Craft Rooms or Closets

[Shandeh]

Do you have a craft room in your home?

Or, do you store your crafty things in a closet?

Let's share ideas on how to best store and display our crafting supplies.

[Shandeh]

Am I the only one with a craft room?
Oh well....I'll share a few photos here, to let you know how mine has looked over the years.

When I first started out making a craft room, I chose one room in my house. It was an unused bedroom. I had to paint the walls, then hung some new curtains, and started moving stuff in. Before too long, that room was PACKED with everything crafty I had collected over the years. Sewing, embroidery, needlepoint, cross-stitch, crochet, and knitting. It soon became a chaotic place!

Chaos in My New Craft Room! by Shandeh, on Flickr

I used a rocking chair as my craft room chair, and found a standing knitting bag to place beside me.

My Knitting Chair - A Little Piece of Heaven by Shandeh, on Flickr

I put all my knitting needles together, so I could find them more easily.

Knitting Needles by Shandeh, on Flickr

My mother bought me a folding cutting table, to use for my sewing work.

Cutting Out Pants Pattern by Shandeh, on Flickr

It was just too crowded in there, though, and I wanted to make a change. So, I decided to move to a different room of the house. This room had blue walls with white trim. I still had the same problem, though. Not enough room for my stuff.

Craft Room Entrance by Shandeh, on Flickr

I did find some nice storage bins for my yarn, though!

Yarn Storage Bins in My Craft Room by Shandeh, on Flickr

I tried moving things around in the room, but it was hopeless. Just not enough room.

Craft Room Done by Shandeh, on Flickr

So, I decided it was time for a smarter plan. I cleared out the larger bedroom COMPLETELY, and stood in there with my hands on my hips, trying to imagine how I could make the room work well for my crafting. I took measurements of the room, then measured everything I wanted to move in there. Then, I sat down and drew a little architectural plan of my room. I made it to scale, where an inch would equal a foot. Then, I cut out little models of my craft room furniture to scale, and placed them on the diagram in different arrangements.

After doing that, I had a better plan in mind. I then decided that I wanted to get rid of the carpet in that room, because yarn and thread and sewing needles kept getting stuck in the carpet, making a big mess. I had never removed carpet before in my life, and couldn't afford to hire anyone to do it for me. So, I spent hours studying online, to figure out how to do my flooring.

I started out by pulling back one corder of the carpet to see what was underneath.

Pulling back carpet for first time by Shandeh, on Flickr

The carpet and foam padding took a while to remove, and when it was out, I discovered hardwood floors underneath. But, they were in BAD shape.

Bare Wood Floor With Staples Removed by Shandeh, on Flickr

After some consideration (days, I'm talkin....), I decided to go with vinyl floor tiles. It took a while to figure out how to install them, but I was pleased with the results.

Wow! A Floor! by Shandeh, on Flickr

After I finished the flooring, I added a pretty border on the walls, then hung some shelving.

Shelving in My New Craft Room by Shandeh, on Flickr

I found some shoe boxes to hold all my sewing patterns, but they looked awful on the shelves.

Shelving Getting Full! by Shandeh, on Flickr

So, I covered them with pretty shelf paper. Nice improvement!

Shelves with Covered Boxes by Shandeh, on Flickr

I put some art on the walls.

Art on the Wall by Shandeh, on Flickr


Framed Embroidery Hung by Shandeh, on Flickr

My folding sewing table was placed at the window, with some crafty stuff placed on top.

Craft Room Window by Shandeh, on Flickr

Then I set up my sewing table in the middle of the room.

Sewing Table Set Up by Shandeh, on Flickr

Next, I brought in all my yarn and my rocking chair, then rewarded myself with a nice bouquet of flowers.

Roses in Craft Room by Shandeh, on Flickr

During one of my remodels, I crafted a door sign, to keep out invaders. I used an old t-shirt that was too small, and quilted it together, adding some lace on the sides. Fun!

Craft Room Door Decoration by Shandeh, on Flickr

It was pretty for a short time, and then THIS happened.

Chaos After Christmas by Shandeh, on Flickr

After a bit more organization, I got it back to working mode again.

Craft Room is Getting Better by Shandeh, on Flickr

My craft room has continued to change since then, but I have learned to just roll with the punches. I know now that a craft room is NEVER finished. It is always changing, depending on what craft I feel like working on. And when I find a new piece of furniture for the room, it has to change again.

Right now, my bed is set up in there, so all my crafting stuff is packed together in half of the room.

But, my plan is to redo the flooring in the OTHER bedroom, and make that my bedroom. When the bed comes out, I'll have my craft room back again.

I wonder what it will look like this time?

[piecemaker]

I love it! I have craft room too and it's my formal living room! It's the biggest room in the house. I had my husband install hardwood floors when we built the house so I could baste my quilts on it. I didn't have furniture for two living rooms plus the family room has the fireplace so that is where everyone hangs out. The only bad thing is that there is no door to close to hide the clutter so I "try" to keep it neat. It has it's good days and bad days. LOL I am also a quilter so I have shelves full of fabric and pattern books, yarn in baskets, plastic tubs and totes. I have a TV to watch HGTV and my sewing/crafting shows so I love my room. It is my haven.

[Shandeh]

I love it! I have craft room too and it's my formal living room! It's the biggest room in the house. I had my husband install hardwood floors when we built the house so I could baste my quilts on it. I didn't have furniture for two living rooms plus the family room has the fireplace so that is where everyone hangs out. The only bad thing is that there is no door to close to hide the clutter so I "try" to keep it neat. It has it's good days and bad days. LOL I am also a quilter so I have shelves full of fabric and pattern books, yarn in baskets, plastic tubs and totes. I have a TV to watch HGTV and my sewing/crafting shows so I love my room. It is my haven.

Hey, that's a great plan to use the living room! I wish I knew how to quilt. That craft has always fascinated me.

My living room is my music and entertainment room. I have an organ and piano in there, so I can practice my music for church every week. One day, I want to teach piano and organ lessons there as well. Right now, I travel to my student's homes for their lessons.

My Organ and Piano by Shandeh, on Flickr

[liveforcrochet]

my craft room is our through-way from the upstairs to the basement laundry and garage so there is a lot of foot traffic that goes through. turns out, i use it mostly for storage unless i am actually using the sewing machine, or i need some boy-free time haha. i've learned that i like to do my crafts anywhere and everywhere i can. so i accepted the fact that for the most part, my craft room is where i keep all my supplies and finished gifts. its kind of like a giant walk in closet rather than a room.
my husband laughs at me sometimes, as i do have a designated craft room in the house, but somehow i manage to have craft supplies in every room of the house

[karenarp]

I have a craft room that is so disorganized I can barely use it at all. So I use my basement now, It is nearly as full and disorganized as my upstairs craft room now. So I moved some of my current crafts into my main living room, luckily I only moved up the ones I am actually working on! So it is staying some what organized for now. I have ADD and it shows with my crafting. Very difficult to stay with one project till it is completed! Though I almost always quickly return to my yarn and crocheting.

When does the craft organizing faerie show up? Anyone know?

[Shandeh]

Hey! You both have a Craft HOUSE! I think that is what mine is becoming as well.

I have about half of my yarn in the craft room. The other half is in the unused bedroom across the hall (currently named "junk room"). My sewing table is set up in my office, and I have a basket of knitting projects in the music room, which I work on while watching Netflix. The only room that doesn't have crafts in it is the kitchen.....Oops! Wait a minute! I have a few vintage embroidery kits in the bottom drawer of the freezer to kill any bugs or larvae that might be in them.

I do have ONE room with no crafts in it EVER. The bathroom.

[karenarp]

I do have ONE room with no crafts in it EVER. The bathroom.

Not even to decorate the walls?

[Shandeh]

I do have ONE room with no crafts in it EVER. The bathroom.

Not even to decorate the walls?

Well, I DO have two embroidery kits for ducks taking baths.....but I haven't made them yet. So, you're right...eventually I will have crafts in EVERY SINGLE ROOM OF MY HOUSE!

[lialab]

I do have a room for my crafts, which I call MY lab (Lia's lab no doubt) a place for computer, bookshelves, one for books or magazines another for beads and jewelry making, another desk for sewing and a closet for yarn and other craft stuff. Painting and stained glass had to go in the basement. and I'm knitting in the living room. So I guess I take a lot of space. Hubby has the garage