Marker Set Storage
Crayola Markers are my go-to product when I want a lesson with bright colors and easy clean-up. Last year I experimented with Crayola’s “washable” markers and now I’m sold on them! Most washable products don’t have the quality I look for, but these are different. The colors are clean and bright, and my experience has been that they’re “juicier” and last longer than the regular ones typically do. Crayola markers have a versatile tip that will give you a nice fine line if you hold it straight up and down, or a broad line if you angle it a bit. And the washable ones can even give you a fun watercolor effect if you paint over them with a damp brush.
The first thing I do when I buy new markers is lose the boxes! The boxes make it too hard to tell if all the markers are in there when students put them away, and the boxes fall apart quickly anyway. I prefer to use quart size Hefty brand freezer bags to store each set. I train my students to always put them back in the bag with the colored caps at the bottom. This way, you can quickly count to make sure you’ve got all twelve, and if you’ve accidentally picked up someone else’s marker, it’s easy to see that you’ve got two of the same color.
Then, I always store the bags of markers in a plastic tub, standing up with the caps at the bottom. This keeps the ink at the tips and ready to go! They seem to last a lot longer this way. The combination of the washable (juicier) markers and storing them caps-down has really made a difference in how well they still work by the end of the year!
You might be wondering about the blue tape on each marker…. Because my school doesn’t currently have an Art Room, I go from room to room (to room!) to teach Art. I use blue painter’s tape to identify my supplies so they don’t get mixed in with the supplies in the classroom, or in a student’s desk. It always seems like a lot of extra work when I’m doing this, but the payback is great! All year long I get markers and glue sticks returned to me that are found after I leave the classroom. I’d probably have nothing left by the end of the year if I didn’t do this! A little extra work at the beginning of the year makes a big difference all year long!
What are your favorite storage solutions for your supplies?
clever idea! love it! I will use it !
smart. mine are loose in a bin, which is super easy for fast cleanup, but the tops tend to come off in the jumble. i may give this a try…
Genius! I love the painters tape! I always buy Crayola! They are by far the best I have found out there for color and lasting power. I always buy them in the large class packs and they get put into table buckets when we need them. I wish i had seen your zip lock idea when I was on a cart! It makes collecting them so much faster and easier! Thanks for sharing your idea! :)
That’s awesome! I’ve been using the Mr. Sketch markers (not the smelly ones, too many colored noses!) because that’s what the art teacher before me used, but this year I did order a Crayola class pack of markers, crayons and colored pencils. This year I am using tote bins for each table in my room that are color coded to the tables…I have a pencil box for each tote that holds 4 pencils, erasers and 2 pencil sharpeners. The bin also holds 2 Elmer’s Glue bottles and 4 glue sticks. I’ve been trying to figure out how to easily be able to add markers to the mix and this technique will be perfect! It will be easy to add the markers to the bin and take them out later when we won’t be using them in class! Thanks for sharing!!!
I use those small metal buckets you can get at the dollar spot at Target to store sets of markers and such, easy for the kids to pull off the shelf, and one bucket per table. It has to be Crayola, they really do last the longest, even if not stored tips down.
An idea that may be faster than painters tape is to use nail polish of a certain color and paint it on the ends.
I used nail polish to label my keys a few years ago and it worked great – it’s still on there! But for supplies I still like the painter’s tape since it doesn’t require any dry-time, and it’s bold and easy to spot. Plus, I have everyone at my school trained to recognize the blue-taped supplies as being mine! But for someone just starting out, this may be a great option. Thanks for sharing!
This is a brilliant tip. BRILLIANT!! I’m re-organizing my markers today.
I get the children to supply the crayola markers in their book lists , along with artline black texta pens of vaious sizes -permanent and waterbased , 2 b pencils crayola wind ups wax crayons soft chalk pastels oil pastels etc , each yr group brings in a different number of basic art suplies , These are collected up put into a general pool for the art room and the children and parents are told that we share them with our class mates etc. saves approximately $3-4000 dollars a year but also available for class teachers to borrow for projects they may do etxtra on top of our art room lessons .
also just came across a new set of markers called Mega markers by Micador that are industructible water based and do the water colour effect with. . can bang them down hard on the point and it does not lose its point. dont know if they are available in the USA. have them in Australia.
Great idea to have the families contribute supplies for the Art Room! I’ll have to look for those markers…