Creating the Craft Room of Your Dreams

Nowadays, there are so many different arts and craft products on the market that those who craft can quickly become overwhelmed if their supplies are not organized. Having your craft supplies strewn all over the place leads to misplaced items, inability to focus, and intense frustration, all of which will ultimately cause you to be very unproductive. You will also waste a lot of your time and money.

It is for this reason that all crafters dream of having that one area of their house they can designate for their craft space. Though we would all like this space to be as large as possible, there are so many storage solutions and options available that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Here are five of the most essential parts to making up the craft room of your dreams, along with some tips, ideas and mistakes I have made along the way.

There is where I made my first mistake. Like many people, I obsessed with the look and feel of my craft room. I wanted that picture perfect craft room I saw in magazines, and concerned myself with the decor, rather than functionality. Because of this, I ignored room specs and ended up putting my furniture in places that looked good, rather than places it worked best. Before you buy any pieces, and especially before you blindly start moving everything around, think long and hard about where you can use the square footage you have to your best benefit, and what things you will need closest to you.

This step should not be confused with decorating. Painting your room prior to moving in your pieces is basically just a strategy that will avoid a lot of unnecessary moving of furniture. Another reason you’ll want to paint your room first is if you intend on hanging organizational shelves, cabinets or drawers. If the room is painted first, you will have very minimal touching up to do later.

Think about function, again, when you choose paint color. It is very easy to choose your favorite color, or the color that would aesthetically look best, but even though multi-colored stripes might have made it into this month’s edition of House Beautiful doesn’t necessary mean it’s conducive to crafting. Consider vibrant colors that will get your creativity flowing without giving you a headache. Light blues, purples and greens can be soothing colors, but may or may not be too relaxing in a craft room.

For my craft room, I chose a soft yellow (Benjamin Moore’s Crème Brulee to be specific). The yellow gave me that little burst of color and vibrancy I wanted to get my creativity going, and yet it was soft enough to not distract me.

Your desk should be your first big purchase as it will serve as the command center of your craft room. Decide what size, style and shape you want and find a place in your room it will work best, not necessarily look best. My advice? Get the largest desk that will fit in your space. You will be amazed at how quickly it can become cluttered.

There are many desk options available on the market today. Besides the traditional wooden desks or fancy computer centers, companies are now offering furniture made especially for crafting with built in drawers, shelves, and embellishment trays. These craft centers are wonderful but can be very costly so consider your overall craft room budget before making such a large purchase.

For my desk, I used two white filing cabinets from JCPenney to act as the base and then bought a 10 ft white countertop from Lowe’s for the top. This countertop is not permanently attached, but rather lays on top of the filing cabinets with a little non-stick padding so that it doesn’t slip.

Again, organization in a craft room is essential if you plan on getting anything done. It will also help you control what items you currently own so you are not spending money twice or throwing money out the window with items that sit at the bottom of a drawer for years, never even opened. Here are some storage ideas that will help you get all of your supplies organized.

Craft Centers

Craft stores like Michaels, Joanns and A.C. Moore all sell craft centers for storing miscellaneous items. These craft centers are all different and are built with slots, partitions, compartments and drawers and will hold anything from ribbon spools to acrylic paints. They are offered in the form of cubicles that sit on the floor and stack and in units that hang on the wall. If your budget allows, having a few of these pieces in your craft room will do nothing but benefit your organization.

Shelving

Shelving is a very cost-effective way to organize a craft room. Shelves and brackets can be found at any hardware store for a very reasonable cost and require very little skill to be assembled. The benefits of shelving is that you will be able to utilize all of your wall space, giving you a ton of extra room to put your supplies, while keeping your items visible at all times.

Rolling Organizers

Organizers that are mobile can be a wonderful addition to any craft room simply for the fact that any mess that is ever made can be rolled into a closet or hiding spot. They are also good if you plan on crafting on the run. Some rolling organizers even have a top shelf that will act as a second mini desktop, offering you more square footage in work space.

Craft Pantry

A craft room can become cluttered within the blink of an eye. Supplies you don't need at your fingertips, or in-progress projects are perfect for placing inside a craft pantry due to the simple fact that pantry doors can be shut to keep your room clutter-free. Craft pantries also offer great shelving for tools and equipment you don't need to keep on your desk.

Rubbermaid Containers

Rubbermaid containers are a cheap and easy way to control your clutter. For bulky or seasons items, these containers are perfect because they can be stacked in a closet and kept out of the way. If you plan on having multiple containers, use labels to accurately identify the contents of each bin so you are not playing a guessing game, and ultimately making more work for yourself.

Pegboard

I can honestly say that my craft room was not complete until I added pegboard above my desk. Up until that point I always had a ton of tools and supplies all over the place, leaving me hardly any room to do any work whatsoever. I would find myself shifting my project around just to find a clear section to work off of. Once I got my pegboard, I was able to organize and hang all of my supplies on brackets and shelves, leaving my desk completely clutter free and still giving me access to all of my equipment within an arm’s reach.

Now that you have all of your essential pieces set and your room functions the way you want it to, it’s time to add some personality! Hang pictures of your family and friends, favorite art pieces, some of your favorite works of art, or even projects that have inspired you. Adding projects you have created or would like to create offers added inspiration to your room!

Since a lot of my inspiration comes from the works of Vincent van Gogh, I knew that for my room, I wanted a completely van Gogh-inspired theme. I chose my favorite van Gogh works of art to hang on my walls, added a van Gogh clock and calendar to keep me sane, and even placed a Vincent van Gogh action figure on my bookshelf.

Find items that inspire you and go with it. You can never have too much inspiration!