Where it all happens

Hi, welcome, I am so excited to start this blogging journey. I love to craft, create, organize, etc. etc. etc….I’m a thrifty DIY-er at heart, if there is something out there that needs to be done I will find a way to do it myself. That’s not to say that I don’t seek out professional help at times. (Plumbing is not a strong suit. Neither is heavy carpentry or cooking!) But most things I will give a good college try.

Recently I had the opportunity to move my craft room into a loft space of sorts on the second level of our home. It is so important to me to have a neat organized workspace. Since this space is in an open area at the top of the stairs it also has to blend in with my décor and not spill over into the living space. The second level also functions as a guest suite of sorts. It took me about a year to organize my supplies and create a work area that works for me. I used others’ tips along the way, I really needed some guidance. I want to share with you how I created this space and the best organizing tips I have found.

My space is long and narrow with sloping cielings. The stairwell to the second floor is in the middle of the room and my space takes up one side. I have lots of natural light and faux wood floors, the space is inviting, easy to clean, but best of all it’s my own away from the million and one other things going on in my house and life. Here is my main work area.

I used a basic 6 foot white folding table and added a fabric table skirt. Now I don’t sew, I would love to but I don’t have a machine….maybe down the road. To create this fabric covering I “hemmed” all sides using a permanent fabric adhesive. I found mine at Joann Fabrics, There are so many to choose from, I found one on sale that happened to have good online reviews and it seems to work really well. I measured the width of the table and height from the floor, cut, and glued away. I made a front panel and 2 side panels. This allows me to cover all my supplies when I am not working. To adhere to the table I used Velcro dots again from Joann Fabrics.

I added some extra strips of fabric, using glue, to function as tie backs. 2 pieces of fabric are glued on the back side of the hem. One piece hangs in front, one in back. This way when I roll my chair up I can sit comfortably and my hidden supplies are accessible.

On either side of the table I have metal shelving racks. I have had these for years. They are inexpensive and adjustable for your space. They can be found as most big box stores. I am assuming I got mine at Target, as that is where I get just about everything. They are similar to this. I found a coordinating fabric (this is the color scheme in the bedroom down the hall), measured the shelf and glued a 1 inch hem on all sides. This time I used just one panel around 3 sides. I adhered the fabric to the shelf using Velcro strips. The gaps in the wire shelf made the Velcro dots inefficient. The strips work great. When not in use it slides up next to the table. I tend to keep current projects on top right on at my fingertips.

When in use I slide it out and have access to all my supplies.

This is where the faux wood floors come in handy; I can slide these around without the worry of scratching the floors. You could also adhere felt to the feet for easy movement. Or wheels if you are on carpet.

I like to keep everyday use items at my finger tips. Paper crafting is my passion so the little shelf on top of the table has cutters, punches, glue, and ink. This, way back when, was a homemade shot glass shelf and it was full. Oh how times have changed. Small shelving units like this can be purchased at a craft store..

My favorite wood mounted seasonal stamps are stored in clear containers in the wire shelving racks. I store off season stamps and embellishments out of sight to keep the clutter to a minimum. I found a great system to store clear stamps. I purchased a Mead 5 star organizer. It comes with 5 plastic inserts all tied up in a neat case. For 2 of my stamp sets i threw out the original plastic casing and stuck them right on the plastic, they stick! For the others I kept the original case and store them in the plastic folders. I rotate these out with my seasonal wood mount stamps so just the necessities are at my finger tips.

I have a few die sets that I use all the time. These can be stored on magnets!

I got the idea here, but being thrifty, I decided to do it without spending any money. I have a collection of magnets that I do not use. I turned the magnets around on a cork board, held them in place with push pins and stuck on my favorite dies. Love it <3

For fellow paper crafters, especially thrifty ones, you can appreciate this. I save ALL my scrapes! I never know when I might need one.

I keep most of them in one big bucket. However when I have time every couple weeks I sort them by size and toss the ones that are not a manageable size. (This is a great link to help you sort and pair down your scrapes). I keep 12×12 paper in a clear square container, and lump in anything that still has a 12 inch length. My 8.5 x 11 paper in in a clear plastic hanging file sorted by color.

I put to use this vintage tool box from my Grandfather, it still has his name on the front. I use this for small embellishments and stamps. It closes up nicely when not in use and has tons of little compartments for all my cutesy stuff.

I do my paper crafting on the work table, but honestly, I do just about everything else on the floor. It’s just so much easier to spread out. I have a big space next to the glow of my electric fire place, it’s cozy and inviting, just what I need to create a masterpiece.

So, how do you organize your space? Any tips, this is always a work in progress.