Have you ever been in a decorating slump? My kitchen table had been barren for months because I was tired of my usual set up, but had no clue what to put there instead.

Sometimes inspiration strikes unexpectedly, like it did when I thought up this idea. It was nearly midnight when I remembered I had this great wooden candle holder. I've had it stored in a cupboard for quite some time because I've used up the candles and don't know where to find replacements, but it's such an interesting piece I didn't want to let it go. What to do? Turn it into a crayon caddy! Yes! I zipped to the kitchen, so excited to put together a centerpiece that would be hands-on instead of hands-off. An old wooden tray, a stack of printer paper cut in half, a friendly plant to fill in the gap. I thought of adding glue sticks, etc., but decided that simpler was better in this case.

I left a little message for the kids to see the next morning, and it was funny how interested they were in my super amazing new centerpiece. "What's it for?" Nina was so confused. "It's for you kids, so you can draw at the table all the time!" I explained. She just smiled and smiled. My kids are always bringing paper and crayons to the table anyway, so this just made sense. They jumped right in and colored the morning away, as if they'd never used crayons before and just couldn't get enough!

I know this wooden candle holder isn't something everyone has or can find, but I think this could easily be done by using pretty glass jars (think candy store style) or a row of small cups or vases. Get creative! And your kids will too.

We've had this on the kitchen table for a couple of weeks now, and not a day goes by without our little coloring station being put to good use. If you build it, they will come–and color lots of pictures!