Parent Hacks

Organize art supplies with dollar store bins + laminated labels

via tinyleafstudio.com

Several attendees of the "Getting Organized" chat asked for tips on how to organize art supplies. My overarching strategy for all organizing projects is "Simplify, Routinize, Delegate," and Jess of Tiny Leaf Studio did just that with her craft closet.

Simplify: Declutter then sort the art supplies into categories. That way you know how much storage space you need and how many containers to buy.

Routinize: Create a home for each category of supplies. In this case, Jess chose a closet shelf and clearly-labeled handled bins. Having a specific home for art supplies enables a simple routine for when kids want to do an art project: you and they know where the supplies are and which ones to pull out for a given project.

If you have older kids and the room, consider choosing a spot the kids can reach themselves (see Delegate.)

Delegate: The grab handles, absense of lids, and big, colorful labels make it so much easier for the kids to clean up after themselves. Less work for you, and more likely you won't cringe when the kids say "Let's do an art project!"

(Note Jess's clever use of cheap, Dollar Store bins and her personal laminator.)

For more how-to, read the full post at Tiny Leaf Studio: 
Unplanned project: closet craft organization

More: Hacks for organizing art supplies

Writer, mother, extrovert: a tricky balance

How did I, a fundamentaly social person, end up self-employed as a writer, followed by stay-at-home motherhood? Two of the most isolating, solitary jobs one could do?

In my latest post at Babble Voices, I talk about how easy it can be to forget about your fundamental needs even as you walk down the path toward a full and happy life. And one easy thing you can do to adjust course.

Read the full post at Babble Voices: The Accidental Expert: Writer, Mother, Extrovert: A Tricky Balance

New favorite craft material: polymer clay

Polymer clay (such as Sculpey and Fimo) has everything going for it: it's inexpensive, widely-available, versatile, long-lasting, easy to use, easy to clean up, and open to endless interpretation.

Best of all, it's one of those magic materials (like Legos, unlike Play-Doh) that provides double-fun: fun in the crafting, and fun in playing with the finished product. (Once you've made something out of polymer clay, you bake it for 15 minutes. After your creation cools it's pretty much unbreakable.)

My daughter spent hours one rainy weekend fashioning tiny polymer clay treasures. She created foods and plates on which to serve them. She also made little animals with custom-fitted baby bottles (she has to feed them, after all).

More ideas:

• Homemade action figures, Pokemon characters, etc.
• A tiny village or neighborhood (think: Christmas mantel decorations!)
• A homemade tea set
• Props for a dollhouse
• Beads and buttons
• A set of fridge magnets
• Claymation video projects
• Play money
• A model train set (a friend made an entire track winding through a forest)
• School projects: dioramas, models and science fair displays

If you have a kid that loves miniatures, is a Wallace & Gromit fan, or could use a little fine-motor skills practice, you've found your material.

You can buy polymer clay at just about any craft store; you may even find it in the craft supply section of big box stores. Check out Polyform for more project ideas.

Note: Polymer clay is made of PVC and colored with non-toxic dyes, and contains no phthalates.

Who else is a fan of polymer clay? I'd love to hear your project ideas.

More: Fun projects and activities

Live talk recap: Best Ideas for Getting Organized

Yesterday's live talk at The Motherhood may have been an even bigger inspiration to me than to the attendees. Here are the highlights.

Read more →

Perfect first baking project: Blondies

I stumbled onto a recipe for Mark Bittman's Blondies over the weekend, and I hereby dub it The Perfect Recipe for a New Baker.

Read more →

Divide your to-do list by context

Does your paper to-do list get too unwieldy? Do you get overwhelmed by "home" to-dos cluttering your list while you're busy with work? Here's Hillary's practical solution.

Read more →

DIY science experiment table

Most of us relish the idea of a little mad science with the kids, but then we run into the reality of gathering the materials and finding the space to work. Undaunted (and motivated by her daughter's love of science), Michelle set out to solve this problem.

Read more →

Do you need a professional organizer?

There are many good books and online services that can help you get organized. But if you've tried them without success, consider bringing in a partner -- either a friend or a pro.

Read more →

Join me for a live talk on getting organized: Monday 1/23/12

The Motherhood has asked me to host a live talk on getting organized, and you're all invited! Join me, Christine Koh, and Meagan Francis for 30 lively, productive minutes on Monday, 1/23/12.

Read more →

Make a no-sew Moby wrap baby carrier

Heather of Rookie Moms made her own Moby Wrap-style baby carrier (which she refers to as her Fauxby). And you can, too. Really, you can.

Read more →