Oh, the crafty hoard… (clean & organize the craft storage room with me!)

Hi friends! I had been feeing a bit uncreative and blah and quite frankly annoyed with the current state of my crafty storage area (AKA the old craft room) so I decided it was time to go through all the drawers of random supplies, reorganize and most importantly label everything. Join me on this journey, will you? You can put this video on while you are cleaning up your craft space too! It’s better to tackle tough chores with a friend don’t you think?

I finished this project last Sunday night and it had been such a relief each day to walk in there and find, or put away supplies. I don’t think it was bad before but it is so much better now! My storage is handmade or castoffs from other parts of the house (or side of the road LOL!) Most of the products I use for organizing are from department stores (back to school time is a great time to shop for selection and price) as well as the Dollar Tree. Below I will list some of my favorite things I’ve used.

• Iris carts are available in lots of different drawer sizes and combinations. I find the shallower drawers the most useful but I use some deep ones too. The casters can be removed for stacking too!
• 9-cube units (I use these for my craft island table legs, you can also find ones with larger openings that will hold scrapbook papers)
• I use hollow-core luan doors as tables, they were salvaged sliding closet doors.
• I also use wire cubes, they can be rearranged infinitely and stored in a small space when not in use. These come in different sizes so check before ordering if you need them to be wider. Mine are i4″x14″ panels I think.
• I also use a lot of recycled boxes and plastic square baskets from the dollar tree. Dollar tree storage is great and I recommend buying a bunch of the same color if you like it as they sell out fast. You can also order online and they will ship it to your local store for free if your store doesn’t have what you want. I just spotted these paper trays that are 12″x12.5″ that I think might be good for scrapbook paper.

I hope this inspires you to make the most out of the space you have and til next time happy crafting!

Affiliate links were used in this blog post.

Storage for my ceramic palettes using recycled materials

Hi friends! I love using cute white ceramic palettes for mixing inks and watercolors but I often forget to use them (or buy more cuz they are cute) because I store them safely on the other side of my art room on a shelf. I decided to make a storage insert for my storage cubes on my desk so I could safely store them all within reach. See how in today’s video!

I used 3 flat UPS cardboard boxes for this, a craft knife and duct tape. I couldn’t be easier and it works so well! I hope it inspires you to make some crafty storage too. Happy crafting!

How I store Jewelry Making Supplies

Hi friends! Over on my YouTube channel I have been posting a series of new ways I am storing my supplies. I have affordable solutions that have worked out well for me and they just might help you too. I will eventually post all of these to my blog but if you want to see the videos done so far check out my YouTube channel and if you want to see my most current craft room tour (filmed a year ago) you can find that by clicking this link.

Many of the storage I use was purchased years ago and is discontinued but you can find modern substitutes by searching what you need on Amazon, they are always coming up with something new to help us store our crap…er..I mean CRAFTS! LOL:) Til next time happy crafting!

Why didn’t I think of this before?

Hi friends! Today I want to share one of the ways I make use of bins in my studio. I am a big fan of the 9 cube bookcases you can get inexpensively at Target, Walmart or Home Depot for craft storage. I like the cloth bins for keeping some items out of sight, contained and organised but there is a couple of problems with these bins. For one they are open and can be a black hole and you can lose stuff if you aren’t careful. The other problem is the budget ones are really flimsy (and I tend to go for the cheap ones so I can have more money to spend of nice supplies and because my cat likes to use them as a scratching post LOL!) In today’s video I’ll share my trick for overcoming both of those storage problems! Unfortunately I can’t help with the cat scratching problems but she leaves my good furniture alone so I’ll pick my battles:)

So, did you already know this trick? I love finding tips to better use my space and have my supplies readily available. Please share any tips you have in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!

DIY Drying Rack

Hi friends! This month I challenged myself to paint 20 small oil paintings, I quickly realized that I would need a place to safely dry these out of the way so I created this drying rack that I can put up on a shelf in my studio away from my work area and my cats! This is what I came up with:

I built this from some leftover foam board (foamcore) I had but you can also up cycle a couple of cardboard boxes to do the same thing. This is sturdy, lightweight and should last a long time.

Supplies:

• Foam board/foam-core or cardboard
• craft knife
• Hot glue (duct tape could also be used but I think it will be more difficult.
• Yardstick

I love crafting with foam core, I have made many storage items over the years with it like this ribbon storage and this ink pad holder. There is so much you can do with it! Some viewers on YouTube said they were going to make a card display for craft fairs using a similar method to my drying rack and I thought it was a wonderful idea. What have you made with foam core? You can find it at the dollar tree or order it in bulk from any big art supply retailer. Happy crafting!

Swatching Glitter! (and how I store it!)

Hi friends!  Glitter is fun to use. It can add a subtle sheet or totally glam up a project. Before you add glitter to your hard work you will want to know whether the glitter is sheer or opaque and the level of glitz it has. Today I’ll show you how I swatched my new Arteza glitter so I could see what I have.

You can find this set of Glitter on the Arteza website, Use coupon code PROMO10 for 10% off or on Amazon.

I store my other glitter and embossing powders in a 12″x12″ Iris cart where I removed the lids so I can access everything easily. You can also get the project boxes on their own if you prefer. My friend Kathy bought me that Iris card years ago and it is so useful! I hope you enjoy this quick tip and til next time happy crafting!

No More Baby Wipes! Minimalist Monday/Konmari Craft Room Series

Hi friends! A little over a month ago I ran out of baby wipes in the craft room. I used them to wipe ink and paint off stamps and tools and to wipe down my table after I was done a project. After one really messy project I realized I had used about 8 wipes and suddenly I felt like I had a problem! When I reached the end of the pack of wipes I decided to see if I could go a month without them. Find out what I learned in today’s Konmari craft room video!

Video!

I learned that it wasn’t just about the baby wipes, it’s never just about the stuff. It wasn’t about the price of the baby wipes ($1 a pack at the dollar tree) but it was about the COST of buying the baby wipes.

• The environmental cost, think of 12 bricks of wipes going into the landfill.
• The time cost-I have to go to the store and buy these.
• The additional cost of the other things I impulse buy (or my kids impulse buy) when I am in the store. By not buying the $1 pack of wipes I am saving $20 on the other crap I (or my kids) would have picked up without thinking and these unimportant items would be thrown away or break soon thereafter.
• The storage cost- Hey I’ll grab a few packs so I won’t have to return as often but I must have a place to put them…oh and if they dry out I’ll have use water with them and in that case I might as well use a rag.

I took a couple of weeks to not reach under my table for that pack of wipes. But now I barely think of them. I keep a spray bottle of water under my table and several small cloths hanging from the side. Using a cloth is now second nature.  If I need a stronger cleaner I use 1 part simple green to 10 parts water in a spray bottle for wiping my table or rubber stamps or 1 part baby shampoo and 10 parts water for clear (or rubber) stamps and it works better than wipes. You just need to change the habit. Notice I said “change” and not “kick.” We are not depriving ourselves, we are just being more mindful of our consumption.

I don’t think baby wipes are bad and that you shouldn’t use them. It wasn’t really about the baby wipes remember? Getting in the habit of looking at the things we use and the real cost of the item will save you not only money but time, effort and stress. Let me know what you think in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!

PS “Konmari” refers to the Konmari Method from The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. It was the framework I used to declutter my craft room and home. I found a great deal of value from it. I have also started listening to the Audiobook How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie and am finding value in that as well. Links above are amazon affiliate links where I earn a small commission of the sale at no cost to you. You can also likely find these book from your local library for free.

 

Studio Tour & Craftsy Class Launch!

Hi Friends! Wahoo! Today is launch day for my class at Craftsy! It is so cool to see 4 months or work finally come together! The class is called Mix it Up Mixed Media Step-by-Step and I get to give all of my blog readers a 50% discount on the class! Just click the link in this post to get the discount, if you go to Craftsy and look up the class it will be full price ($29.99) but because you are the most awesome, supportive people ever you get the class for $14.99 and you can be the first to take the class! Oh, and I have a winner to announce from the random drawing for a free spot in the class, drumroll please … it’s Stephanie Drury!!! I sent you an email with your prize so check your SPAM folder if you don’t see it!

So after I got back from filming in Denver I had so many ideas on how I could improve my studio for filming, it is a work in progress but so far it is working out well. We all have different stuff and take part of different hobbies but hopefully it will help you get some storage and workflow ideas to fit your needs.

Studio Tour Video!

What are your best storage ideas? I’d love to hear them in the comments below. Don’t be afraid to move your room around and try different storage ideas. My room is a work in progress, as my interests change I want to have different supplies within reach and that’s OK! The worst thing you can do is expect your room to perfect and static, give yourself permission to change what doesn’t work AND to do what is right for you. We are all different and have different needs so out craft rooms will be different. I hope you got a few ideas that will work in your space or at least you have a video to show your husband to prove that you are not a crazy craft horder, or at least you are not as bad as me LOL!

Thanks for stopping by, thank you for having a look at my new class Mix it Up Mixed Media Step by Step (and don’t miss out on the 50% off deal!) I’ll have a new pastel tutorial for you tomorrow, til then, Happy Crafting!

Makeover Monday!

Hi friends! Today I want to share a project I did Friday…as in ALL DAY Friday. I made over my twin daughters bedroom for their birthday! You can see the before, after and reaction in the video!

Video!

Tips:
1. Start with bedding, you can use what you have or buy something new, the beds take up so much of the room you should make sure you like the bedspreads. After deciding what you are using for the bed it is easy to pick other items like paint and accent fabric to match.

Comforters/pillow shams set: $40 each from Target
Batik fabric: $10 yard (I used a 50% off coupon so $5/yard)
Chalk Paint (I mixed the white and teal I already had AFTER using the white to touch up the trim)

2. When in doubt go neutral, I could not find a large teal rug so I went with beige, plus it was an after back-to-school steal of a deal!

Mohawk Carpet Remnant: $10.47 at Target (make sure the edges are bound, you don’t want a piece of raw edge carpet.)

3. Buy more storage than you need because you can return what you don’t use and you might not be able to find more if you need it like the fabric bins I got at the Dollar tree. I bought the 15 they had and since they were beige they would match whatever color I choose! The bins are also available in a chocolate-brown color, remember neutrals go with everything and your eye needs a place to rest when you are using lots of color everywhere else!

15 fabric bins from the Dollar Tree $1 each

4. Start by sorting, this room was a mes and I needed to get it cleaned before I could do anything else. Get a big bag for garbage and a box for donations, hamper for laundry and also a box for things that belong elsewhere in the house. Once you have those items sorted and out you can begin!

*I also assembled the bind and put them in the cubbies so I could put good items to keep away as I went!

5. If time is of the essence paint first, don’t even think about painting after the bedding and carpet is in. I cleaned, painted and then left the room to make the bean bag cover. I wanted to make sure everything was dry before bringing in any new fabric items!

I hope this inspires you to tackle a room makeover in your home, you can do it and it does not have to cost a ton of money. Best of all you can enjoy your home even more! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!