You don’t need another clear plastic bin. I promise.
Your kids’ craft supplies have taken over the kitchen table, the hallway, and possibly your sanity. But the solution isn’t buying more storage—it’s working smarter with what you already have.
Let’s dive into 26 sneaky ways to contain the crayon chaos. No shopping required (except maybe for a pack of binder clips).
1. Hang a Clear Shoe Organizer on the Back of a Door
That over-the-door shoe rack with plastic pockets works magic for craft supplies. Stash glue sticks, washi tape rolls, and small scissors in each pocket where kids can see everything.
You just flip the door open and grab what you need. No digging through a deep bin or dumping everything onto the floor.
My three-year-old once emptied an entire bin of pom-poms because he “couldn’t find the red one.” With a shoe organizer, every color stares right back at him.
Label each pocket with a $1 pack of sticky notes if your kids can read. If not, draw little pictures.
2. Repurpose a Dish Drying Rack
That plastic or metal dish rack collecting dust in your cabinet holds paintbrushes perfectly. Stand brushes upright in the slotted utensil holder so bristles don’t get crushed.
Slide the rack onto a counter or inside a low cabinet. Kids can grab a brush and return it without any fuss.
3. Use a Lazy Susan for Markers and Crayons
Spin that turntable from your pantry right onto the craft table. Group markers by color family in small cups or mason jars on the lazy Susan.
When a kid needs a purple marker, they just give it a whirl. No more “I can’t find it” while the marker sits two inches away.
This works brilliantly for dot markers because those fat bottles tip over in regular bins. The spinning motion also makes clean-up feel like a game.
Set a rule: everything must face outward so you can read the labels. My kids now argue over who gets to spin it after each session.
4. Screw Mason Jar Lids to the Underside of a Shelf
Take the metal lid ring and screw it into the bottom of a wooden shelf. Twist a mason jar filled with buttons or beads right into the ring.
You just freed up counter space and made every tiny supply visible. The jars hang upside down, so gravity does the work of keeping things accessible.
Use wide-mouth jars for larger items like pom-poms and regular mouths for sequins. Label the bottom of each jar with a chalk marker.
My husband thought I lost my mind when he saw jars hanging from the shelf. Then he realized he could reach the screws from above to refill them without taking anything down.
This trick also works for storing pipe cleaners upright if you poke a hole in the lid first.
5. Turn Cereal Boxes into Drawer Dividers
Cut the bottom off a clean cereal box, then slice it into strips. Fold those strips into zigzag inserts that slide right into a shallow drawer.
You just created custom compartments for glue sticks, tiny erasers, and stray googly eyes. No measuring, no fancy tools.
Wrap the cardboard in leftover wrapping paper if you want it to look pretty. I used dinosaur-themed paper once, and now my kids actually want to open the craft drawer.
6. String Clothespins on a Ribbon
Tie a long ribbon across two wall hooks. Clip clothespins onto the ribbon and use them to hold pattern papers, coloring pages, or half-finished drawings.
You just built a drying rack and a display system in sixty seconds. Kids can clip their latest masterpiece without asking for tape.
7. Slide Ziplock Bags into a Three-Ring Binder
Buy a pack of baseball card protector sheets or photo sleeves. Fill each sleeve with a different supply—one for sequins, one for foam shapes, one for letter beads.
Snap the whole thing into a binder and stand it on a shelf like a book. Label the binder spine so you don’t confuse “craft stuff” with “family photos.”
My daughter flips through her binder like a menu before picking an activity. She pulled out the googly eye page last week and made twelve puppets in one afternoon.
8. Grab an Old Muffin Tin
That twelve-cup muffin tin from a garage sale separates beads, buttons, and tiny jewels perfectly. Each cup holds a different color or shape without anything rolling together.
Set the tin inside a drawer or on a low shelf. Kids can carry the whole thing to the table because the metal keeps everything contained.
9. Attach Magnetic Strips to the Wall
Peel and stick a magnetic knife strip onto the wall near your craft zone. Stick metal scissors, paper punches, and rulers right onto the strip.
You just turned vertical space into tool storage. No bin means no rummaging—every tool hangs in plain sight.
Hot glue small magnets onto the backs of glue bottles and paintbrushes if they aren’t already magnetic. Test the strength first so nothing crashes down at 2 AM.
My kids think this looks like a spy gadget wall. They actually return scissors to their spot just to hear the satisfying click.
10. Mount a Paper Towel Holder for Ribbon
Screw a horizontal paper towel holder under a cabinet or onto a wall. Slide ribbon spools onto the dowel so each color pulls out smoothly.
You just solved the tangled ribbon nightmare without a single bin. Kids yank what they need, cut it, and leave the rest on the spool.
Stack multiple holders vertically if you have dozens of ribbon types. Use a spring-loaded curtain rod inside a closet for an even bigger version.
I once spent twenty minutes untangling a knot of four ribbons. Now I spend zero minutes because the spools don’t touch each other.
11. Stack Egg Cartons for Small Parts
Egg cartons naturally separate tiny items like beads, sequins, and rhinestones. Cut the lid off and stack two or three cartons inside a drawer.
Each compartment holds one color or shape. Label the lid with a marker so you know which carton holds what without opening every single one.
My kids love popping open the carton like a treasure chest. The cardboard also absorbs glue drips, so you can just toss a messy carton and replace it.
12. Use a Spice Rack for Paint Bottles
That wooden spice rack meant for your kitchen holds small paint bottles perfectly. Stand each bottle in a stair-step shelf so labels face forward.
You can see every color at a glance. Kids grab the purple paint without knocking over three other bottles.
13. Build a Pegboard Drawer Insert
Cut a piece of pegboard to fit inside a shallow drawer. Push short dowels or pegs through the holes to create adjustable dividers.
You just made a custom organizer that changes as your craft supplies grow. Move a peg when you buy bigger googly eyes or add a new color of washi tape.
Use binder clips on the pegs to hold small bags of loose parts. I keep glitter packs clipped upright so they never accidentally open in the drawer.
My husband asked why I didn’t just buy a plastic organizer. I reminded him this cost two dollars and he got to use his saw.
14. Hang a Tension Rod Inside a Cabinet
Place a spring-loaded tension rod horizontally between two cabinet walls. Hang spray bottles of glue or paint by their trigger handles over the rod.
You just cleared an entire shelf for other supplies. The bottles stay upright and never leak because nothing knocks them over.
This also works for hanging rolls of wrapping paper if you cut the paper into craft-sized lengths first.
15. Clip Binder Clips to the Edge of a Table
Slide large binder clips onto the edge of your craft table or desk. Thread rolls of paper, ribbon, or twine through the clip handles so they hang down.
Pull the roll to unroll exactly what you need. The clip acts as a brake so the roll doesn’t spin out of control.
Use different clip sizes for different roll widths. My kids love that they can tear their own paper without asking me to hold the roll still.
We clipped a few to a low shelf in the playroom, and now my four-year-old thinks he runs the craft station.
16. Freeze Ice Cube Trays for Glitter
Fill an ice cube tray with different colors of glitter. Scoop a little from each cube directly onto glue dots or wet paint.
The tray keeps colors separate and prevents the dreaded “everything becomes silver” situation. Tap the tray over a piece of scrap paper to catch spills for easy re-use.
I bought a silicone tray with a lid so I can stack two trays on top of each other. My kids fight over who gets the star-shaped tray, but at least the glitter stays contained.
17. Store Coloring Books in a Letter Organizer
That vertical letter holder from your home office holds coloring books like a charm. Stand each book upright so spines face out and kids can read the titles.
You just turned a pile of floppy books into a neat little library. No more digging through a bin to find the unicorn coloring book buried at the bottom.
Label the front of each book with a sticky note so kids know exactly where to return it. My daughter actually puts her books back now because the slot says “mermaids.”
18. Stick a Utensil Caddy in the Middle of the Table
Grab a rotating utensil caddy from the kitchen and fill it with markers, scissors, and glue. Set it right in the center of your craft table so everyone can reach.
No one has to get up to grab supplies. You also eliminate the “that’s mine” fights because everything lives in the shared caddy.
19. Wrap Pipe Cleaners Around a Coat Hanger
Untwist a wire coat hanger and bend it into a zigzag shape. Slide pipe cleaners onto the wire like beads on a necklace.
You just stored fifty pipe cleaners in the space of one. The wire keeps them from tangling, and you can hang the whole thing on a hook.
Make multiple hangers for different color families. I have one for rainbow colors and another for metallics. My kids love sliding them off like they’re choosing a candy bar.
20. Tape Toilet Paper Rolls Inside a Shoebox
Stand empty toilet paper rolls upright inside a shoebox. Drop markers, colored pencils, or skinny glue sticks into each roll.
The rolls act as individual holsters so nothing tips over. Close the shoebox lid when you need to stack other things on top.
Glue the rolls to the bottom of the box if your kids are rough. I used a hot glue gun, and the box survived a toddler’s tantrum.
21. Hang a Pegboard Wall (Skip the Bins)
Mount a pegboard on an empty wall and fill it with hooks, small shelves, and cups. Hang every tool directly on a hook instead of putting them in bins.
You just created a craft station that looks like an artist’s studio. Kids can see every single supply at eye level, which means they actually use what they have.
Attach small metal pails to the pegboard for loose items like erasers. Use shower hooks to hang scissors by their finger holes.
My kids now spend more time crafting and less time asking me where things are. The pegboard turned our mess into a masterpiece.
22. Stash Projects in a Mesh Laundry Bag
Throw half-finished crafts into a mesh laundry bag and hang it on a hook. Use a different bag for each kid so no one claims someone else’s popsicle stick house.
The mesh lets you see what’s inside without opening anything. Clip the drawstring closed with a binder clip to keep small pieces from falling out.
We have a bag for “needs glue” and another for “needs adult help.” My kids check their bag every morning like it’s Christmas.
23. Magnetize a Cookie Sheet
Stick a dollar store cookie sheet to the wall or lay it flat on a table. Put magnets on the backs of small metal tins (like mint tins or Altoids boxes) and stick them to the sheet.
Each tin holds a different supply—one for paper clips, one for brads, one for tiny beads. Label each tin with a chalk marker so you can wipe it clean when you switch supplies.
My kids think this is magic. They pull a tin off the sheet, use what they need, and stick it right back.
24. Cut Paper Towel Tubes for Ribbon Spools
Slice a paper towel tube into one-inch rings. Slide a ribbon spool into each ring so the ribbon feeds through the center hole.
Stack the rings in a drawer or on a shelf. The rings keep spools from rolling away and unspooling everywhere.
25. Sort Pom-Poms by Color in Clear Jars
Line up clear glass jars (pasta sauce jars work great) on a shelf. Fill each jar with one color of pom-poms and screw on the lid.
You just made your craft supplies look like a candy shop. Kids can see exactly how many purple pom-poms remain without dumping the whole jar.
Drill a small hole in the lid if you want to pull pom-poms out one at a time. My toddler shakes the jar like a snow globe, but at least they don’t end up in the dog’s water bowl.
26. Tape Ziplock Bags to the Inside of a Cabinet Door
Fill small Ziplock bags with feathers, buttons, or rhinestones. Use painter’s tape to stick the bags to the inside of a cabinet door in a grid pattern.
You just turned dead space into prime real estate. Close the door and no one sees the mess, but open it and every tiny supply is right there.
Label each bag with a Sharpie and group similar items together. My kids open the cabinet, grab a bag, craft, then slide it back into its taped spot.
Now go grab a cup of coffee and survey your craft zone. Pick three of these tricks to try this weekend—your sanity (and your floor) will thank you. I’m off to label my own shoe organizer before the glitter uprising begins.