A few years ago, I moved from a larger home to a smaller space, so I had a challenge in front of me when trying to find how to organize my craft supplies in a small space. I thought I’d share some tips if you are dealing with a craft space that also serves another purpose (bedroom, guest room, office, or nursery). I also have a dedicated article on the best sewing tables for small spaces.
I was very overwhelmed at first with all of the miscellaneous boxes of craft supplies. Those of you who have moved can probably relate! My craft supplies storage has to share the space with my coats and shoes in my new apartment. The bedroom doubles as a guest bedroom and my office, so I had a challenge when it came to organizing. But I am here to tell you, it can be done!
Craft supplies can quickly take over a room if not organized properly. Here are some tips for organizing craft supplies in a small space:
- Create designated storage areas for each type of craft supply. It will make it easy to find what you need when you need it.
- Invest in sturdy storage containers or boxes that can be easily moved around.
- Use vertical space to store supplies by mounting shelves on the walls or hanging racks.
- Label everything, so you know what is stored where.
Craft Room Organization Tip #1: Utilize Vertical Space
Store items as high as possible to use all of your vertical space, specifically for items you don’t need to use daily. As you can see here, I stored several packages of quilt batting and some scrapbook albums on the top shelf of my closet until they touched the ceiling.
If your closet doesn’t have shelving above the hanging racks, see if you can add some. They are great for storing boxes of supplies or handmade items that you don’t need to have in easy reach.
Craft Room Organization Tip #2: Use Hanging Storage
The back of a door is a great space to use a hanging shoe rack for shoes (if you need it) and small sewing or craft notions like replacement rotary blades or sewing needles.
I happen to keep all of my interfacings in this bag. Since my cats like to lick the adhesive side, I now hang the bag on a sturdy plastic hanger in the closet, so it doesn’t take up precious floor or desk space. And also, the cats don’t mess with it here!
Craft Room Organization Tip #3: Finding the Right Desk(s)
My husband decided he didn’t want to use his office desk anymore, so I inherited it as a lovely cutting table (left). I also have an L-shaped desk that is great for my sewing machine and thread collection. I can easily swivel my chair from one side of the desk to the other, so it’s great for multitasking.
When you choose a chair and desk for your craft room, think about what you will be doing the most and try to find a workspace to accommodate your biggest needs, whether that’s storage, surface area, or both.
Craft Room Organization Tip #4: Put It Away
I know this will make me sound crazy, but I am a quilter who doesn’t own an ironing board. I mostly just use this portable ironing station, made from an ottoman cushion that I recovered. You can toss it right on top of your cutting station or use it on the floor, and it takes up much less space than an ironing board! It’s easy to pull out of the closet along with my iron when I need it.
Since I don’t have a large cabinet for fabric storage, I opted for these plastic tubs that I can easily slide in or out of the closet. My fat quarters and large scraps are all on the top layer, and smaller scraps are separated by color in the bottoms of the tubs. It’s really helpful to put them away when we need to use the room as a guest bedroom.
Our linen closet was originally filled with towels and sheets, but then I realized I could clear up a few shelves by rolling the towels and storing them in the door. (Again, gotta love back-of-door storage solutions!) I stored my large cuts of fabric, scrapbooking, and jewelry-making supplies in the linen closet, just around the corner from the craft room.
Plastic storage drawers are an excellent bang for your buck for storing fabric, yarn, or other craft supplies. The bins with wheels on the bottom are great for creating a portable workstation if you like to work out of more than one room. Also, look for under-bed storage boxes if you can use them.
You can also raid your garage or tool closet for storage solutions, like this excellent aluminum basket I picked up at a garage sale for 50 cents.
Craft Room Organization Tip #5: Cover It Up
I covered our computer printer with this handmade cover, so it’s less obvious that this room doubles as an office. If your craft room is a multi-purpose room or office, consider covering more oversized items (like a computer monitor) and storing smaller items (like pens and paper clips) in storage bins.
Here’s my sewing machine cover, which I received in a swap and absolutely love! It’s incredible how covering up your machine can make a room look much more “pulled together.”
Finally, consider adding a curtain under a desk to hide miscellaneous craft supplies. Use a tension rod and add some fabric to make a hiding place for your works in progress! It is my plan for the bottom of my cutting table.
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