Bwhahaha! I laugh every time I type or say the word ‘studio’ for my craft/sewing/work space. I think it makes it seem oh-so-fancy but really it’s not. It’s just my subtle takeover of our formal dining room that we use twice a year! I was actually planning on taking our 4th bedroom and making it my craft room but then I realized how much I truly can get done during the day if I can actually be in the midst of the chaos of our 3 kids. If my room were upstairs I don’t think I’d get up there as much or if I holed myself up there my kids would be wreaking havoc below and so all and all it’s much nicer trapsing into the space I have now since it’s on the main floor and right off the kitchen!! (y’all trapse, don’t ya?)
Anyways, I wanted to post more of my work space organization since so many of you had questions about what I put where and well, I think pictures of things are just so much nicer than me blah-blah-blee-blabbing to you…right?
So, here is a look at my other cabinet…yes, I have TWO…and I love them! The glass doors are truly heaven sent, I cannot say it enough!
The green magazine holders (bought at Ikea along with the cabinets) at the top are where I store manuals for my sewing machine, serger, etc and important receipts…tell me you save receipts too? Those all go into one, the other three holders are split up to hold patterns that I have created and and/or traced out onto butcher or freezer paper as well as smaller applique patterns and instructions for said patterns. Annnd deep breath, whoa that was one long run-on sentence! If the pattern fits I will place it in a large ziploc bag first just to keep all the smaller pieces together…I’m talking to you dress patterns with your many bodice pieces!
This shelf holds my Macaroni Love Story by Heather Ross that my beloved bought me for Christmas **swoon** (over him and the Macaroni!) Can you believe he did that all on his own? Unfortunately the Mac Love is not being printed anymore as it was a limited edition via Spoonflower…boo hoo!
I also have a pile of Ikea fabrics that I bought on super sale at the beginning of the year. I’ll just say Dana made me do it…she makes the bestest things out of their yellow stripe-y fabric, plus I love a good pun now and again (she MADE me do it, get it? *snort*)
This shelf holds much of the vintage trim I use for many of the girlie onesies in my Etsy shop. I also love using mason jars to hold my stock of covered buttons and empty spools of thread as well as my supply of safety pins and vintage metal buttons 🙂
I use these CD baskets to hold store bought patterns and many of the cute vintage patterns I have found sloshing my way through thrift stores. On a side note, you can find some great old patterns at your local thrift store if you can spend a little bit of time weeding through the piles of sometimes very yucky ones they have and usually they sell them for as little as 25 cents! I love that many of them have handwritten notes on them in that classic old cursive handwriting style just like my grandma had!
I bought these glass candy jars at Walmart of all places, I think they were 5 dollars a piece. They are perfect for showcasing all the bright colors of ric rac and bias tape I keep on hand. They kinda look like candy, don’t they?!!
Speaking of ric rac, I wanted to show you how I keep my yards and yards of ric rac under control.
I bought these wooden sticks in the wood crafts section of Hobby Lobby, they are like short paint stirrers if you will.
They are the perfect size to fit in my glass candy jars too…
You can wrap 10 yards (yes 10!) around these babies and they are still not bulky!
**These would also organize your other trim and/or ribbon stash nicely too 🙂
Then not only do they help me keep my ric rac organized and untangled, they also help make it look so pretty sitting on a shelf…easy peasy craft room decor!
Ya gotta love these jars for those little packages of bias trim too…
Pretty, colorful and ORGANIZED…
Love it!
Okay, so that was Craft Cabinet #2.
What did you think?
Questions…comments?
Just leave them below and I’ll do my best to help you out…what are friends for!!
I have a comment: waaaaaaw!
I prefer to meander or saunter 🙂 What a great cabinet from IKEA! And I also love the wooden sticks for your ric-rac. I think I could do the same with my messy ribbon drawer. For fabric I used some shelving from Target that you stuff those cute fabric boxes into. I use the bottom from on of the fabric boxes to fold my fabric. It stacks wonderfully into the cubby holes.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/potteryandeverythingelse/2612050558/in/photostream/
Your ric rac and bias tape has created a monster within me. I usually put off buying any until I need it but now…I know a way to display it nicely. Also you gave me a great excuse to take over my dinning room…I can see the babe playing from there!
I used your comic book board method on my own stash a few weeks ago and loved it, and I rounded up bins and jars for patterns, trims, etc. It works great! And I thought your rick-rack was rock candy and my first reaction was “What a great idea! Candy jars with your stash to minimize trips to the kitchen!” 🙂
Mag, you’ve done it AGAIN!!!! But I have no roooom for another cabinet 🙁 (wait, there must be somewhere…. 😉 ). Those jars, those sticks, the ability to SEE my ric rac collection (which is pathologically vast). Girl, you are gonna be the death of me (and my husband who already thinks you are my secret evil twin).
LOL AWESOME! Thanks for sharing!!
I have to laugh because I have totally taken over our formal dining room with my sewing machine and fabric too! I’ve stored most of my other things in a guest room closet, but how I wish I had those lovely cabinets!
Did you say you were coming to my house? WOW this is a great shelf and all the different ways of organizing your stuff is wonderful.
Thanks for all the ideas..~!
ta ta for now from Iowa
I’m somewhat new to your blog, and love your inspiring ideas. Gotta ask, what size are your candy jars? If found one online for $10.00 and it says it’s a 1 gallon jar. The jars you have don’t look that big.
Would love to see a picture of your whole dinning/studio area!
Happy Crafting!
Kelly
from Nebraska
LOVE it all!! I must work on my sewing area, it dreams of one day being as neat and organized as yours!
LOVE the ric rack storage idea. Reminds me of multi-colored cotton candy! I feel a craft cleaning spree coming on!
Just had to tell you that I keep receipts, too. A devoted snap lid container for all sewing/craft-related purchases. What, do I think I’m actually going to add it all up someday to see how much I spend on these projects…on second thought…I need to go burn all those receipts…
🙂
Thanks for the great org ideas.
jamie @ backless shirt
@Kel-Those smaller candy jars are 64 oz containers…I’m telling ya, Walmart.$5.Awesome Deal!!
XOXO,
Mags
I love being organized. I have two areas that are like yours but without the material. I scrapbook and do genealogy so I have one for each. Makes it so much nicer when you know where everything is. I loved your cabinets!
i am sick just sick,,,,with nice jellysee at your beautiful studio, work space and all your yummy goodies…but then you do come up with the loveliest of things, so its a good thing you have them.
happy for you all is in order.
becky
LOVE it! I can’t wait until I can have an “office/studio” instead of sitting at my kitchen table {like I am right now ;)}
Gorgeous! Love your studio! Want to organize mine? ha. I really like the glass jars and the cd holders. Great ideas.
Yes! It is like candy…I had to laugh when I was sloooowly going down the post, and my husband asked how on earth I could be that interested” in fabric stuff”.
LOVE it. Love the ikea fabric especially. 🙂
I so admire moms who can sew! I can not, but I can no sew with an iron pretty darn well! Your craft closet is so pretty!
http://organizedcleandesign.blogspot.com/
Beautiful!
Fabulously freaky tidy crafty space, I’m sooo jealous!!
(Lyn)
Just bought some of those boards today from our local comic book store. Good night! That place was hoppin’ at 11am. Who knew comic books were still all that popular, but I’m sure the guy behind the counter thought the same thing when I told him what I was using them for…**People still sew?**
Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow, you’re so organised. I need a cabinet like that but I fear it would be such chaos that I’d need curtains over the glass doors!
Very nice! I have the same cabinet in chocolate color from IKEA and the magazine holders. LOVE that stuff!
These are some GREAT ideas. Thanks so much for sharing! I’m dying to try out mini fabric bolts. I really need to move that task to a higher priority!
I have major craft area envy. I mean studio. MAJOR. I’m going to have to save some of those pictures for my inspiration board. 🙂
What cabinet system is that? I love it!
Thanks so much for your great organisational tips.
I used the mini fabric bolts tip here:
http://cookyousomenoodles.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/fabric-organisation/
and the ric-rac sticks here:
http://cookyousomenoodles.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/bias-tape-organisation/
Love your work 😉
– Mariane
Where did you get your cabinets? I was just telling my husband I need something like this for my fabric, currently its in boxes! If you already answered sorry for asking again!
Ack I have to ask the same thing! What is the name of those cabinets from Ikea in your sewing room. Thanks! I know this is an older post.
So Inspited, you have my wheels a spinning on what I can do in my mom’s, in desperate need of orginizing, sewing room. Thanks for the insperation.
Great idea that I will use…I hate my messy drawer full of loose rick rack. Thank you
Love what you have done here. I have a beautiful curio cabinet that I plan to use the same way. Just planning my studio.
I also made mini bolts for my fabric. I bought sheets of corrugated plastic and cut it to the size I wanted. I love seeing all my fabric lined up. I also LOVE you stoarage of your ric rac. I will have to do that myself. I love having spots of color around my sewing room. Thank you so much for the great idea. Now if I could just come up with a wonderful way of storing my scraps. Any ideas?????
Great organization tips. Working in all the wonderful color must be fantastic.
This was timely that I stumbled on your posts about organization! I am in the process of fitting out a room for my sewing/crafts. The best part: I recently bought 2 shelves that have glass doors on them!! Now I know exactly how I am storing my fabric and notions! Thanks SO much for these great ideas! 🙂
ella4cella[at]yahoo[dot]com
http://www.bountifulstringquartet.com
Haha, our dining room has also been transformed into my sewing room! My other craft – notably scrapbooking – supplies are at my big desk in our basement, in a corner next to the kids play area.
Thanks for sharing – I love how you store your fabric!
Love it! My fabrics are all piled atop each other in a zippered up bag now and they’re very sad in there. Would love to liberate and legitimize them like you!
What’s the name of the cabinet you purchased from Ikea? I’d love to get them for myself.
I have a 3rd bedroom I converted to my craft room, love your candy jar ideas and wooden sticks from Hobby Lobby, my hubby works for Walmart, and we do have a Hobby Lobby ya know my 2nd home, love your storage ideas, your blog is a keeper, thanks for the ideas and keep on crafting. You are great at it!
Connie, zanesville ohio
Well the comic book idea is awesome. As soon as I read it I searched for a local comic book store because I couldn’t wait to get them in the mail. Had a long weekend so I decided to dig in. It created a monster! Went to bed at 2:30AM and one night forced myself to bed at 4AM since I had plans at 7. Typically need 8+ hours & am in bed by 11 but the demon took over and now I have 100 piecese of years worth of a stash & need to go get more boards. Made me happy, thanks for the great tip! Can’t wait for more.
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is
added I get four e-mails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove people from
that service? Appreciate it!
I’m so sorry you are having issues with this! I think you need to go back to that particular post and just unclick that box. I don’t think there is anything I can do on my end, sorry!
Maggie