Whether you have a craft room (I wish!) or just a corner of a living room, kitchen or bedroom, it’s important to keep it organised.
It’s actually my living room that doubles up as my craft space and my sofa is where I sit to crochet. Obviously this means I can’t just leave my things everywhere or no-one else would be able to sit down. If you have your own craft room then obviously it’s not so important for you to put all your work away, to be honest, if I had my own craft room there would probably be my half-finished projects everywhere!
Our living room isn’t very big so the sofa is my only option when it comes to sitting down but if we had room I would have a desk.
Try and keep everything in one area.
So instead of having things spread all across the room, try and keep them together. This will help when trying to find things (like scissors!) and also stop the room being covered in your craft materials.
As an additional tip, it would be a good idea to have that dedicated area somewhere out of children’s reach. Even if you don’t have children in your home, guests and visitors might bring their little ones with them, and they could stumble upon your stuff while playing. Since your craft area might have sharp objects, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
When you are homeschooling your kids, like we are, it’s especially important to keep your workspace organised as you can end up with books and learning materials everywhere! If space is at a minimum then you could always consider an online tutor, Tutor Hunt allows you to search for UK based tutors, both online and in-person, for if you have the room at home!
Store things in labelled boxes.
I have separate boxes for all my craft materials so one has my sewing supplies in, one has my photography things in etc. There are so many different types of storage boxes, if you are short on space then flat ones which fit under your sofa or bed can work well. I use them in my living room. Or if you have shelves then you can pick ones to match your decor.
For convenience, you could also place those storage boxes in one big box, so you have just one thing you can easily carry around the house if you’d like a change of scenery as you craft. Perhaps a vintage box would be great, since it can be both practical and decorative.
Have your yarn on display to brighten up your walls.
I get that not everyone will love looking at yarn as much as I do but it really can brighten up a room when you have it all on display. I have a couple of shelves in an alcove in my living room and they are both absolutely bursting with yarn. It makes my life easier as I can sit and imagine what colours will work well together and it makes my room really colourful. You can also store it in boxes or in cabinets.
A yarn ball winder could help keep your yarn pile looking organised. If you’ve got skeins lying around, you could use a winder on them as well and turn them into balls you can easily store.
Be inventive with space.
In our old house we turned the cupboard under our stairs into a tiny little office, there was just enough room for a desk and chair. If you need a desk but don’t have space then maybe a fold down one would work somewhere in your house. Or do you have a dining room table that could double up as a craft space?
Try to finish projects before starting new ones.
I am not the best at this but have been trying harder over the last year, it can be so tempting to start lots of new projects, especially if you keep getting new ideas but half-started projects can take up a lot of space and if space is limited then the best thing to do is finish and either sell / put it in it’s new home then move on to something new.
Make sure you have a comfortable chair.
If you are sitting down a lot for your craft then you need to make sure you are comfortable, I know that if I crochet in an uncomfortable seat then I develop back problems and end up in a lot of pain. Do lots of research when it comes to picking the right chair. Browsing websites like Lionshome allows you to look at lots of different options which can help you to make the right choice.
Takeaway
With the tips given above, you can ensure that your craft area is as organised as you’d like it to be. With everything in its own place, the things you need and use often will be readily accessible. And since your space will be more comfortable and functional, the time you spend on crafting will be more enjoyable.
