Organizing Your Crafts and Hobbies
Storage Solutions for Arts and Crafts Tools, Supplies and Magazines
Jan 13, 2008
Most hobbies have a limited supply of equipment. Not so with many crafts. Crafters have to keep their ribbons, stampers, papers, scissors, adhesives, pencils, markers, and so on organized. The list goes on and on.
While there are many organizational tools on the market, none of them solves all of the crafter's needs. Often the best tools for organizing are found around the house.
Organizing Ribbons:
Suspend a dowel from the ceiling by tying each end to a length of twine and attaching the other end to a ceiling hook. Slide off one end of the twine and put the dowel through the center hole on your rolls of ribbon. You can have more than one dowel if you have a lot of ribbon. As you need ribbon you can just pull the one you need to the desired length and cut. You can include your jute and twine on the dowel. You can also suspend a pair of scissors so they are always handy.
Keep an "Everything Bag"
This is a tote that has all of your basic needs. It contains scissors, markers, rulers, needles, blades and adhesives. In a pinch, you always know where to find the basic necessities.
Yarn Storage
Yarn can be stored in any number of bags and baskets. The problem is if you can't see what you have you may forget you have it or in the course of your busy life forget the project you planned to work on. A way to solve this is to store your yarn in a clear zipper tote. If you purchase a new bedspread or comforter, they come packaged a clear zippered bag that works perfectly and doesn't cost you a dime.
Glue Guns and Glue Sticks
This is an item many crafters use regularly so you want to make sure it is easy to access and the sticks and the gun are kept together. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to find the glue sticks in the midst of a project. Keep a shoe-box size container and put everythingl together in one designated spot. Don't keep them with the last project you did. Then after each project make sure to always return them to that spot. You will always be able to tell at a glance if you are running low on glue sticks and won't find yourself owning five glue guns because you bought another new one when you couldn't find the old one.
Magazine and Internet Ideas
Crafters often save magazines and ideas they have printed off the internet. What this means is lots of paper and magazines to organize. Take the time to go through the magazines. if you are only saving them for one or two projects, cut the those pages out of the magazine. Purchase a binder and clear sheet protectors from your local discount store and put all of your ideas in binders. You will be amazed at the quantity of papers you can get rid of and how little space the remainder will take up.
Embroidery Hoops
Embroidery hoops are awkward items to store. Often they end up stored where we can't find them and repurchase what we already own. An easy solution is to attach an "L" shaped shelf bracket to the wall. It doesn't matter what size the hoops are,;they all fit. You simply rest the hoops on the piece that is protruding from the wall. You will never wonder where your hoops are again.
