Here’s the scene: You’re scanning through the latest (insert your choice of craft here) magazine and found the project you just have to do. There’s no doubt about it in your mind that the Rose Red Yarn you bought a couple of months ago was pre-destined to become this project. You look at the list of supplies you need to complete this project and you realize you have everything, you just need to get it all together. So, off to the craft room you go…only to see a jumble mess. “Well, I know I put the yarn in this box, and the crochet hook in that corner, and the lace in the closet somewhere….?”
Not being organized not only wastes time, but it wastes money as well. How many times have you gone out and bought new knitting needles only to find out in a few weeks you already had a set? I can tell you from experience that before I got organized I spent half of my allotted “crafting allowance” every week buying things I already had.
In this post I have put together a list of suggestions that I found useful for getting the craft room organized.
21 Ways to Organize the Craft Room
- Keep your yarn organized by storing it in big scrap booking boxes
- Use the nylon mesh netting that comes with onions, apples, etc. to store yarn.
- Stash your yarn in clear labeled totes, separated by color (i.e. blues in one, reds in another).
- Keep current projects organized by storing them in separate mesh bags (i.e. produce bags) inside a larger basket or box.
- For smaller supplies use a wooden keepsake box.
- If any of your stash yarn was bought with a specific project in mind, write the information about the project and staple it to the paper wrapping on the skein.
- Use hanging sweater organizers, hanging shoe organizers to storing yarn in the closet.
- Keep double pointed knitting needles together with baby hairbands or small rubber bands. Place these in pint-size mason jars labeled with needle sizes.
- Make your own needle holder using a paper towel roll covered in contact paper.
- Protect and store craft books in a plastic container with pull out drawers.
- Use three-ring binders with labeled plastic sleeves to store circular needles. Don’t forget to label the sleeve with size and length.
- Store notions in a small zippered bag (school pencil bags work great).
- Keep sewing needles and point protectors in transparent pill bottles (label with contents).
- Use painted jars to hold pencils, markers and paint brushes.
- Add a little paint and some dowels to a picture frame. Use this frame organized your ribbon and thrreads.
- Use letter holders to store your fabric. Your fabric will be doing double duty…it’s available when you need and you create a “material collage” on your wall.
- Hang old ladles on the wall to hold small items.
- Use fabric covered cardboard boxes to store your items.
- Using your existing bookcases. Add shelf dividers and there you have it. You can create spaces as small or as big as you want.
- Decorate old soup cans with wallpaper and use them to store crochet hooks.
- Have a coat rack that doesn’t get used? Put it to work in the craft room.
The Loom Lady 