craft room re-do

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve likely seen some photos of my craft room over the years. Maybe you’ve read about some of my craft room storage solutions, or my methods of craft room organization. You can find all these past posts on my blog HERE.

You’ve also probably heard me go on about how “craft room organization” isn’t a one and done deal. It’s a continual process. So, you probably aren’t surprised to learn that I’ve once again re-done my craft space! Yahoo! And this time, I’m very, very excited about it.

In November Big Picture Classes sent their videographer, Joe Gomez, to film a meet-the-teacher video about me (and some other teachers) during a cross-country trip. This inspired me to make some long-planned changes to my space as an early Christmas present.

For me, the first step in this craft room re-do was planning. I had a basic plan in mind, but I had to sit down and flesh it out before doing anything else. Once I had a more solid plan, I began to sort through and purge my supplies. There were a few large boxes I got rid of, and that felt great! I always love decluttering.

Then I moved out the old furniture pieces and passed them on to the local thrift store. There are a few things I’ll be selling, but most of it was donated. Then came the fun part! My hubby and I took a trip to the local Home Depot and Ikea, and the re-do commenced.

My first favorite part of this re-do is my new work surface. I bought a SKARSTA adjustable height desk from Ikea. I’m so happy with this choice! I love that I can sit or stand with a simple crank of the handle depending on my current project. And the white surface? Perfect for taking desk shots of my projects. Best purchase ever! I also moved my work surface so it’s directly in front of my east-facing window. I love the morning sun!

Last year my sweet hubby installed this wall-mounted shelf for me and I love it. That where I store some of my completed projects, my Project Life supplies, and a few other odds and ends. I cleaned out and moved my other favorite Ikea piece, my Kallax shelving unit, under the wall-mounted shelf over by my work surface so I can easily reach my favorite tools and supplies.

Here are a few details shots of this side of my room–my simple American Crafts ribbon storage, and some decor pieces under my wall mounted shelf.

That metal cart next to my new desk holds my large tools–my Template Studio and Minc. I can move it around my space if needed, and it keeps everything I need for working with those tools all in the same place.

I love to put some of my completed projects and favorite supplies on display. This changes frequently, and it’s fun to come up with ways to fill this decorative shelf.

This corner of my room is my office. It holds my laptop, second screen (great for editing photos and Photoshop projects), my printer, my Cameo, and a few more supplies. It also contains my “self-affirmation wall”, and some of my favorite layouts.

One of my best tips after several craft room re-do’s is to spend some time really analyzing your creative process. Identify the supplies that you use most often, store them together, and place them in easy to access areas near your work surface. Also, store supplies used for the same activity together–ie my Heidi Swapp Minc Machine, papers, foils, and heat sleeves are all together. My final piece of advice is to let go of the need to keep supplies that you don’t love or that you know you won’t use. Pass them on to someone who will use and love them. It’s the best thing you can do to rejuvenate your creative mojo since your room will be full of your favorite things.

Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to ask any questions about my space or my storage and organization philosophy.