Leonardo, Eat Your Heart Out

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Okay… get your Da Vinci on and come on over- the art center is ready. This little nook in the playroom went from kitchen to bitch’n. It’s such a sweet kids art center and Eleanor is fit to be tied by it all! Here’s how the space looked before.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

My top priorities for the art center were storage space, gallery space, and surface space. I achieved all those goals AND managed to do it on a pretty good budget (around $120 all in). Picture me walking backwards like every college tour guide you ever had, and I’ll point out some of the details!

Shop my favorites!

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

First and foremost is this amazing desk. I snagged it off Craigslist for $40 (which included 2 table lamps). It’s this table from Overstock and exactly what I was looking for. Our tools are in storage because of the construction, so I took the legs off and ran them over to Home Depot to have them cut down to 24″. It’s a little higher than typical kids’ tables, but I wanted it to last a while and was worried that going too low would look disproportionate since it’s a regular adult size surface area.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Let’s talk storage. I needed to make an Ikea run for more of my favorite metal pails (in the garden section for $.79) and while I was trawling the aisles, I noticed this white shelf; it was in the bathroom section and I think it’s meant to rest across a bathtub; cost= $4.99.  I used a level, some drywall anchors and screws and some washers I spray painted white to attach the shelf to the wall.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Then, en route to the cash wrap, this set of storage drawers caught my eye… they’re small enough for the space upstairs but the drawers are big enough to hold lots of little artsy crafty things. Cost= $39.99.  Nothing like finding the watercolor drawer to get a girl smiling!

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

I’ve had this paper tray for a while, but it was from Homegoods and cost $7.99.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

These lovely little cups were $.50 each at Goodwill.  They’re plastic and my favorite color and great for little things like scissors and ‘grown up’ markers. I made sure to hang the shelf high enough that these smaller cups could tuck right under.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Last category: the gallery!  I fully planned on using clipboards mounted to the wall, but the space was filling up, and I loved the clean line of this wire display from Ikea for $12.99.  I also realized that with the wire, Eleanor could hang 10 times the art work she could with the clipboards, so I’ll save those for another project.  The wire is perfect and Eleanor was examining her gallery about 2 minutes after seeing the space for the first time.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

For her smaller artwork, I cut out cork and placed it inside these colorful frames (also Ikea) for $2.99/pair.  I’m a little nervous about having thumbtacks up there, but I told Eleanor it was her responsibility to be careful with them, so we’ll see.  The frames are pretty shallow so the pins don’t stick all the way in, but they hold her little doodles and designs up just fine.  I just used mounting tape to adhere the frames to the wall… not my favorite solution, but I wanted the cork boards to be flush to the wall and nails would have been too wobbly.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

That sweet little stool was a flea market find for $10.  It’s a little tall for the desk so I also tucked in a square pouf so she has the choice (or so Oliver can join her if she ever has a fit of generosity and sharing she can’t overcome).  To make the stool a little more fun, I used Mod Podge to cover the top with the same fabric that I used for my playroom curtains.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

Eleanor seems to love it.  It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that she got to first lay eyes on the finished product and she immediately settled in for some creating!

Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

We had a tornado warning this morning (i.e. no sun) so the pictures still aren’t great, but Eleanor insisted on posing in front of her new desk with the biggest grin she could manage.

Cost:

  • Table: $40 on Craigslist
  • Small drawers: $39.99 from Ikea
  • Wire shelf: $4.99 from Ikea
  • Metal pails (5): $.79 each from Ikea 3.95
  • Wire gallery display: $12.99 from Ikea
  • Cork board picture frames (2 pairs): $2.99 each from Ikea 5.98
  • Glass jars: $3.99 from Ikea
  • Blue cups (2): $.50 each from Goodwill
  • Letter “E”: $1.50 from Goodwill
  • White stool: $10 from flea market
  • Paper tray: already owned
  • Cork: already owned
  • Chevron “E”: already owned
  • Square pouf: already owned
  • Trashcan: already owned

TOTAL COST: $124.89

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Budget kids art center against a small wall in our playroom.

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29 Comments

      1. Hi Charlotte! Would you mind telling me the size of the metal pails and the name of the wire shelf from IKEA for $4.99? I know it’s been several years since you posted this and that IKEA may not have it anymore. Thank you for this post! I love it!!!!

        1. Hi there! Sorry for the delay! The galvanized pots I used were about 5.5-inches. They’re the standard galvanized pots in Ikea’s plants section. And I’m so sorry I have no idea what the wire shelf was called! 🙁

  1. Fantastic repurposing and such clever use of materials! I think I need to be inspired by this for a Lego build area…

  2. wow wow wow! everything looks fantastic! love the wire for art display. giraffe is the cake topper! and eleanor, well… she is just beautiful.

    1. Aw, thanks, Elaine. She can bring it with her grin when she wants! And I agree… the giraffe is a must for any kids photo opp! 🙂

  3. It looks fabulous and Eleanor looks like she really enjoys it! You have some great ideas that I’m going to steal as I redesign the desk area in my 8-yr-old daughter’s room. She also loves to create, but our art supplies are scattered all over the house. I have plans for a giant pin board, but I love those cute little ones!

    1. Thanks, Melissa! She’s thrilled by it. Today she showed me where she’s already stashed everything I set up on top of the desk… I love the idea of a cork wall… haven’t found the space for it yet! Good luck with your art wrangling! xo Charlotte

    1. Thanks, Emily! It was SO fun to do!!! Eleanor’s 4.25 and LOVES it so I say grab a corner and go for it. 🙂 xx

  4. This is so cute! My girls would be in Heaven with their own art space! I think cutting the desk legs was brilliant, and I’m going to hang on to that idea for further use. Btw, I love the floor in that room!

    1. Thanks, Abby! It was one of my most favorite projects! I can’t wait to watch her grow and use the space for more and more creative projects!

  5. Love this! I’m not finding the bath caddy at ikea though…do you know if it’s been discontinued?