Organizing Tips for Pens, Pencils, Markers and Other Drawing Supplies

Organizing your drawing supplies makes it easier to find what you want to use, when you want to use it. There's no one right way. Organizing a craft room, art studio or just your work desk can be as individual as you.

Below you'll find ideas to help you get your pens, pencils, markers and other drawing supplies organized and ready to create with.

Tips for organizing pens, pencils and other drawing supplies

Today I'm sharing may own organizing tips and tricks for my drawing supplies. I've also got a few friends sharing their own organizing tricks and techniques for craft rooms.

Here's some craft room organizing ideas to take a look at:

Take a Craft Room Tour with Beth from Kingston Home
How to Organize a Craft Room with Stephanie from Crafting in the Rain
How to Organize your Cricut Supplies with Angie from The Country Chic Cottage

Organizing drawing supplies

Let's talk about organizing those drawing supplies. What does that really mean? The goal is to set yourself up to easily find which supply you need, when you need it. You can get as fancy or simply with your organizing as you'd like. One thing that doesn't work is a giant bin of all the things.

Steps to get your drawing supplies organized

No matter how you prefer to store your drawing supplies, the first place to start is organize the supplies into manageable groups.

Start organizing by sorting what you have

How you organize will depend on how you like to use your supplies. So start by getting all of your supplies out and thinking about how you want to organize them.

Decide what types of supplies you'd like to group together. By color, type, use, etc.
Consider who is using the supplies. Are they only yours or are there supplies someone else will be using?
Decide how you'd like to store your supplies and where you'd like to store your supplies.
Sort the supplies you have according to the decisions you've made about types, who is using, how to store and where to store. Combine like items.
Set up your organizing containers and space and add your supplies.

Wouldn't we all love to have a store display to organizing our colored pencils?

You can have more than one location for your drawing supplies. Supplies you use the most, organize with easy access near where ever you like to draw. I have a pouch that I keep my most frequently used items. I take it with me in my bag everywhere I go.

Store pencils, pens and markers in a small pencil bag to take with you

I also have a container right next to my computer on my desk. This is for easy access and for a nice bit of color and drawing inspiration while I work.

Store drawing supplies with other supplies in a cube bin

Tips to organize pens, pencils, markers and more

Think of how you like to use your supplies. Here are some things to think about to help you get your drawing supplies sorted and organized.

Do you prefer like colors, drawing supply type or a combination? Think Colored pencils vs pens or markers. What about watercolor pencils mixed with regular pencils. Favorite colors vs all the colors. Sort by rainbow groups or some other color grouping.
Do you want all your supplies together, or would you like to have different supplies in different areas? I have some of my supplies in containers close by while others are by the equipment I use them. My Cricut pens are near my Cricut machine and my colored pencils are on my desk.
Will other people be using your supplies? My kids have their own supplies, so we don't store mine and theirs together. When the kids were little, I'd put their coloring supplies in baskets that they could easily get to and carry where they needed.

Here are some suggestions for different ways you can organize your drawing supplies. You can use one method or a combination, depending on your needs and how much you want to spend.

Store pencils and pens in the packaging tins they are sold in

Store all your drawing supplies in a cube box

Use recycled cans to store all your drawing materials. You can use as many or as few as you'd like. Add them on a shelf or hang them on a wall. Combine a bunch of can containers on a Lazy Susan for a fun table top art supply organizer.

Recycle empty cans into pen and pencil organizing

Hang containers on cabinets to organize and keep out of the way

Stack cans with other art supplies for a convenient storage solution

Use baskets to store all kinds of drawing supplies

Use plastic boxes to create a clean organized look for pens pencils and markers

Use wall space to create an organized storage area

No matter how you want to organize your drawing supplies, just make sure it's set up with an “easy to use” method in mind. If you get too organized or pretty with your setup, it might make it more difficult to keep things tidy.

Art supplies are mean to be used. They are meant to inspire. So set yourself up with a useful space full of inspiration and ideas with easy access to every pencil, pen and marker you have! Happy Organizing.