Marzipan’s Craft Room

Come take a tour of my craft studio! I have lots of ideas for organizing your craft space.

Tip #1: Make functional items beautiful.

My rule for my craft room is that everything must be either functional or beautiful, and preferably both! You might not have the budget to buy a pretty table or a cute chair. That’s okay, because we’re crafters, and our talent is creating beautiful things!

I bought two of these desks at a garage sale for $10 apiece. I needed the extra storage in the drawers, and I liked how I could use them separately if a friend came to sew, or together if I needed a larger workspace. Unfortunately, they were also very ugly.

A coat of primer and two coats of spray paint updated these laminate desks, and new sliver drawer pulls match the other furniture in the room.

You should also work with what you have when it comes to chairs. This chair was the last one left of the cheap set we bought as newlyweds.

It only took 10 minutes to unscrew the seat and staple on new fabric that matched my room.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can try reupholstering an armchair. I wanted a comfortable place to work on hand sewing, but this ugly yellow chair needed a makeover.

I spent a day recovering it in my favorite fabrics.

Another item that’s easy to update is your ironing board. (Click here for the ironing board cover tutorial!)

I made this new cover in about 15 minutes, turning it into an accent instead of an eyesore.

Take a look around your room and ask yourself how you could beautify the items you own.

Spray paint a metal trash can, alter the outlet covers (click here for tutorial), or add new hardware to cabinets or drawers. I swapped out plain black handles for vintage thread spools on this old armoire.

Tip #2: Think vertically.

Now let’s talk storage. You may not have a lot of floor space, but chances are that you have plenty of wall space. Make the most of your area with vertical storage.

Hang your thread on the wall to keep it from tangling. You can alter an old frame (click here for tutorial), or turn a crib railing into a thread organizer (tutorial here). This is also a good spot to hang your cutting mats and rulers.

If you have a very large cutting mat, it can double as a floor mat. I bought this cutting mat for $30, turned it face down to protect the markings, and use it as a mat for my rolling chair. It also keeps me from losing pins in the carpet.

 Tip #3: Organize. Then Organize Again.

I like to organize smaller items by type first. For example, sewing notions will be in one cube, and paints in another.  Then I divide the items at least once more… a place for trims, a spot for zippers, and an area for buttons. However you choose to organize your supplies, it helps to label containers clearly.

You don’t need to spend a lot on pretty baskets or bins. I repurposed a thrift store planter to store my pens. All of these boxes came from the $1 store. If you find inexpensive containers that you like, stock up on them. Matching boxes make your space appear more organized.

I like to be surrounded by my crafting supplies because they inspire me. However, I do store my scrapbooking paper in the closet to minimize dust and unnecessary exposure to sunlight. I also keep my wireless printer in there. Consider installing floor-to-ceiling shelves if you can spare the closet space.

I fold my larger fabric pieces and store them in an armoire. Smaller scraps are organized by color and then placed in large plastic bags inside a filing cabinet.

Tip #4: Be tidy. Cheat if necessary.

You might be wondering if I’m always this organized. Well, I do have a secret. I keep a bin labeled “to do” and a bin labeled “to organize.”

Unfinished projects go in the “to do bin” until I have more time. Messes that I don’t want to clean up get dumped in the “to organize” bin. I sort through it when I’m in a crafting slump, and it often gives me new ideas.

Whatever your space is like, keeping it organized, pretty, and clean will inspire creativity. Thanks for visiting my craft room!