Spring Cleaning

I've been busy trying to organize my craft area and while I was looking for some help I found this and I thought I would post this list I found on Just A Scrappin'


Organizing Your Craft Room - Here are some tips to organize your space

1. Separate your work area

If you do not have separate room for hobby/crafts then try to partition off an area of the room with a screen or by arranging bookshelves or furniture in such a manner that it creates a physical separation to the room. This will help restrict THE MESS (as others commonly call our craft addiction) to one area.

2. Think about storage

Have a place for everything and everything in its place. This will make your work time much more fun and efficient.

Get yourself some cardboard file boxes or the more expensive see-through plastic Rubbermaid boxes and organize your embellishments, fabric, ribbon, flowers, etc. Group things with common themes.

3. Easy Access to Tools

Have your scissors, glue gun, sewing machine, etc all close at hand. Make holders for your markers, your glue gun and your scissors. Get in the habit of always replacing these valuable tools BACK where they came from. This will save valuable time and reduce your stress level.

4. Lighting

Don't forget to spend some time and give thought to proper lighting. It is essential to your health as well as your mental attitude.

5. Worktable

Purchase an old table from the second hand store and it will be well used and you won't have to worry if that paint or glue that spilled will come off. If you do spend a lot of time crafting, an investment in a higher table will result in fewer backaches. You can raise the height of a display table if you cut four pieces of PVC pipe. A display table is the kind that you can buy at your local home renovation store. Their legs fold up and lie flat on the underside of the table. The length of the pipe depends on the distance you will need to raise the table to the right height for you. Fit the table leg into the PVC and tape on.

6. Music

Place your sound system within easy reach. Select your own music, don't just get in the habit of listening to the local station. If you choose your own music you can set the tempo and really increase you output. Try it and see if it works! Take advantage of all the information now available on CD. There are many motivational books and seminars. Learn while you work. (My personal favorite is right on my laptop - Pandora.com.)

7. Use your walls for storage

Get things up off the floor and off the counter tops. Invest in some shelving units or place pegboard on your walls.

8. Be realistic

Do you have craft supplies from BC (Before Christ)? Perhaps it would be a good idea to do a thorough cleaning and donate your old and unused craft supplies to a day-care, retirement center or community arts council.

9. Put it back!

My mom taught me this one, and it's so important it's mentioned twice! Now that you’re organized, once you're finished with it – put it back.

10. Tidy up

Spend 10 to 15 minutes at the end of EVERY day cleaning up. Set a stopwatch if you have to. Leaving your workroom clean and organized for the next day will make your more motivated to start.

Now you have some tips, here's the bad news. It is impossible to simply rearrange one area of your craft room. You must organize everything. Just as you go about clearing one area you will need to have a place to put things. Before you clean one mess it will take making a bigger mess. But it will be worth it. Remember to break down the job into smaller parts. "The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time." Good Luck!

I have to thank Linda for the help. I am getting there slowing but at least I can see some progress.