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Since I was a teen I dreamed of having my own creative space. Somewhere I could go and relax without worrying about making a mess in the dining room, which, by the way, killed my creativity! I wanted the ability of making things to my heart’s content and then just leave it sit if I wanted to. It’s no fun feeling guilty for my creative overflow of fabric scraps, yarn and thread. When I got married and moved in to my turn-of-the-century farmhouse I claimed one of the upstairs rooms as my crafting haven.
If you don’t have the luxury of dedicating a whole room to crafting, perhaps you could stake out a small corner of a room or even a closet. Just having a place to call your own, cluttered with projects to your heart’s content is soul-soothing for creatives like me! To get you started utilizing a small space for your fabric stash and supplies here are my top 3 tips for organizing your sewing space!
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Tip 1: Get Stacking Organizers! In my craft room I have a small area dedicated to my must-have notions. For years I had to hunt and peck throughout my house to find my scissors, buttons, etc. until I had wasted more time getting ready to sew than actually sewing! Enough is enough! Finally I bought a stacking organizer complete with drawers that keeps everything neat and tidy. One drawer is dedicated to buttons, which I organize in plastic baby food containers or small zip locks. Another drawer is used for my fabric scissors as well as pins and needles. The third drawer is home to my measuring tape and fabric marking pens. I also use another stacking organizer to keep all my embroidery projects and floss in check!
image by M1khaela
Tip 2: Organize Your Patterns By Category You bought a pattern a month ago and now you have the time to sew, but where did the pattern disappear to? Sound familiar? There are several ways to keep your patterns organized such as plastic or cardboard storage boxes. However, another way is to buy binders with page protectors and dedicate one binder to each category such as: skirts, children’s clothes, toys, home decor, etc. Fill the binders with your patterns so you can keep them neat and clean as well as find them in a jiffy.
image by the shopping sherpa
Tip 3: Use What You Have! Most crafters want to save their frivolous spending money for more fabric and patterns. So, if you want to organize your space using as little money as possible, use what you might already have around the house. Bookshelves and closet organizers are a great way to organize your fabric. Simply fold so you can see each print. It’s not only beautiful, but quite functional. I like to use vintage picnic baskets to store my projects in progress. They also work as stylish stacking organizers!
We’d love to hear your tips too! Please share in the comments!
Utilize old china cabinets. The glass top is pefect for storing fabrics and the bottom is perfect for storing other items in plastic bins and your cutting tools in the utensil drawer.
Nice post on organization. I featured this post on Craft Gossip here, http://quilting.craftgossip.com/vintage-picnic-baskets-for-storage/2012/03/25/.
Warmly,
Scarlett Burroughs
Quilting Editor, Craft Gossip
Such an encouraging post! Am recovering and so wanting to sew. All is a mess and crafting seems overwhelming, but I can take your simple suggestions and see the light. Picnic baskets, here i come!
I moved into a retirement community about 10 years ago and I have an extra bedroom which I made into a sewing room. My brother used an inexpensive flush door from Home Depot on top of a desk and wooden file cabinet (which I already had)for a cutting table. I covered the door with thin batting and a window pane fabric which I found at a discount store for $1 a yard. I love my cutting/work table which cost about $25. I found a corner computer desk with returns and a shelf on both sides in a catalog for $99. I got a bookcase at Goodwill for $12 to hold all my sewing books and magazines. I got large plastic drawers at Wal*mart to go in the closet to hold odds and ends. It could not be more convenient. Now I want a cube-type bookcase to also go in closet to store fabric.