Creative Craft Room Ideas

craft_room by decor8 on flickr

I’m pleased to present ideas on how to create your own crafting space from guest author Sam!

Do you have that creative itch but nowhere suitable to scratch it? No matter the craft you fall in love with – card making, painting, sewing, driftwood sculptures, writing or homemade candles, upholstering – you need a place, a space, dedicated to it. It doesn’t have to be massive but it does have to be functional and reserved solely to your brand of creativity.

Clear a patch of your cluttered kitchen or sitting room, empty out that box room of its boxes and dust away the cobwebs of the summerhouse at the bottom of the garden. It’s time to get crafty.

The ideal craft room is unique to every artist so the ideas below on how to set yours up are not exclusive. You can keep things basic, bling the place out or go shabby-chic to the max. What’s important is that you like it and that it holds everything you need at your immediate disposal. So where to start?

Storage

You might not think it, but you’re going to need a lot of this. You’ll need it for paper, bits and bobs, pens – all things crafty. Consider the following easy and affordable items:

  • Jars to hold cotton reels, beads, bobbles, paper clips and emergency sweets.
  • Up-cycled metal plant pots to hold pens, pencils, rulers, brushes and craft knives.
  • Deep bookshelves to hold reference materials. Turn them on their side for a place to store card and paper on safe, flat surfaces.
  • Drawers and stacking boxes to hold swatches and fabrics.
  • A tall standing cabinet to store art materials such as pots of paint, glues, bags of wet clay and boxes of driftwood and salvaged pebbles.
  • A peg board to hang scissors, tapes, rolls of everything, packets of glitter or pens – anything that can and will hang from a peg board.

Space

Any room can be redesigned to accommodate your arts and crafts tendencies so don’t get freaked-out by the prospect of whether you have a lot of space. Whether or not you do isn’t important but having a bit of blank space is. Here’s why:

  • A blank wall can hold Post-It’s, photos, postcards, cuttings from magazines, scribbles and doodles – anything that inspires you. Keep a bit free so that your mind has space to be free too.
  • If you have a bit more space, install a corkboard. It functions like a blank wall but can hold more.
  • A dry-wipe board is a fabulous item to have installed. It doesn’t have to be enormous but if you have a whole room, get a big one. It gives you an immediate space to structure ideas, write lists and draw diagrams, and it doesn’t damage the paintwork.

Essentials

Don’t be fooled into thinking these are miscellaneous objects. Without them, your craft room will be missing some very important components and you’ll be at a loss without them:

  • A comfy chair is a must. You do not need cramp, numbness or strain as you slouch over your work so shop around, pay a bit extra and find the ideal place to settle your derriere.
  • Waste and recycle bins to stop your workspace from being cluttered with scraps, clippings and balls of paper.
  • Pay a visit to charity and second-hand shops and pick yourself up a couple of lamps. You need plenty of light to work by, especially if you’re a night owl and work into the wee hours.
  • A big desk is better than a small one but work with what you have. Get your savvy on and check out flea markets for bits of furniture that needs some love. Remember to protect your purchase from scratches, accidental gouging and glue spills with a decent table protector, too.

These ideas are pretty basic, and you can expand on them as much as you want. You can keep it neat, minimalist and pure or you can go wild with a riot of colour and scavenged objects. Your craft room is your sanctuary so prepare it well and put your mark on it.

What ideas help make your craft room perfect?

Guest author Sam is a connoisseur of the craft room, having designed his own perfect space to write and get crafty in. He recommends Wipe Easy Tablecloths for keeping his craft room spotless. 

Featured images:


 

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.