#1. ORGANIZE. Write down the items you really need to organize the most and come up with a plan. Is there something you can lose in order to make room for something you really need? For example, I stock a LOT of tulle so finding room for all of it was my biggest issue. I used to store my fabric where the tulle is now, but then I realized I really didn't need it all. I let some go, then I left only the colors and prints I use often on display and stored the rest. I put them in clear bins so I can easily find them later, but put the bins out of site in a closet. Now I opened up more room in my cube storage space to display only the items I needed to access every day. I picked up the cube storage shelves at Target. (There are 2 of them - one stacked on top of the other). I chose not to use a lot of baskets so I could view my stock instantly, but there are so many color options you could go with. Thirty-One has some really great colors and prints! Going to be picking up a couple of those in the near future to replace my beige ones. (Pink, of course!)
#2. GO FOR INSTANT GRATIFICATION. Make or buy one special piece. Hang it up or add to the room. Now decorate just that corner. Seeing your vision immediately in front of you goes a long way to inspiring you to do the not-so-fun tasks of filing, storing, purging, etc. For me, it was the "Create" sign (from a Deborah Mori calendar) and that pink chair fabric that got my creative juices flowing.
#3. DON'T BE AFRAID OF COLOR. Splash your favorite color on the walls (or just on one wall) to brighten up your space. Or go the other way and stay neutral, but add in color with bright chairs, art, or accessories.
#4. DISPLAY YOUR ACCESSORIES. Put them out where you can see them. I had boxes and bins of flowers, bows, fabric swatches, and beads tucked away. With them out of site it was easy to forget what I had and it seemed like I never found what I was looking when I needed it! Having them all pinned on my dress form was a great way to pretty up the space, while finding a storage solution for it all. I was able to get rid of a bunch of boxes and clutter and I just love the way it looks.
#5. HANG IT - Walls, ceilings, etc. My craft room is on the 3rd floor of our 300 year old farm house. While we absolutely love it, there are always storage challenges in an old house. Uneven walls, floors, and odd shaped ceilings are part of the deal. Sometimes, you gotta think up, under, on the door, or even on the wall in plain site. I found these unique frames from Pier One to display and hold my lace trim. Now I don't never have to search for it and it does double duty as a interesting wall decoration. I am a big fan of anything that pulls double duty! (Same goes for the items in my shop!)
To store the many strips of fabric I had laying around, I used (2) No-damage Adhesive hooks, (1) piece of string, and a bunch of clothes pins (to be painted pink at another date!) This is such an easy solution for so many things. I hung all those strips on the inside of the closet door and added another row underneath of it for the long strips. Now it is out of my way, but stored in a place that I can easily access it and find the color(s) I need. Yay! Mission accomplished!
Organized closet!
#6. DISPLAY YOUR WORK.
There is an ever changing landscape in my room, depending on what I am working on. But displaying my items - even temporarily - gives me pride in my work and reminds me what I love about my job: making pretty things for people to enjoy.
New Wedding Poms for my upcoming collection
#7. PERSONALIZE IT.
Add in personal items you love like books, mementos, and family photos. My shelf displays my daughter, husband and my Gram, along with special things like the hat ladies passed on from my husbands' Grandmother.
#8. A SPACE FOR THE KIDS. This is an important one for me. I work long hours and wanted a place where my daughter could come up and be creative with me. She loves to draw and color so I keep baskets of paper, doodle books, markers and craft supplies ready for her. It's become a special after school time for us. She does her homework then we work on our crafts together and listen to her favorite hits on the radio. Sometimes we take a break to dance to the latest Taylor Swift song, then we get back to our crafting...then dance again.
(This pic is BEFORE I found a home for all of those bins!)
How it looks now. Much more space for the kiddo!
#9. THINK OUT OF THE BOX. After all, it's YOUR creative space, right? I love using old jars for storing pens and sticks, an antique tea cup to hold paper clips or pins, and those plastic over the door shoe holders for EVERYTHING. They are great for storing just about anything small - from fabric remnants, to tools, paintbrushes, or supplies. I have them tucked away in closets all over the house!
I use a LOT of ribbon and have two work stations - one for me and one for my assistant. Using a paper towel holder to store ribbon gives me a something that holds a lot and can be easily moved.
This is what I like to call my "time management" center. Inside this fab organizer from Thirty-One, I keep my orders straight, my inspiration near, and an awesome printable calendar from TomKatStudio (that matches perfectly) keeps those deadlines in site. And let's talk about that clock ! One of my favorite pieces! I wasn't sure where to put it after I rearranged the room and my husband actually came up with idea to hang it right there on the organizer. LOVE it! Since I'm using a printable calendar this year, the space where a flip calendar usually goes was the perfect solution!
#10. INSPIRATION
When I found this calendar last year, I knew it was going to be something I would keep. It's filled with beautiful illustrations and positive quotes. I framed and hung my favorites.
I was still searching for the perfect sign to complete my main wall, when I stumbled on to this at
Joann Fabrics. Love!
And that beautiful painting on the left? That is my favorite piece of all. A painting my daughter made for me. I used to sing for a living so she said that is a portrait of me. LOVE.
Hope you got some inspiration from this post! Enjoy creating YOUR perfect space!
Would love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments. Feel free to add a link to your craft or sewing room and have a beautiful day!
Jen
Shopping info:
Sewing Machine : Brother Project Runway
Yellow inspiration board frames (turned lace holders): Pier One
Custom Toile Curtains: Calico Corners
Wooden Blue Table Tray and Dress Form: Home Goods
Storage Cubes: Target
Ribbon Organizers,Thread Spool Holder and Fabric: Joanne Fabrics
Wall Organizer: Thirty-One
Green Wall Clock: Dot & Bo
Wall Color: Butter by Restoration Hardware
Printable Calendar for 2015: TomKatStudio
Fabric wall banner and pom poms: My shop! Pretti Mini
Year of Hope & Inspiration Calendar by Deborah Mori on Amazon
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