first I tried using a thrift-store art caddy and plastic bin to contain their supplies on the hutch shelf. But the crayons, markers, and colored pencils never seemed to stay neat for very long in their designated containers.
Moreover, Essie (our resident coloring queen and word-find whiz) never wanted to sit and work at the table when it was cluttered. Instead, she’d spread her worksheets and markers all over the floor, or the kitchen table, or both. Meaning no space to eat breakfast, and lots of tripping hazards for anyone who tried to walk by.
Since the hanging-file system had worked well in keeping the paper clutter at bay, I wondered if a hanging art caddy would likewise keep their supplies within reach but off their workspace. So I gave it a try. Two weeks in, we’re very pleased with the results.
Easy DIY Wall Mounted Art Caddy
What you’ll need:
- Several aluminum cans from canned goods, in assorted sizes, rinsed clean and with labels/adhesive residue removed. (Check to make sure they’re magnetic.)
- A strong wall-mount magnetic knife holder that will match your décor. I found this 18-inch one by Ounona on sale at Amazon. I liked the stainless-steel finish as well as the fact that it came with multiple hanging hooks that fit securely over the dual bars.
- Spray paint in your preferred color(s), and/or washi tape, stickers, ribbon + glue gun, etc. for decorating.
- A cordless drill for mounting on the wall. (A stud finder and leveling ruler are also helpful, if you have them.)
- Two old wine corks or similar-sized scraps of wood, to stuff into either end of the holder. (Otherwise, as I learned the hard way, the cans can just roll right off the ends!)
- A hammer, large nail, and block of scrap wood (to place inside the can so you don’t warp the shape when hammering the hole in), if you want to add hanging holes to make use of the hooks.
- Figure out which cans will work for what you want to hold, and remove labels/clean as described above. Since we had assorted markers plus much shorter things (mini colored pencils and crayons) to house, I picked out two 15-oz, two 10-oz, and two 6-oz from the pile I’d been saving from the recycling bin.
- Then, using a pair of pliers, crimp down the inside edges of each can until they’re smooth (otherwise, little fingers could get cut!).
- Test each can with the magnetic strip before you hang the strip on the wall. This is how I learned a) that I’d need to add something on the ends of the strip to serve as “stoppers” (I used wine corks wedged between the bars of the rack) and b) that four of our cans were going to be too heavy to hang reliably when filled.
Installation
- Figure out where you’re going to hang your magnetic strip on the wall. Mark spots for the screw holes, drill pilot holes, install anchors as needed, and hang the rack. (Our rack also came with wall anchors.)
- Hang your storage cans and admire the results. Now, wasn’t that easy?
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Ooh this is a super good idea for my kids playroom in the future! So many crafty bits everywhere! But for now when not in use I have to put them high up so my 2 year old keeps his hands off them or it’s everywhere! I definitely need to do something like this once he’s a bit older 🙂
Ooooooh, yes – that was what we had to do for a long time, even after I moved the designated art space to our kitchen – totally understand! Just hope and pray that he doesn’t get as good at climbing as Essie did – for awhile there, no matter WHERE/how high I hid the scissors, no matter what room of the house, she would find them anyway!
You make this look easy! I want to do something similar in the bathroom
*Thanks* – it really wasn’t that hard, so do give it a try! 🙂
This is such a creative way to get organized! Love that you up cycle everyday items and put them to great use!
Thanks! It’s easier than hunting forever for the perfect thing to do what I want, when I can picture what I want in my mind 🙂
Love this! I’m always trying to find new ways to upcycle things that we use on a regular basis. Cans definitely fall into that category—may need to start saving up a few of them so I can give this a try. 🙂
So glad you liked it, Kaity! I figured it’d take us several weeks to get the assortment I wanted, and was shocked/surprised that it was more like a matter of DAYS to save up what I needed…
Cool upcycle! I think this could be useful for bathrooms and kitchens too.
Ooh, bathrooms, I totally didn’t think of that! And definitely kitchens as well – our art table is in the far corner of our kitchen, but I’m already dreaming up other ways one could use this in a kitchen space proper 🙂 …
I am all about going vertical!! Amazing idea! Visual and practical; love it!!
Thanks so much – am glad you like it, Bethany!
I just LOVE DIY projects! This wall caddy is perfect! I find that mounting things on the wall definitely creates more space and it’s high enough for my little guy not to be able to reach it! Haha! Great post! 🙂
Oh, yes – that’s TOTALLY the other reason to go vertical – to keep stuff out of their reach! 🙂 (and then they figure out how to climb furniture!…)
This looks so creative and useful.. Can be used for so many things of daily purpose as well! Good DIY project here.
*Thanks* – so glad you like it! It was really quite easy 🙂
This is awesome! Could be used for anything not just school supplies! How cool!
*Thanks,* Karen – so glad you like it! 🙂
I am a DIY-er and this is so cute! We’re about to redo my craft room and will definitely consider this to hold all our knick knacks!
So glad you like it, Chelsea-Rae! You can really decorate it as fancy as you like! If you’re looking to hold even more, some white pegboard is another option – we have these in our kitchen with pots/pans on top, and baskets-made-to-hang-from-pegboard on bottom 🙂
Wow this is so incredible. I am a fan of DIY stuff and this project can definitely help me organize my stuff.
Glad you like it, Akyn – if you give it a try, do let us know how it goes! 🙂