We were lucky enough to get this house, and I have my own space just for crafts. We've been so busy with the rest of the house, it's still just a mess of Rubbermaid tubs and plastic carts. I do have a few pieces of vintage furniture in there, and was wanting to use those for storage and work surfaces.

I would LOVE to hear ideas and tricks to have a neat, functional, fun work space. I've toyed with the idea of using chests of drawers to store fabric, and pegboard to hang ribbons and tools. Any other ideas? What has worked for you and what hasn't? Do you do other crafts, and how do you store your supplies? I saw the thread about storing paints, and whoever that was that had the VERY COOL wooden shelf thingies (?Belle) that was a great idea!

For ribbon, I use to use dowels but now I store them in a chest. I have made a pledge that I will not buy anymore ribbon or fabric this year - darn, I hope I can hold that promise.
B

My area used to be my GM's solarium, she lived with us for 8 years, then we walled it in and now it is almost all mine. The shelves were built after the flood and were going to be "just until we could build something better, better will happen "someday"

Mother Nature help clean out all of my extra stuff, and I have been really careful not to let my eyes over run my "will do" The top and bottom picture is of the area that is open to my kitchen dining area, and is quite light no matter what the weather but just to make sure I have LED (? and not my idea) track lighting, it is not only bright but hot, whick is a blessing during the winter for as you can see or not see I also have a free standing floor heater to warm my feet. The storage area is like a tunnel and the air is always colder than the rest of the room. The tunnel is 4' X 8' and the open area is 4'X 7'

Sorry about the quality of the pictures, the window plays havic with the lighting. When I got the camera out to take the pictures I found Abby, our new kitten, had not only pulled my painting towel off my chair, but had packet one of DH socks from one end of the house to the other and layed down and gone to sleep. I have laundry all over the laundry room floor now, guess I will have add weigh the baskets.

Anyway, my painting area is a great area for me! Small enought that I HAVE to keep it organized and clean or I don't have room to work. The one thing I really wish for is a permanent table or counter where I can spread out all of the things I need while working on a project, now I have to move in and take away things as I work, like exchanging a color picture for the instructions. Most times I copy off the instructions and keep the book open to the picture, but things still get moved around. My paints and most of my regular brushes plus my water is on the little drawer cart. We made the top so that it fits over the top of the cabinet and as it has wheels, goes where I need it. My drafting table and chair are also on wheels, so I kind of move around while I am painting, then realize I have lost the light and DA! move back.

The paint jar holders looked much nicer before the flood left its marks on them. The wood never did return to its original shape, but the jars still fit. It wasn't hard to make, just took time. We have talked about redoing them using a purchased unit that you put together and then just add more shelves and the necks. The only problem is that every unit we have found is just to deep and you waste space, I need every inch I can squeeze out. But we are going to have to build one small unit for each as I have just about run out of space.

When it comes to storage, I guess it comes down to what you have and the area you can use. I have a real problem with things not being equal, like all of the little storage boxes, I would like them to be all the same size but space won't allow it, so I use the size that fits. And my storage area isn't part of any room, like a bedroom, so my storage doesn't have to be "pretty, just functional. When you come into my kitchen you can see my work area, but then, everyone I know, knows that I paint and I do it somewhere, now the all know where.

Waiting to see everyone else's picture!!!!!

Belle

http://cottagecozy.blogspot.com/

Belle, that's really pretty! It looks like you have a nice view out the window, too. And that kitten! Get ready for all sorts of cute behavior, and maybe some naughty, too. This is Frank:

He and his brother just turned two, and we've had a blast with them.

Luvs, I looked at that blog, and she's got some great ideas, too. I'll definitely be checking out old threads to see other storage ideas.

The room is long and rectangular. It was originally the garage, and the former owner was a quilter, so when the new garage was built, that was her quilting room. I have one wall with a BUNCH of outlets high off the ground, but unfortunately, none of them work. Calling the electrician is on the to-do list. It has one tiny closet, and a big bay window that faces southwest. I just got a blackout curtain for that window because it gets really hot in there in the afternoon.

I'm so happy that you have a craft room your able to use for only crafts. Belle your CR, looks great. I don't have a room just for crafts, this is a spare bedroom that I use for my crafting. My sewing machine is still in the MBR.

This is a rolling cart that I had bought to use in the salon and turned it into a holder for brushes, graphite paper, paper towels, sponges, etc. I pull it over by the table and open the drawers and all my brushes, light and dark graphite paper, towels and freezer paper is at my finger tips. Really handy. I just started a scarecrow on this tray.

Some of my closet storage. Painted on a gourd and some Christmas ornaments but don't know when I'll get them finished.

3 more totes full of painting books.

Cupboard full of painting books and I love having this up high so I can reach in and browse.

Armoire and long dresser full of crafts both painted and to be painted. The pull out shleves are very handy.

Paint storage. DH made me the wooden holder and the other two are boughten ones. I now have enough room for all my small paints. These racks hold 500 jars.

If I ever have a studio, the one thing I would have is 2 large walk in closets so things could be stored in there. Oh another thing I would do is have a long sit down table along one wall. I'm always laying projects on the floor and it's amazing my carpet is still white.LOL

Will be looking forward to seeing your craft room.

Punk

For storage I do have sort of a walk-in closet with shelves but also use several stackable sterilite drawers, printer paper boxes, my walls, file cabinets, book shelves, and I have sets of those shelves Belle shows in her 4th pic for storing paper and one floor to ceiling for miscellaneous painting surfaces that I don't have in boxes or drawers. My work table also has storage underneath. It is the same heavy duty style workbench I have in the garage for my woodworking.

My Xyron Center...lol

Spillover into family/gym room.....

Oh, and I love the sign "Do not lay clothes on the freezer causes rust" - my mother use to say that all the time!

Punk, your Armoire is super. DH did a nice job on your bottle holder and what are those round, globe like thingys and what are they sitting on? Something drying? I am still looking for a rolling cart like yours, so easy to access. Is that a new snowman project? He is cute, just like always!

FranksMom, what a cutie! And those smokey eyes! You just can't watch then play without laughing! Our Kitty has been sneezing so off to the vet and our 8 mo., old male cat searched the whole house for the mitten, then started howling. He was so loud and it was so un-expected that I almost jumped out of my skin.

KraftyMom...Wow! So what are those little, colorful jars? And where and what are those towers with the yellow and red drawers? I have used the stacking drawer systems and if you have problems opening the top drawer of a section, try cutting a piece of 3/4 plywood the same size a top and placing it between the stacks. This puts the pressure back on the corners and keeps the top cross piece inline, not saggy. Your craft area matches your name, crafty! So, show us some of the finsihed projects.

One thing I also noticed, you are both orginized, everything in its place.

Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!

Belle

Kraftymom, I LOVE that bird painting with the blue and purple that's hanging on the wall. Did you paint that?

Belle, poor baby! I hope the baby cat is going to be ok. They are such a hoot when they're little. Frank has decided that he likes to help me do laundry, including taking rides in the clothes basket.

Everyone has such great ideas, that I couldn't fall asleep last night, because I just kept thinking of new ways to organize! I see that several people have those wooden shelves, and I'd love to have something sturdy like that to store the sewing machine and heavier things when I'm not using them. I also have an old dining table in the garage, and I think I may move it into the craft room. I like the idea of having a bigger surface to work on than just a desk, or taking up the space on the kitchen table.

Franksmom, yes I did the bird canvas hanging off the shelf, thank you for the kind words. To tell you the truth it was an experiment and I never really took to it very well (that's why it's still hanging on my shelf). lol I did that one and another in the same style in a dragonfly design which I wasn't too happy with either.

I always enjoy looking at pics of other crafters' spaces. It makes me feel good knowing I'm not alone in the world. LOL

Seriously, it was so fun to see the stash all of you have on hand just waiting to be turned into treasures with a few strokes of your brush. Like Belle, I'd be in seventh heaven just getting to browse through all the goodies. TFS.

Luvs

I sat in bed again last night, brainstorming over ideas. I still need to purge some fabric and unfinished projects, but it's supposed to be around 100 every day for the next week, so I think I'll spend some time in that room doing a little clearing out.

Some of the things I'm thinking about is how to make it all kitten-proof, and as dust free and easy to clean as possible. I love the colorful look of open shelves with stacks of fabric, but at my house, that's just a mess waiting to happen. I like the idea of a small-ish peg board hung on the wall to store tools, rulers, quilt templates, etc.

Oh, and we put up blackout curtains because that room was so hot. It helped, but it still seemed so stuffy in there. Well, yesterday I got up on a step ladder and felt under the vent with the a/c on, and there's hardly any air coming out! I don't know if we have a duct problem or what, but it's been added to the to-fix list.

DH made our boards by using his table saw to cut a groove in the "would be" frame of 2" X 2" and about 3/4 inches in, giving you a lot of room for the back of the pegs.

He also made them several to fit the ends of my portable wood shelves, which I call a wasted space unless I can use it!

Wish I was there to help you, I love to organize! And with our expected high of 65, your 100 would be a shock!

Belle

I think you might want a cabinet with doors or some of those big totes to keep your fabric in, don't you?

I really liked everyones clear storage containers--sometimes if I can't see it I forget I have it. If you have the wall space, a peg board is a good idea too--you can get all kinds of containers and hooks for them.

And don't forget that there are lots of thrifty ideas too. Three or four empty cans attached to a board and hung on the wall to hold markers, brushes, etc. Old jars can hold all kinds of things from buttons to small embellishments. And I love using a turntable inside a cupboard so you can just spin it to get to the item at the back. I even have one on my countertop to hold my most frequently used paints so I don't have to hunt for them--just a quick spin and the color I want is right there.

The cans, jars, even those square wet wipe conainers can all be made "pretty" with paint, paper, or fabric on them.

The most important things to concentrate on are a good surface, comfortable chair and good lighting. Oh, and good ventilation like you mentioned too. I don't have an air conditioning vent in the room but some comes in from the family room and I do have a ceiling fan.

I now paint at a counter that is high so I use a teller stool from the bank to sit on--not nearly as comfortable as when I had a desk and office chair in my old space, but gotta adapt to what I have for now. The other thing I really like about my laundry room/craft space is that I have a double sink right there which sure is handy.

Can't wait for you to get your's all set up so we can see some of your projects. Oh, and if you have a fabric creation you'd like us to see--come on over to the conversations side and post it for us--that's where we talk about all our non painting related stuff. I love hearing about what everyone is doing and seeing things they make.

Luvs

Right now, it's just a mess of Rubbermaid tubs and piles of "stuff". I'll be sure to post more pics as I get it a little more organized.

I really appreciate everyone sharing their pics and great ideas. I almost bought a small chest of drawers yesterday at the thrift. It would be darling with some fresh paint and hardware, but was too small and short to be really as functional as I need it to be.

I feel like I need to finish some other house projects before I get too involved in this craft room, but I'm definitely going to be cleaning and sorting in the meantime. Minimizing the dust is definitely a priority! The area will get dusty just from the fabric and paper, but with the cats, it can get out of control pretty quick, and I hate to dust!

Oh, and I was at Walmart yesterday, and they had some neat storage containers in their office supply section. I think they were just heavy laminated cardboard, but came in different colors, and had those little tags on the front for labels. When I get to the point that I know what containers I need, I'll have to get some.

Your room is great! How wonderful to have that nice window. I can see bookcases with open shelving, maybe a piece or two with closed doors too, and a nice sized desk and good chair. That window almost calls for a comfy chair and small table so you could browse through patterns and dream up your next project! ;o)

Know you will have fun with it, and I'm sure it will be an ongoing thing as you find new pieces and get interested in new projects.

PF, I tried to look at that website, but it was a wierd format, I'll have to go check it out more. I wanna see pictures! LOL

Luvs

Luvs...you are crafty! so many great ideas on how to re-used things. Having been raised by my DGM and her having survived the depression years, she taught me never to throw away something useful, so I have a hard time not becoming a hoarder.

Nice area FranksMom and even a closet to hide things away. I have a drafters table that I used for painting and I cover it with layers of wax backed butchers paper. I can not only keep my area clean for my next project, I can also take notes at the top and at the sides try out colors. When it gets yucky, I just remove it and like magic, a new clean surface that doesn't bleed through.

Gonna go check out the website and probably drool!

Belle

So glad we have more joining in here to keep everyone going during this time of year.

Punk

I can relate to that statement. I only took pics of what you COULD see around the immediate area of my painting work space. I also have lots more stuff and paint stashed in more boxes and more cupboards you couldn't see. And I didn't show pics of my woodshop in the garage where I store lots of wood, hardware, and other supplies that share space with all of my power tools. Yeah, we're a sick bunch in definite need of help. LOL
*I envy anyone who has a 'real' room with a daylight window, sigh. :-)

Don't mess with Mother Nature by challenging her with a "definite need of help"

Mother Nature can get nasty when challenged......LOLOL while ROTF Just remember, we live 18 feet above the highest recorded high water mark and Mother Nature helped me! I now have a nice, new, clutter free area. How I envy all of your UFO's

Belle

Here's my "during" pics:

That lamp was a $2 thrift store find! I just found an inexpensive shade, dressed it up with a little ric-rack and painted the finial to match. The desk is getting new paint and hardware.

The shelf is also getting fresh paint. That yellow chair is the inspiration for the feel and color scheme of the room.

The table...also getting fresh paint. I wanted a table big enough to really work at. Something big enough to sew, paint, cut fabric, etc. I already had that table, and decided this was the perfect spot for it. It has another leaf, too, so I can add another foot or so if I need to.

I was looking for a rolling cart or shelf to store the sewing machines on, but couldn't find anything that met all of my needs, so I just made one! I used a piece of heavy plywood, added casters to the bottom and handles on the sides. The paint is still curing, but both machines will fit on it, and it stows nicely under the table.

So far, the only new things I've bought were the lamp, the red rolling chair, and the hardware. I'm still searching for closed storage for the fabric, either a pantry or an armoire.

Luvs

I was going to paint all of that furniture white. Then I thought, "how boring is that?" and was trying to imagine red or yellow or blue...then got afraid that it would be too much.

I think I do want the table to be white. I just tried to imagine sewing on a red table, trying to find lost pins, or see small seams, and I think any other color would be too much. That bookcase is demanding to be a color, though.

It's tricky. There's a lot going on in that room, and I don't want it to be too visually cluttered or busy. But I do like the bright colors in that room. All of the tubs of fabric will hopefully be enclosed behind something, once I get that stash whittled down more, so that will help.

That yellow chair was also a thrift find. I went shopping one day when I was just really feeling funky, and I saw that chair from across the store and just laughed! It had a tacky polyester seat, but I loved the yellow color, and it was sturdy, so I brought it home, and redid the seat in that retro fabric. It's since been called the Happy Chair!