Playroom Ideas: How to Style a Craft Corner Kids Love

A good craft corner needs four things: a table and chairs sized to your child, a wipeable surface, storage that kids can reach for some supplies and can't for others, and decent light. Get those right and the styling is the easy, fun part.

These playroom ideas work in a dedicated room or in a corner of a shared space. If you're short on floor area, don't worry. A craft corner can be tiny as long as the layout is planned.

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Where should the craft corner go in a playroom?

Put it away from the high-energy zone. A craft table next to an indoor slide or a climbing wall will get bumped, splashed and abandoned. A quieter wall, ideally near a window, gives children daylight for detailed work and keeps wet paint out of the traffic path.

Corners are useful here because two walls give you support for shelves, a pegboard or a paper roll. If you're short on space, a wall-mounted drop-leaf desk folds away when playtime is over, which is one of the better small playroom ideas for shared rooms. For more ways to use the angle, see how to decorate corner shelves.

What size table and chairs does a child need?

Aim for about 8 inches between the chair seat and the underside of the table. As rough guides, a table around 20-22 inches high with a 12-14 inch seat suits ages three to five. Elementary-age kids usually do better with a table around 24-26 inches high.

Leave about 36 inches of clear space behind the chairs so kids can push back and stand without hitting a wall. Choose chairs with backs: drawing for twenty minutes on a backless stool tires small bodies quickly.

This is also the simplest way to build playroom ideas that grow with kids. An adjustable-height table and plain, neutral storage will outlast any cartoon-shaped furniture. Swap the artwork, cushions and caddies as tastes change.

Which materials survive paint, glue and pets?

Skip unfinished wood and natural marble, which soak up paint and marker. High-pressure laminate, sealed birch plywood or a table with a protective acrylic top wipes clean. If you have a nice floor and no rug, a clear polycarbonate mat under the table catches spills and chair scratches.

If you use a rug to define the zone, let it extend about 24 inches past the table so chairs don't catch the edge when pulled out. Pick a low-pile washable rug. Shag swallows beads and holds glitter for months. Loop-pile rugs are easy for dog and cat claws to snag, so I'd avoid them. Under the rug, vinyl plank or sealed hardwood handles an overturned water cup better than an unsealed floor.

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Playroom storage ideas for art supplies

Sort supplies into two groups: things a child can take alone, and things that need a grown-up nearby. Paper, crayons and colored pencils go in low, open bins. Scissors, glitter, glue and acrylic paint go higher, around 60 inches off the floor or in a latching box. That height also keeps them away from curious dogs. If a pet swallows craft materials, call your vet.

Clear bins let kids see what's inside without tipping everything out. Woven baskets look prettier, and a picture label on the front keeps them usable for non-readers. Shelves about 12-14 inches deep hold paper reams and construction paper pads.

As an architect, I'd go vertical first. A table covered in supplies looks messy no matter what you do, while a pegboard or floating shelves move the clutter up the wall and free the work surface. If you want more ideas for small supplies, look at ribbon and thread storage for a craft corner and storage ottomans for craft supplies.

One storage note: if supplies sit in a garage or shed, heat and cold can spoil paint, glue and dough. Storage guidance for food, from Ohio State University Extension's pantry storage factsheet, warns against keeping canned goods above 95 degrees F, such as in a storage shed or garage. Keeping art supplies indoors is a sensible habit too.

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How should you light a craft corner?

Start with task light over the work surface. A plug-in wall sconce or a sturdy desk lamp works, with a bulb rated Color Rendering Index 90 or higher so crayon and paint colors look true. A color temperature of about 3500-4000 Kelvin gives bright, neutral light that isn't clinical.

Skip floor lamps in this corner. Trailing cords and tall, tippy bases are a hazard around toddlers and pets. If you use a sconce, fix the cord in a cover along the wall, and call a licensed electrician if you want a hardwired fixture.

Kids playroom decor ideas for the craft corner

Blues and greens suit a focus area. Yellow and orange are fun, but I'd keep them to accents like art caddies, washable seat cushions or a patterned wallpaper panel behind the desk. Large wall colors in those hues can be a lot for a child to sit next to.

Display the finished work where children can see it. A wire with clips across the wall works well, with the lowest wire at about 54 inches from the floor. A roll of craft paper on a wall-mounted dowel above the table gives endless drawing space. Other cute additions:

• A lazy Susan in the middle of the table for shared crayons and pencils.
• Matching bins on upper shelves to hide loud craft kit packaging.
• A silicone mat at each seat to catch glue drips.
• A washable cushion on the chair back.
• A lidded trash bin right beside the table.

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Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Furniture with no storage. Choose a table with drawers or a paper-roll dispenser underneath.
• Backless stools for young kids. Pick chairs with proper back support.
• Houseplants within reach. Many common plants are unsafe for pets and kids, so check each one with your vet or a reliable toxic-plant list, or use good faux plants.
• Too much on display. Keep this week's favorites on the wire and let your child choose one piece a week for a portfolio binder. Photograph bulky 3D projects before recycling them.

Renting? Use a rolling cart for supplies and removable adhesive hooks for the display wire. Sharing the room with a home office? Match the wood tone of the craft table to your desk and face them the same way, so you can work side by side. If the room is a basement, see tips for designing a basement playroom, and for a spare bedroom, guest room playroom ideas.

Keep supplies fresh

Craft supplies dry out and go stale like pantry items do. Judy Harrison, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist, advises in her University of Georgia Extension guidance on short-term food storage: "Keep the supply fresh by rotating non-perishable staple items in general storage once or twice a year." Her advice is about food, but a twice-yearly sort of paint, glue and dough is a habit I recommend for the craft shelf, too.

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Frequently asked questions