Every teacher has one, but you know the art teacher will always have the best bag around. From fun patterns and outrageous gizmos to random art supplies, an art teacher’s bag is usually prepared for any classroom emergency. Whether it comes from our artistic ability to see possibilities everywhere or our slightly concerning talent for hoarding useful objects, art teachers have mastered the skill of keeping a few key tools nearby.
Here are 13 tiny items to add to your art teacher bag that can prevent bigger problems later.
1. Hair Ties
Of course, if you have long hair, this will be something you always have handy. But if you don’t, it’s still a helpful item to keep in stock for your students. Use hair ties for zipper-fixer emergencies, bookmarking your planner, tie-dye, rolling up large artworks, or holding loose pencils together in your bag. Grab a few bulk packs of these from your local dollar store so you’re prepared for anything!
2. Snacks
Teaching takes a lot of energy, and you’ll often need to fuel up at a moment’s notice. Have a snack stash to dip into when your tummy starts to grumble or when your teacher bestie stops by to vent. You can even extend the snacks to your students by providing a communal snack drawer or tea station so they can truly focus on your activity.
Note: Adhere to your district and school’s food and allergy guidelines. If you notice a student who appears hungry or is experiencing food insecurity, promptly reach out to your administrator and professional school counselor to ensure the student receives support and resources.
3. Towel
While this one may not quite fit in your bag, a thick towel is good to have nearby. Art room spills require a special level of attention that regular school paper towels usually cannot handle. (That’s because school paper towels seem to come in only two settings: non-absorbent or soaked through!) There will be plenty of cleanup disasters, so save yourself a headache and always have a real towel nearby.
4. Fan
When your towel can’t dab the sweat away from your forehead, grab a mini fan to help you cool off and reset between classes. Sometimes we just need a light breeze after unloading the kiln or climbing up and down a ladder to hang art. You can also pull out your mini fan to speed up dry times during artmaking!
5. Funny Bone
When things get tough, humor can go a long way. Find ways to incorporate genuine laughter into your art room to foster connection and joy. Something as simple as smiling with your students and colleagues can do wonders for your morale! Often, a good joke is all you need to get through the day.
6. T-Pins
Whether you teach in elementary or high school, your glue bottles WILL get clogged. T-pins make a great glue picker for unclogging those pesky glue bottles, hanging artwork, or pinning fabric. It’s also perfect for scratching names on the bottom of clay projects, adding surface texture, or sgraffito designs. Always keep one tucked close at hand in your name badge, at your teaching station, or on top of your whiteboard.
7. Hot Glue Gun
For shoe cobbler emergencies or a quick art display repair, a hot glue gun at your side can solve almost any problem. Use hot glue to stick difficult materials together, add texture to a mixed media piece, or DIY your own texture rubbing plates. To make tasks and artmaking even more convenient, try a cordless hot glue gun so you don’t have to mess with extension cords and plugs.
8. Needle Nose Pliers
Art teachers may go to school for artistic expression and creativity, but somehow, we become maintenance workers, repair crews, and engineers. Add needle nose pliers to your bag so you can solve any problem that comes your way! From fixing a display case to fiddling with a piece of equipment, needle nose pliers do far more than just jewelry-making or electrical projects. These tools are also perfect for reaching into miniature spaces, such as a tiny art gallery!
9. Stickers
Whether you prefer cute stickers to spark joy, large decals to fill a blank wall, or sticker labels to coordinate your space, these are a must-have in your art teacher bag. Whether they’re for decor or practicality, they add so much personality to whatever you stick them on! Take stickers to the next level and turn them into an engaging lesson plan where students make their own!
10. Silicone Finger Protector
The traditional thimble was a little silver cap for your fingertip. They now come in all colors, sizes, and materials. The silicone ones are cost-conscious in bulk and can protect fingers from hot glue, sharp pins, and messy clay. Protect your hands because they’re the most valuable tool in your art room!
11. Teacher Microphone
Teaching is not for the weak of voice—teaching is full of talking. Invest in a teacher microphone so students can hear you across the art room without straining your throat. You can also use it to bust out entertaining (school-appropriate, of course) karaoke to keep things interesting.
12. Stain Remover
We have all had that moment: you’re preparing for an important meeting or after-school appointment and—splat! A giant glob of paint lands on your clothing. Or a student is wearing their brand-new jacket they just got for their birthday and—plop! A big drop of ink lands on their sleeve. Keep stain remover on hand for emergencies like these! From small splatters to major “oops” moments, stain remover deserves a permanent place in your teacher bag… and maybe even on your desk and at each sink.
13. Multicolor Click Pen
We love color, but sometimes we don’t want to lug around a big pencil case with all of our “essential” colors. Bring back the ’70s multicolor click pen and keep the colors of the rainbow in the palm of your hand. Just one click, and you are one color away from color-coding your professional development notes, annotating students’ art history papers, or doing a quick doodle in your sketchbook.
Whether your teaching bag has physical items to keep you in one piece or metaphorical fixes to help your day run smoothly, these small tools can prevent significant exhaustion later. These tiny yet mighty tools will help you spend more time helping students learn and create, and less time putting out fires. Toss a few of these small items into your bag and make your future art teacher self a whole lot happier, so you can truly enjoy the magic of the art room.
Is there an emergency essential you’d add to this list?
What is the most unexpected tiny item in your art teacher survival bag?
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Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
