the perfect arts & crafts supply storage solution!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Just have to share some pics of this elfa system we just bought. At home, all the kids arts and crafts stuff, playdoh and crayons etc was getting out of hand. A year or so ago I saw lhafer post a few pics of this elfa storage unit and I knew I just had to have it someday. :) Was waiting for DD to get a little older (so she wouldn't go and pull everything out and make a mess, lol) and then for Container Store to have a sale. Well today I noticed all elfa was 30% off so i bought one.

We bought the wider version of this, and added casters and switched one of the deeper drawers to two thinner ones, and added two of those clear organizers on top
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/elfa/bestSellingSolutions/closets?productId=10009305&N=68559+1000045

It was easy to assemble and wow, it is really nice. I thought it would be super expensive as it's elfa but it wasn't too bad at all...a little over $100 with all the accessories (organizers, casters, etc). And it holds a TON of stuff..it fit everything we had and more. we bought drawer stoppers so the kids couldn't pull out the shelves all the way.

I have attached pics...first is with it closed, the second with couple drawers opened. sorry for some reason they came out sideways :S Anyway, i know there have been a lot of threads on arts/craft storage so i figured i'd share. the kids seemed to really enjoy it. the top part is really cool as they can just toss crayons etc into it, so it's easier for them to clean up.

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[mikeys_mom]

Thanks for sharing. I have been thinking of doing something like this for the past year. I even have the perfect spot in my kitchen to slide the whole unit into. I just need to get organized and buy everything. Very helpful to have a visual now. Maybe it will inspire me to get moving with this project :)

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Thanks for sharing. I have been thinking of doing something like this for the past year. I even have the perfect spot in my kitchen to slide the whole unit into. I just need to get organized and buy everything. Very helpful to have a visual now. Maybe it will inspire me to get moving with this project :)
the staff at the Container Store was VERY helpful with this..they had several of these on display and we basically told her what we wanted and she put everything together for us, it was much easier than i thought!

[hellokitty]

I have a similar set up for our craft stuff and my favorite part is that it's all open for them to see and it's on casters! So, we usually keep it in our formal dining room (yeah, I know, classy, right?), but if guests come over, I scooch it into our study, which has a door on it. It's just that it's more accessible to the kids in the formal dining room, than in the study.

[Seitvonzu]

we use this which seems similar (minus casters):
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89903473/

plus the kitchen cart :
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30216536/

i really like it better than our old open shelf system.... it still doesn't house all our stuff though ;)

[essnce629]

We bought the wider version of this, and added casters and switched one of the deeper drawers to two thinner ones, and added two of those clear organizers on top
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/elfa/bestSellingSolutions/closets?productId=10009305&N=68559+1000045


What are the exact dimensions of yours? Do you have the 22" wide version? Looks like it fits a ton!



we use this which seems similar (minus casters):
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89903473/


Can you tell me the dimensions of the shelves?

[Seitvonzu]

16 1/8x23 5/8x28 3/8" (lifted from the ikea page :))

[essnce629]

16 1/8x23 5/8x28 3/8" (lifted from the ikea page :))

That's for the whole cart. I was wanting to know the dimensions of the individual shelves. Just wondering if they could fit some of the small plastic containers that I already have.

[OKKiddo]

I just saw this but wanted to give all of you a big thumbs up that you have kiddos that can be trusted with the arts and crafts supplies that aren't in a locked cabinet! I have crayons on my walls (and while the crayons are all washable, our rental is painted in flat white paint so it takes the paint with the crayon when I clean), paint in the cracks of my wood floors, glue clumps on the underside of my dining room table that I have had to painstakingly scrape off, etc. If I don't have it in a locked sauder cabinet my kids will get into it lickety split while I'm taking a bathroom break, shower, or checking the mail. Stinkers!