How to Organize Craft Supplies

Crafting is a fun, creative and often relaxing way to spend time. Whether you sew, scrapbook, paint, carve, bead or knit, when you find a few minutes or (enviably) a few hours to enjoy your craft or hobby, you certainly don't want to go crazy wasting time trying to clear a space to work and find all the materials you need.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Craft supplies

1. Get rid of the things you haven't used in ages, or that you will not use, or that you can't figure out what they are even used for! Now you can breathe. Take a good look at what you have left.

2. Group like items together. Seeing everything in groups gives you an idea of the space and containers needed to house them.

3. Whether you are blessed with a room of your own (the last kid flew the nest), or you work at a corner of the dining room table, you can create for yourself an organized, comfortable, and accessible space. Folding tables can be set up quickly in any room, and stored in a closet when not in use.

4. Speaking of closets, why not convert one into a craft center? Use the closet to hold rolling carts of drawers full of supplies and materials. A short cart can double as a desktop. A small desk chair can also roll in and out of sight.

5. An old computer station or armoire makes a terrific mini craft center. Plenty of drawers and cubbies hold supplies, and the doors close when not in use to hide your "work in progress."

6. Now you can gather containers to store your stuff. Check craft, art supply, office equipment, stationery, and hardware stores for interesting, functional boxes, totes, drawers, files, wire display racks and tons more.

7. If you can't hide it, decorate it! Make the storage part of the decor and keep supplies in sign for easy access. With so many varieties from which to choose, baskets make a handy and decorative tote. Boxes, cases, and carts come in decorative colors and designs. You'll soon see that there is a vast array of containers designed for specific storage needs: sized to fit scrapbooking paper; containing many tiny drawers for beads and jewelry supplies; fit with specific placed to hold thread, bobbins, pins, and more. Ready-made storage containers will be a little pricier than your own creative re-makes, so keep your options open.

8. Invest in a labeler and use it to mark your containers, or use see-through storage. However, remember that visible items inside a transparent container can sometimes make a space appear cluttered. Now with a place for everything, and everything in its place, you'll be organized and ready when creativity strikes.

Resources

• Organize Stuffed Animals

[brantsbabe]

on 12/24/2008 Thanks, I need to do this, that's for sure.