Designated craft rooms can be an area for creative expression and relaxation, until you have too much fun and end up with an organization project. However, if you are a true crafter, you like a project and will be motivated to create a workspace as beautiful as the things you make in it. There are ways to arrange a craft room to ensure that all of your materials have an organized and designated home, making projects more fun and efficient, and clean up time fly by! Here are some tips to keep your craft room at the ready when that next burst of creativity strikes.
Ensure Proper Workspace Craft projects are always more fun when you can spread out your materials without losing your scissors under a pile of things. Determine how much space you desire for your actual workstation, then clear items from this area to be arranged and stored out of the way. At the end of each project, make sure all items are put away to reclaim this workspace for the next crafting endeavor
Create Storage for All Items Different types of storage will be necessary for the variety of materials and tools that end up in craft rooms. If you have the wall space, consider adding a peg wall, or utilize shelves, cubbies or cabinets to free up counter space. With a pegboard wall, you can use hooks to hang tools within reach, hang containers or little buckets to fill with small items, or hang a rod to hold your ribbon. Pegboards are versatile, can be rearranged easily, and can be painted to add more color to your space. With cabinets and shelves, you can use clear plastic containers to organize your materials into categories for different crafts, colors, etc. Don’t be afraid to get crafty! Use old tins or mason jars that you can tie labels to with different ribbons. You can also fix a magnetic strip on a wall in front of your workstation to add lighter metal tools as well as to secure images of inspiration for your projects.
For items you want in front of you as you work, consider purchasing clear plastic bins to keep tools in order, or containers with dividers for smaller pieces. For items of different colors or shapes, use a small lazy Susan so you can remain at your workstation and sift through your options quickly. A lazy Susan can also be great for creating more counter space: Use small buckets or jars to keep the items you want in front of you confined.
Prioritize Your Craft Storage Chances are, if you have a craft room, you enjoy a number of different types of crafting. Your single room could have materials for multiple projects that are all entirely different. Consider the projects that you do most frequently and the materials needed for those. If there are items that you use once or twice a month, or less, store them farther from your workspace, in less centrally located cabinets or shelves.
Last but Not Least, Tidy Up! If you haven’t had a chance to begin or finish your decorating, hire a professional to complete the job. If you live in the Seattle area, Eliminate Chaos is available to help! Organizing Specialists will use your holiday décor to create a beautiful holiday wonderland in your home. Consider having the same team help take down decorations, pack and store them in an organized fashion after the holiday season. If you aren’t interested in standing on a ladder outside in the cold, consider hiring a company to hang your outdoor lights and decorations. Love Christmas Lights is an online directory of Christmas light installation companies. They connect homeowners with local Christmas light installers in their city.
Happy Crafting!
Keep Gadgets at Full Strength with the Converge USB Charging Station by Quirky
Streamline the look of your desktop and charge up to four of your favorite gadgets at once in one convenient location with the Converge Charging Station by Quirky. USB outlets are designed to charge both bottom-connected accessories like the iPad or iPhone and side-connected ones like cameras. Electronics rest upright and face you on the charging station’s ledge while charging. The device even allows you to keep cords in check by tucking them into the built in cable straps on the back of the unit.
Purchase the Converge USB Charging Station online at Amazon.com or at The Container Store.
Julie Heijster, CPO is available to present at your organization's next event. Julie is currently offering the following programs: Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home and Life Eliminate the Chaos at Work: Simple Strategies for Organizing Your Office Right Sizing: Less Stuff = Less Stress
If you'd like to bring one of these programs or a different program to your organization, please contact us or call our office at 425-670-2551.