Non Traditional Tools for the Art Room

  This year marks my seventeenth year of teaching elementary art. It is odd to think I've been in the classroom for that long, but I've picked up a few things along the way and this post shares some of the more unusual items that I use on a regular basis in my art room, and explains what I do with those items. Click the image to be directed to an Amazon Affiliate link to the product!

  I use these crab crackers All. The. Time. They will open regular glue bottles, gallon glue bottles, paint containers, glaze jars-anything with ease. I've also seen people use hand held nut crackers, but these are great because the smaller space closer to the hinge is the perfect size for the orange tip of an Elmer's glue bottle for those situations that call for the tip to be removed and cleaned out while the larger space is perfect for larger lids. THIS is my best tip for new art teachers. Don't hurt your hand or waste time soaking the bottle-use one of these!

  Sometimes there is just a little bit more of a product left and I don't want to waste it, but also don't have time to stand around holding the bottles together to combine the product. This Smart Funnel will hold the bottles for me so I can get on to other tasks. 

   Several years ago I was struggling to figure out how to display some clay plaque style Tiki mask projects when I received a donation to my department. I used the newfound money to purchase a bunch of these foldable phone stands. I put a line of hot glue at the front of each of the display case shelves to make sure the stands don't slide, and it became a perfect solution. They fold flat so I am able to easily store them when not in use. 

    These industrial bakers racks have completely changed storage of 3D artwork for me. I used a strip of magnet along one side and these magnetic labels to add the class code to each shelf (magnets do not stick to the rack alone).

 I purchased a twelve pack of full size sheet pans to use in the bakers racks for lighter projects, such as paper sculptures. 

 I also got a few of these half sheet pans with cooling racks. These are awesome for clay! The cooling rack allows for even drying which prevents cracking, and the half size is more manageable for heavier projects such as clay.

   These are the BEST staple removers. They side under the staple and collect them in the gap at the bottom of the photo. They are magnetic to help avoid dropping the staples, and so easy to use that my students help me take down bulletin boards with them.

   When I finish taking down a bulletin board I use this telescopic magnet to double check that I'm not leaving any sharp staples on the floor.

   I have a cart like this one for my art displays. On the bottom shelf I have a bin of the phone holders that are listed above for clay plaque projects and a bin of these magnetic hooks for hanging art from the crossbeams of the ceiling. The middle shelf has staplers, staples, thumb tacks, tape, etc. Anything I anticipate needing as I am putting up artwork. One of the bins that hang from the side I use for the staple remover and telescoping magnet listed above, scissors, pen, pencil, and Sharpie. The second one I use to collect used staples. Under the wooden lid I keep an X-acto knife set and any display signs that I think I will want to use again in the future. The lid is nice to put a stack of artwork on so I don't have to bend down to pick up each new work. Sometimes I use a paper sorter like this to hold a larger stack of artwork. 

   These FIFO (First In, First Out) bottles are amazing for paint distribution. I use a cart similar to the one above and have these bottles in bins on the top shelf with rainbow colors, black, brown, and white. The next shelf has paper plates and/or magazines for palettes, and the bottom shelf has muffin tins that I use with portion cups for more expensive liquids such as glaze or metallic paint (TIP: if you only need six spots, the Dollar Tree has small muffin tins!). I also have a paper towel holder on it with nice, absorbent paper towels just in case.

   Kitchen scrapers like the one pictured are very helpful in the art room. I used mine during summer school to get a large sticker off the just-been-waxed floor. They also work on paint, hot glue, and more.