DIY Marker Storage & Art Supplies Organizer Ideas

Last Updated on March 12, 2026 by

Looking for a DIY marker storage solution that actually works? After months of trying different systems and nearly giving up on kid art supplies altogether, I finally cracked the code for organizing markers, crayons, and other creative tools in our small space. Whether you’re dealing with limited storage or just want to create a more functional art area for your kids, I’ll show you how we transformed a closet corner into an organized art station that makes both parents and little artists happy.

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En Nuestra Casa

I stressed over what to do with our kids‘ art supplies–how to organize them, what to keep, etc. I brainstormed so many things! We even created (DIY Home Depot woodworking) a special “art cart,” and nothing seemed to work! Honestly I debated getting rid of all of our art supplies. I just couldn’t figure out how to make it work!

Long story short, I came across the perfect marker organizer that changed everything. I finally dreamed up a hanging paper organizer, and I cleared just enough space in our closet. Finally, I put together a few miracle Amazon products to create the art station you see today. Keep reading to see how we put this all together.

Determine Your Need for DIY Marker Storage & MORE

Here’s the interesting thing with problem solving home organization and storage solutions. Sometimes you just have to make a mess before you can clean it up. I took some time to just observe my kids when they wanted to color, play with playdoh, or even paint. I asked myself, What are they looking for? Where? How are they interacting with the different materials? What parts of this process can I make independent, and what parts do I need to be involved in?

Stepping back and observing for a while helped me realize what we really needed:

• Just a few things out at a time. (My kids don’t need unlimited Playdoh access, and neither do I! Sometimes I need a break from that mess!)
• They need easy access to paper for drawing, coloring, etc.
• They need regular, independent access to some art supplies (ex: stickers, markers) but not others (paint, glue).
• Things needed to be organized so they were easy to find and easy to clean up.

DIY Marker Storage

I’ll admit, this is probably the least DIY of all our DIY projects. It’s more of a creative bout of Amazon shopping and pairing together products that weren’t meant to go together but that complement each other really well.

And for any sort of “DIY marker storage,” let me start by saying I love the Crayola telescoping Pipsqueak tower. Do I from time to time stress-reorganize it? Yes, but what joy is there in life if not for organizing tiny markers in rainbow order? I upgraded this little marker holder by placing it on top of a 6″ lazy Susan from Amazon. Then I nestled it down into a deep wooden tray (we use the one that came with our stamp set), where the crayons live freely.

Organizing Your Art Supplies

Staying organized is not only one of my favorite things in life. It’s also a way to teach children order, predictability, and (gasp!) safety. Kids thrive on structure! And a kid who can find a blue marker is more likely to draw a sky, right? (Kidding, he’ll probably just draw the sky whatever color he wants–but you get the idea!) There are a lot of different ways to organize your kids’ various art supplies. But again, I love a big ol’ lazy Susan with an organizer tray stacked on top.

Alternative Solutions for DIY Marker Storage + Organization

If you’re looking to avoid the extra cost of buying specific organizers on Amazon, I don’t blame you. Cereal boxes can work in a pinch if you cut them down to size, or even a small cardboard box can house an array of crayons. Those Oui glass yogurt jars work really well for housing pencils, brushes, crayons, etc. When I was a teacher, I washed out a bunch of tin cans, hot glued cute fabric around the outside, and reused them as pencil cups.

Conclusion

Organizing your art supplies is a great way to offer your kids independence. It also helps to maximize every inch of your small space. It’s been really cool to see each of our kids interact with these supplies in their own way at their various ages. It shows me that this system will last more than just a couple of years. If anything, we’ll swap out materials as they get older, but the general system will remain the same.

And remember–our “art station” is inside a closet! So remember that you’re not outgrowing your space, you might just need to reimagine it.

Tap here to see our art station in action! What kind of art supplies do your kids like best? Comment below to let us know. And to you and your kids, happy crafting!