Craft Supply Wall Storage and Room Tour

My craft room is starting to look like a real studio!

I painted the craft room/guest room last summer. Then I lost steam on this room and let DIY fear take over when it came to making  over the current furniture. That fear stalled the project until I got a little help from a friend.

 Pin these craft room storage ideas on your Pinterest boards for later!

Angie from Country Chic Cottage asked a bunch of bloggers (check out the awesome list here) if  we wanted to participate in her Craft Room/Office Space Tour. I joked I could do it if she provided a front end loader. My room still looked like the Before photo except with yellow walls.

Craft Room/Guest Room BEFORE – Yikes!

Angie said I had awhile before the tour. It was the motivation I needed to move this space from Crap Room to Craft Room. This room is still a work in progress because it is also our Guest Room. I’m still working on that part of the room now that the bed is no longer storing my craft hoard supplies.

I like having a separate work areas for general crafting and for sewing – it gives me something to do while I am waiting for paint to dry.  I played with new floor plans while keeping the floor heating and AC vent clear. I stacked wood fruit storage crates similar to these and used a few screws to anchor them to the wall so they don't tip over to use as storage drawers and create what will be my Sewing Zone and General Craft Zone. Disclosure: I am including some affiliate links in this post for your convenience.

Making Organization Zones in the room!

I built wraparound wall shelves from a broken fence I rescued from the side of the road. Welcome to my wall of craft supply storage!

You can learn how to make my mitered storage wall shelves here.

Next came the big task of organizing my craft supplies. I made the job manageable by working on it in chunks over several days. I worked on the general craft supply side first because that stuff was stuffed here, there, and everywhere in the old room.

First, I did a general grouping of my supplies by function: craft paint, sewing, die cutting, etc. This gave me an idea of how much stuff I have and how much room I need to store it.

I had some embarrassing discoveries too. I thought I needed more hot glue sticks and paint brushes until I found more than enough in curious places.

Next, I spent more quality time than Lacey would like putting like supplies with like and testing and reworking the storage containers I had on hand. I’m shocked and surprised I didn’t have to do the budgeted and expected Container Store run for craft organizers. Bummer because I really, really love shopping the Container Store – boo hoo.

Then, I organized the craft storage shelves according to zone and how often I use/access those supplies. My grandmother’s antique enamel top table on the left is the general craft area. The desk on the right is the sewing zone.

Let’s start at the top!

Do you believe I already had all of these organizers? I’m surprised and a little horrified at how many of them were not in use until now.

The top shelves are items I’m collecting/saving for future projects. I put a series of square bottom reusable shopping tote bags similar to these into use as storage cube for stencils, bottle caps, and blank surfaces. I tied hanging labels the hanging loop so I know what's what. so um, yeeeeah it was by functional design and not by happy accident.

Poor me. I have a bunch of empty vases because Husband likes to surprise me with flowers. Now they store wine corks while they (and the corks) wait for the next opportunity to shine.

I made the labels from a stash of shapes I cut from pasta boxes for a project that didn’t pan out.

The rest of the Craft Zone shelves store paint, drawing tools (my old college ArtBin organizer I used for drawing class), and Mod Podge. In the old room I stored everything in painted 6 pack holders. I quickly outgrew them. I played with several options. I used trays from an old hardware organizer that wasn't functioning as sewing desk organizers and they are  perfect! The middle shelf holds glass paint. The bottom shelf is all purpose craft paint. Both sets are organized in ROY G BIV order.

Craft paint storage!

I out grew the broken mug I used for paint brushes and pens. I poked around in a box of my childhood stuff and found mugs to hold my new found paint brushes and pens. It’s nice to put it to use again.

Believe it or not, I was in Who’s Who Among American High School Students – twice.

The shelves above the Sewing Zone hold general craft supplies, organized by type.

 

If you look closely, you will see a real live 1980’s Bedazzler on the lower corner shelf! I bought it at a yard sale to make renaissance festival costumes.

I put clear plastic shoebox storage bins to use storing like and odd shaped supplies. I normally don’t like clear storage container or non-eco friendly plastic if I can avoid it. I ended up with these after reorganizing my kitchen and pantry. The greenest thing is what you already own!

I like the clear bins. It is a quick visual reminder what goes in each bin in addition to the label.

The clear craft storage bins I use are here.

The little non sewing related bits and bobs crammed in my sewing desk needed a new home. I series of empty plastic take out containers works well.

We like Chinese food.

To keep my self honest about putting stuff back where it belongs I labeled the bins and containers with my label maker. I’m famous for putting something in a “better place” and forgetting where I put it.

Dr. Sheldon Cooper would be proud! Get more information about my nifty label maker here.

Lastly, I made drawer organizers to hold my sewing notions and supplies in the now nothing put Sewing Zone desk. I’ll tell you how I made them in a later post!

I buy my neutral thread in bulk – by the serger cone like these..

I love how I can find everything and everything has a place in my reorganized craft room. Just wait until I finish the other side!

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