Shop Subscribe

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

Classroom must haves for teachers plus essential teacher supplies, lesson plans and activities.

schoolyard-logo
  • Education Essentials
  • Inspiration & Planning
  • Learning Spaces
  • Topics
  • Search
  • < Previous post
    Next post >
    arts and crafts supplies

    Arts & Crafts
    School Specialty • Sep 30, 2015 • Last Modified: Aug 19, 2022

    3 Ways to Track and Organize Art Supplies

    Keeping track and organizing art supplies is a tedious but important part of managing your art room. It doesn’t have to be a daunting task if you plan ahead, so let’s get started!

    No matter the tracking system you choose, you’ll need to start with an accurate inventory. That means the first step is take all of your supplies out of their cupboards, closets, and drawers, and sort them by category or manufacturer.

    Next, yes, you guessed it—count them! Once you’ve got an accurate tally, choose the solution below that works best for you.

    Simple Solution – Stickies!

    Purchase large-sized sticky notes or tape notebook pages onto your supply cupboard doors. You’re going to need one note or page per type of material. For example, you will likely need a separate note or page for acrylic paints, tempera, paper, inks, etc. On each note or page, tally each supply you have and label with this information:

    • Manufacturer and Product Name
    • Quantity of Each Color
    • Optional – Color swatch or dab
    • Website Where Item was Purchased

    Each time you use a unit, you’ll need to update the quantity on your sticky note or page and take a good look at the new total. Is it time to reorder?

    Digital Solution – Spreadsheet!

    Perhaps a cleaner way to keep track of your inventory is to create a spreadsheet to track your usage. But you’ve got to remember to update it! So if you’re an “out of sight, out of mind” type of person, a visual reminder on your supply doors might work best for you. This digital solution is great because you can sort by supplier to easily see everything that needs to be ordered at once. Just set up your spreadsheet like this:

    3 Simple Ways to Track Your Art Supplies

    Creative Solution – Inventory Notebook

    Use a spiral notebook to keep tabs on your supplies! Design your cover (that’s the fun part!), then use a page for each item in your inventory. Taping or gluing the catalog page onto your page is a quick visual with all the info you need to reorder. Otherwise, be sure to note all of the information listed on the sample sheet above on each product’s page, along with a swatch or color dab.

    Whatever your method you choose to organize art supplies, the key is to keep a close tab on your materials. Take a quick walk around the room at the end of each day to note what’s been used up or is close to empty. This is a great way to stay one step ahead of your supplies.

    And there you have it! Three easy ways to track your supplies so you’re never caught without what you need. If you need help stocking those shelves when you run low, we’ve got you covered there, too! Check out some of these favorites.

    Which way will you try? Or do you use another tracking system? Let us know in the comments below.

    Facebook Comments

    Tagged With: Time Management

    Recommended

    Crayola Partners with School Specialty for Crayola Creativity Week

    News

    Crayola Partners with School Specialty for Crayola Creativity Week

    Simple Everyday Ways to Help Kids Practice Math: Winter Edition

    Math

    Simple Everyday Ways to Help Kids Practice Math: Winter Edition

    Designing Effective Specialty Spaces in Schools

    Learning Spaces

    Designing Effective Specialty Spaces in Schools

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    Celebrations & Themes

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    Explore The Schoolyard

    Education Essentials

    Inspiration & Planning

    Learning Spaces

     

    TopicsShop Subscribe

    Copyright © 2023 School Specialty, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement · Social Media Statement · Do Not Sell My Personal Information - CA Resident Only

  • CATEGORIES

    • Education Essentials
    • Inspiration & Planning
    • Learning Spaces
  • TOPICS

    • Arts & Crafts
    • Early Childhood
    • Special Needs
    • Physical Education
    • Educational Technology
    • Student Resources
    • Organization & Storage
    • Classroom Management
    • STEAM & STEM
    • 21st Century Learning
    • Reading & Literacy
    • Healthy Students
    • Teacher Life
    • Back to School
    • Celebrations & Seasons
    • Out of School
    • News
    • Math
    • Science
    • Topics
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube