Classroom Management

Creative Ideas for a Low-Budget Art Room (Ep. 543)

November 10, 2026

In this episode of Art Ed Radio, host Tim Bogatz talks with Lindsey McGinnis about the realities of running an art room on a small–or nonexistent–budget. Lindsey shares how she planned for supply delays, built curriculum around paper, pencils, cardboard, and found objects, and designed projects that still give students meaningful studio experiences. From drawing driftwood to making your own sketchbooks, and everything in between, this conversation is full of practical, low-cost art lessons and strategies for making the most of what you have.

Tim and Lindsey also discuss how to source free materials and advocate for a larger art budget. They explore collaborating with colleagues, connecting with community businesses, applying for grants, working with parent organizations, and using clear data to show administrators the real cost of teaching art.

Full Episode Transcript Below.

Resources and Links

Transcript

Tim Bogatz: Lindsey McGinnis is joining me now. Lindsey, welcome back to the show. How are you?

Lindsey McGinnis: I’m good. I’m happy to be here. It’s Friday!

Tim Bogatz: I love that you’re back, and I’m excited to talk to you. I wanted to do an episode about running an art room without much of a budget. We’ve both had experience with that, and there’s a lot we can talk about.

Before we get to that, though, I think an important piece for people who are interested in this topic is the YouTube series we put together about the Zero Budget Art Room. Can you introduce that series and tell people what they can find there?

Lindsey McGinnis: I’d love to. Zero Budget Art Room is one of my favorite series that we’ve worked on. I think there are six, seven, or eight episodes. It’s hosted by Renae Greene, who is so much fun. She’s delightful, has a great personality, and has a ton of fun ideas that are engaging for students but also really practical curriculum ideas.

I personally loved using cardboard in my curriculum when I was teaching because it’s free, and you can transform it so it doesn’t even look like cardboard. Renae did two episodes in the series about how to source cardboard and how to use it, so those are excellent episodes to start with.

Tim Bogatz: I feel like almost every art teacher loves cardboard. Once you have a good source for it, the possibilities are endless. I’m sure we’ll talk about cardboard a little more today.

To start the conversation about our art rooms, can you talk about your own teaching situation? Why didn’t you have much of a budget, and how did you start the year without all the supplies or materials you needed for students to make art?

Lindsey McGinnis: I had about seven dollars per student every year that I taught, which was about twelve years. The budget never increased, even though the cost of supplies did. I did bring that to the attention of my administrators, so there was that.

Seven dollars per student is not a lot, although I know a lot of people have three dollars per student, which is crazy. But it really comes down to stewardship. I’m a firm believer in stewardship. We have a budget, and it may not be much, but as art teachers, we’re called to use it wisely so it lasts the whole year. You can use it wisely and still make a big impact with really fun projects.

Tim Bogatz: I always run into the problem of having all these students and all these things I want to try, but not having the materials to do them. Maybe there’s a cool project that would be great with colored pencils, but we don’t have any colored pencils yet—or the ones we have aren’t very good.

There are times when students can bring in their own materials. You can say, “This would be cool, but we can’t afford it,” and some students will be able to bring supplies from home. Parents are often understanding because people know schools don’t have huge budgets.

Lindsey McGinnis: A lot of my students ended up buying their own supplies. By that, I mean they had jobs and spent their own money. Their parents weren’t even buying the supplies for them.

It was really special when a student would use their paycheck to buy a specific supply they wanted to try. It was touching because you knew they were invested. They really loved your class and they really loved art.

Tim Bogatz: It’s great to have students who are dedicated like that. I love hearing those stories.

When you get into teaching and start working through projects, how do students handle having minimal supplies? How do they deal with keeping things simple? Do they get frustrated, or are they generally good at it?

Lindsey McGinnis: I would always submit my supply order in the spring of the previous school year. The goal was for the school to order the supplies over the summer so I would have them before the school year started. That was always the goal. Some years it happened, but most years it didn’t—even if I stopped by the school during the summer to make sure it happened.

I learned to stock up on paper. Even if I didn’t have enough paper, there was always copy paper in the office. All you really need is paper and pencils. I also tried to have permanent markers, glue, scissors, and the other essentials.

There’s so much you can do with those materials. Honestly, a lot of the students I taught were taking an art class for the first time. They didn’t even know that there were other options. We were starting simply, with a clean slate. When I introduced something I had purchased, it felt revolutionary.

Tim Bogatz: I was lucky because my supplies would usually arrive after the first of the year. The order would go in around January or February, and then I would receive the next year’s supplies at the end of the school year.

There are also times when the budget follows the school-year cycle. The budget doesn’t get approved until after the school year starts, and then you have to wait for a school board meeting. By the time the budget is approved and the order is placed, it can be November and you still don’t have any supplies.

Lindsey McGinnis: Sometimes you also can’t order too early in the previous school year because you don’t know what classes you’ll be teaching. You don’t know what classes the school will offer.

Ordering for a ceramics class is very different from ordering for a printmaking class. You have to wait until the school decides which classes will be offered and how many students are predicted to enroll in each section.

Tim Bogatz: Exactly. Am I going to have an advanced printmaking class with eighteen students, or Drawing I with thirty-eight students? Those require very different supply lists.

As we’re waiting for supplies to arrive, what are some of your favorite lessons to teach with minimal materials? What kinds of concepts can you teach with basic supplies?

Lindsey McGinnis: With any foundation class—when I taught, we had Crafts and Art I—we would start with paper. One class was more drawing and painting, and the other was more hands-on work with clay and fibers.

We would talk about breadth and depth. For breadth, we would ask, “How many different kinds of paper are there in the world?” Then we would ask, “How many different ways can you transform each kind of paper?”

The possibilities are endless when you look at plain paper. That’s really exciting.

We made portfolios out of paper instead of buying them. We folded paper and used the bulletin board paper from the office, so it didn’t even come out of my budget.

We also made sketchbooks out of copy paper or old worksheets from the recycling bin. The other side was usually blank. We would use a quick Japanese stab binding, and suddenly students had a sketchbook. They learned how to bind a book and how to tie a knot—skills that many high school students didn’t know yet.

For ceramics, all you need to get started is one or two blocks of clay. You don’t have to fire every project.

Tim Bogatz: We reused clay so many times. After four different sections in one day, though, there were only so many times I could spray the clay before it started falling apart.

Lindsey McGinnis: Reusing clay for skill-building allows students to practice over and over again and build confidence. Then, when you do fire a piece, it becomes a really special moment. Students make sure it’s their best work. They know, “We’re not going to smash this one. We’re going to fire it.”

I also taught graphic design without computers for an entire semester because the school was working on getting computers for about four months.

Tim Bogatz: Do you just talk about design concepts and the principles of design all day?

Lindsey McGinnis: We talked about design concepts, but we also did a lot of collage. We made paper shapes and created compositions with blocks of color. We worked with typography using pen and ink, so students learned about spacing and typography terms.

Tim Bogatz: I want to talk a little more about drawing because I’ve done so many drawing projects with just copy paper. We used blind contour, contour drawing, observation, and ways to make those lessons engaging. We also did portraits with ballpoint pens.

What have you done with drawing when you’re working with only the basics—pencil and paper?

Lindsey McGinnis: It was fall, so we would go outside and collect things from nature to draw. We would use things that were already dying or dead. They weren’t going to wilt or change much. Unlike fresh flowers, you could keep drawing them for a while.

Driftwood was great because it’s made up of curvy lines. Students could play with line weight to show thicker lines and shadows on the wood, along with thinner lines where the light was hitting.

Because driftwood is so organic, every student could draw it successfully. If they made a mistake, you couldn’t even tell. It was just a piece of wood. It sounds boring, but because everyone was successful, students were excited.

I also kept jars and coffee cans filled with leaves and sticks. These organic materials were free, and if students made a mistake, you couldn’t really tell. The lessons were low-pressure.

Tim Bogatz: That’s exactly what you’re trying to do, regardless of the materials: help students find success. It’s a good goal to have.

Beyond drawing, what are some other enjoyable and inexpensive projects you’ve done?

Lindsey McGinnis: In Crafts, we started with paper cutting, moved into paper folding, and then moved into paper sculpture. Students could see how they could manipulate paper in increasingly complex ways.

A lot of teachers do paper hands to teach positive and negative shape. It’s always surprising to me how many students have never cut a paper snowflake, so we would do that.

Paper snowflakes are harder than they look. We used magazine paper because it’s thin, easy to cut, and colorful. They were fun to hang throughout the school.

We also did papel picado using tissue paper, which is very inexpensive. You can change the tools you provide—craft knives, scissors, or just tearing—and students can create all kinds of designs with paper.

It’s also fascinating to look at how different cultures use paper. Polish paper cutting is another great example.

Tim Bogatz: I’m not familiar with Polish paper cutting, so I’m going to have to check that out. No judgment on the pronunciation of the term, though.

You raise an important point about scaffolding. It’s about starting with one part of the paper, moving to the next step, and then adding complexity. The same is true with drawing.

Teachers can think through the concepts they want to teach and ask, “How do we get there?” If you spend time considering the process and the steps, you can fill a lot of time and teach excellent concepts, even without many materials.

Lindsey McGinnis: You could easily spend an entire semester on paper cutting. For students who really understand cut paper, printmaking is a natural next step because it’s also about positive and negative shape.

It’s a great setup for more advanced classes. Even though it sounds simple, it’s a strong foundation.

Tim Bogatz: There’s so much that can be done with these materials.

Let’s say you’re waiting until November for supplies—or maybe the supplies aren’t coming at all. What are some other ways to get materials into the art room? Do you have creative solutions for sourcing supplies?

Lindsey McGinnis: Work with other teachers to create projects for their classrooms. They might be able to apply for grants, ask for donations, or purchase supplies out of pocket. In return for helping with the project, ask whether you can keep the extra supplies.

For example, if you need paint rollers, ask whether anyone needs a wall painted. You can help with the project and keep the paint rollers afterward.

I once volunteered to make Student of the Month buttons or pins for students as part of a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program. In return, I received a button maker.

Think strategically about projects you can help with—whether they involve committees, coaches, or other teachers—and see if some of the materials can become your payment.

Tim Bogatz: My favorite thing to do is go out into the community. I would visit grocery stores and ask for their cardboard and paper bags. There’s so much you can do with those materials.

I haven’t talked about this on the podcast in a while, but political signs are another great resource. Once an election is over, pick them up. They make great canvases for painting and sculpture projects.

Many districts also have foundations that offer grants, and parent-teacher organizations sometimes have money available. Those are additional avenues to explore.

Lindsey McGinnis: Doctors’ offices still receive magazines, so ask for their old ones. Buy Nothing groups can also be helpful.

At estate sales, especially during the final few hours, people may be willing to let you take things for free or fill your car for a small amount of money. You can find furniture for your classroom, home decorations for still-life setups, and materials students can use for sculpture projects.

You can also find picture frames and improve your hallway displays with actual frames instead of store-bought mats.

If you’re already going to yard sales or antiquing, see what you can find for your classroom, too.

Tim Bogatz: That’s a good avenue to explore.

One last question: If teachers want to advocate for more money and supplies, what is the best way to talk with decision-makers or administrators?

Lindsey McGinnis: Start by showing them the numbers. Show how much a glue stick costs this year compared to last year, and then multiply that cost by the number of students you teach.

Show administrators exactly how much of your budget goes toward something as simple as glue sticks. For some reason, people like numbers, so use numbers and data to make the situation clear.

But advocacy starts well before you walk into an administrator’s office. It isn’t only administrators who can help advocate for your budget. Talk to people throughout your school.

Art teachers can get comfortable staying in their classrooms because they aren’t always part of other teams. But sometimes we stay in our rooms too much.

Go out and talk to other people in your school. Talk to parents and people in your community. When you introduce yourself, identify yourself as the art teacher. Don’t just say, “Hi, I’m Lindsey.” Say, “Hi, I’m Lindsey, and I’m the art teacher at Laurel High School.”

When you identify yourself that way, people remember you. Other opportunities may come up, or it may spark a conversation about your classroom.

Sometimes we hide in our rooms or hide what we do—not intentionally, but because it’s comfortable. Once we get used to introducing ourselves as the art teacher, it opens up many opportunities before we ever need to walk into an administrator’s office.

Tim Bogatz: That’s an excellent point. It’s easier to stay in your room, avoid promoting your program, and avoid those conversations. But when you make those connections, doors open, and you never know where they’ll lead.

That’s great advice.

Lindsey, thank you so much for the conversation. There are a lot of good ideas here. Hopefully, we’ve inspired people to try some new things. If nothing else, listeners can check out the Zero Budget Art Room YouTube series for even more ideas.

Thanks for talking with me today. I appreciate all of your advice.

Lindsey McGinnis: Thank you. This was great.

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.

Creative Ideas for a Low-Budget Art Room (Ep. 543)

Resources and Links

Transcript

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