I am excited to be a part of the Studio Spotlight series hosted by Heather from The Sewing Loft and Jennifer from Ellison Lane!
I have to confess though – that I don’t have any lovely photos of light-filled studios decorated with rustic charm and filled with enough crafting supplies to make Martha swoon. Sorry. That’s in my “someday” file.
In reality – my “studio” looks shockingly like my dining room. Weird coincidence. So since I don’t have a bunch of studio eye-candy for you – I thought I’d share some tips that I’ve found for making the most of a Crafting space that is a shared room. Maybe some of them will come in handy if you are in the same boat!
Make the Most of Your Storage Spaces
This might seem like an obvious one – but when your crafting space is part of your living room, bedroom or dining room, storage and organization is key. It doesn’t take much in the way of supplies lying around for things to look messy.
Get creative with where you store your things- a nearby cabinet, closet, dresser, or all of the above, work great for keeping things tidy and out of sight.
Now, I will confess that I don’t often do well in that department. I’m a messy crafter. When I’m making a dishtowel or clutch or really anything, I have to pull out lots of different fabrics, trims and other supplies to see what will work. Which usually leaves a pile of things on a chair that need to be put away. After I finish my project of course. :)
I’m really working on trying to get things put away quickly though.
Develop a System of Organizing that makes sense to you!
Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for this. You can easily browse tons of sewing rooms to see how they are organized to find ideas that work for you!
Here’s my fabric storage system – maybe it will spark some ideas for you too!
- Larger cuts of fabric are wrapped onto these little “bolts”. I picked these up from Amazon – they are actually little comic book inserts. They work great as long as the fabric cut isn’t huge or bulky. In those cases I use pieces of foam board that I’ve cut up.
- Fabric pieces less than 1/2 yard are rolled up and rubber banded, kind of like little remnants. They are stored in tubs, organized with similar colors.
- Medium sized scraps are in two smaller tubs, and wee tiny scraps are stored in pretty mason jars. I can’t seem to throw much away. Even a little piece of fabric can be a rosette or little piece in an applique.
I use similar systems for paints, trims, etc., trying to keep everything organized by type and color. Sometimes I have to go back through and do a re-organization if things get a bit messy, but overall it works! Tubs, carts and little boxes are perfect for keeping everything in its place and easy to access.
Find a Space that “Works for You”
This is sometimes hard when you don’t have a separate place for crafting, but really try and find a space to work that you feel comfortable in. You will feel more creative and inspired if you’re not cramped in a corner or trying to sew in a dark little room. If that means your supplies are in a different room than where you work – or you have to put your sewing machine away every night to actually eat dinner at the table in order to get some space and decent light, then I recommend trying it to see if it works for you.
Have a Work Table
This might seem like an obvious one – especially if you already have a room dedicated to crafting. But if you’re squeezing into the corner of your bedroom, or your TV room, then it might be super easy to just layout your project on the floor or bed or where ever. But let me encourage you to use a table to work. Have someplace decent sized to cut out your fabric, paint your signs and string your necklaces. Besides being easier on your back, you will be less likely to rush or accidentally cut through your carpet. Not that I’ve ever done that.
Obviously my work table is my dining table. I overlap onto the buffet behind it too – that is great as an extra workspace. (messy crafter – remember?) ;)
But mine is super sentimental too. I’m sewing on the table that I learned to sew on. Eons ago. So that’s fun. And mine has built in cutting grooves. (not really – but that’s what I use them for!) They little grooves are 4″ from the edge of the table – which might explain like most ruffles, waistbands and other things start out 4″ wide in my tutorials.
If you can’t or don’t want to use your dining table, you can pick up one of those folding tables from Costco or someplace. They are super sturdy and have easy clean surfaces. When you are finished with your project you can just fold them up and slip them in a closet. Easy peasy!
Use a “Work In Progress” Tote
Odds are you have a couple (or 10) projects going at once. Find a cool tub, maybe with a little handle, that will hold all your supplies for the project. You can keep your fabric, pattern, interfacing, etc. all in that box for easy access! You can easily pack up your project in one place at the end of the day, then pull it back out the next day and get back to work!
I am super excited about that Colette dress! I’ve got some great plans for it!
So those are my handy tips for sharing my Crafting space with my Dining room. I’d love to hear any tips or ideas you have for storage, organization, or sharing a space!
Great tips though I have a room to sew in – lucky me! I am a messy creator too and use vintage wicker baskets and shoe boxes to hold my small projects!
I love the idea of a WIP tote but I would need like 10! Thank you so much for sharing your space with us today. I have no idea how you keep it so clean and am truly impressed! I think there would be thread all over my house if I did not have doors on my space.
~Heather
I loved seeing where you create, and I’m impressed with your organization skills. Thanks for sharing with us.
Great ideas! I use those same totes for my WIP supplies, and it makes it so much easier to grab a certain crochet or hand sewing project and cart it around the house. I’m pretty sure that my husband has given up on ever seeing the dining room again though! :D
Bev, thanks SO much for being part our our studio tour. You’ve given some great advice that will benefit everyone! So many people sew on a shared space (it wasn’t that long ago that I did too.) I love the WIP tote box idea too.
We so enjoyed having you join our series! Thanks!
Thanks for this post! I craft in a shared space, though it’s our office, so it’s allowed to be somewhat messy. I am terrible, though, about just cutting stuff out on the floor. If I take it to the kitchen where I can spread out on our extra-large counter, I end up leaving a mess there until I’m done with whatever it is I’m working on, and since I have a toddler, I am frequently interrupted, as you can imagine. I’ve done a decent enough job of organizing my craft supplies, but my fabric piles up in filing cabinet drawers that frequently jam due to an avalanche. Not an ideal solution. . . I love the clear totes–they would really help me see what I have, but I don’t think that will work for me right now. I’ve started scheming, though, about how I can make some changes. Thanks so much for a real glimpse into your crafting world. It’s rather frustrating to see all the dedicated, gorgeous craft rooms on the internet, and think that I won’t have one of those for another 20 years or so when we’re finished raising kids. You are a total inspiration with your lovely creations and great working-space!
I see these pics of great studios on pinterest and sigh (loudly) and then get back to crafting in my living room couch. For most people space is a constraint and even though I have a wooden cabinet with glass doors to keep my supplies, most often than not my supllies are outside. I use multiple big boxes with little spice/sweet containers inside them to hold my jewelry findings and organise them according to the material type. This way only one box is out at a time
Hi,
I have a sewing room but I use my dining room a a room of choice. I have a mannequin with an apron in the corner of my dining room too. When I saw yours it made me wonder how many other people have one tucked away in their dining room too. Thank you for sharing your pictures.
fantastic space! a lot of us migrate or use the dining table. I was there too- love the mannequin.
Very nice!
Great tips!
Love this post!! I am in the same boat! I use my dining table to cut, although I do have a small sewing table that closes up completely so it also double as a serving table frequently. I also use a nearby closet for storage, but also have to share that space also so what doesn’t fit in there goes in totes in the basement. I organize most thing in similar ways also as space and accessibility are limited. We are working on moving into a larger home, where space inside and out won’t be an issue. Hopefully soon I will have that dreamy sewing room with room for a design wall and plenty of space for fabric stash and notions.
How timely. I got a new cubbyhole storage thing for my craft/guest room. I got all involved today moving it into place,and then tossing out a lot and I mean a lot of old magazines. I have a collection of baskets, bins and pretty boxes in that room. I also have a long long long way to go to make things nice in there. I think if I wasnt self employed, I would be farther ahead in all this. I’m glad to see though, that I already employ some of your ideas.
Guess what? I also use my formal dining area/living room as my sewing space. Hubs and I are empty-nesters now and rarely entertain anymore except when my siblings want me to host a pool party for my nephews or nieces. Last year I let loose in my dining room area. I puzzle-pieced my 3 different-sized cutting mats on my dining table which has glass on either side of the oak center. It works well. I hang whatever jelly roll strips or fabrics I am cutting/sewing on the back of the dining room chairs. I also moved the dining table against the wall so that I have space on the carpet to layout my blocks. Thank you for the tip about organizing stash. My stash is stored in the closets of the 3 spare bedrooms, the beauty of being an empty-nester. I just ordered a pack of 100 comic book boards which I was inspired to do when I saw the folded stash at Freshly Pieced. Anyway, I love your space! Thank you for sharing.
I really like the tote/case/box idea per project idea. I recently bought a simple three drawer short plastic number from Target. I wanted a large one but had to settle for this one as ideas the only one large enough to hold bee blocks. I was scared is lose one if they kept floating around. It’d be nice to have other projects similarly contained.
You are so clever. I love the foam board idea for larger fabric cuts. I’ve never thought of that. You can even get them at the dollar store!
It’s lovely. You have a great organization skills :)
I love h0w organized your closet is! I have a craft closet that is a small walk in currently stuffed wall to wall, floor to ceiling with stuff. I was hoping to sort through it all this weekend and get it all organized with some friends while the boys were hunting/camping, but their trip got cancelled due to wildfires. Loving the idea of work in progress totes, I’ve tried to use bags but they’re usually too big. Great inspiration here Bev!
Ok, I *love* that you are still sewing on the table that you started on! That is SO sweet!! And I never would have thought about using the grooves in the table that way. You have really mastered your space!
Super ideas! Right now my “sewing room” is a tiny odd shaped room on the 3rd floor (part of the finished attic). It’s cramped but I use every inch of it! I have a WIP tote, but I LOVE your card stock for wrapping fabric onto. Right now I have a chest of drawers for fabric storage, but that will evolve with your great ideas. Thank you!
I sew in my dining room too, and while I have most of my sewing supplies stashed out of sight, I still have the problem of my work-in-progress things sitting out. There’s also a headless naked torso on a stick (my dress form :P) and that tends to startle visitors. I’ve been wanting to get a work-in-progress box, and I think one of those plastic containers with wheels would be great because I could roll it down the hall and into the master bedroom whenever I have company over. I keep that room closed off so it’s a good place for stashing sewing supplies.
Also I just wanted to say that your dining room set is lovely! love the motif on the chairs!
i love the idea of a Work-in-Progress tote. i can’t wait to get out so i can get at least 5. Besides sewing, i also crochet. Right now i have 2 sewing and 3 crochet projects actively going. When i am not working on them, they are each in a pile somewhere in my living room which is my sewing room/living room.
BTW…..i love the framed mirror/shelves in your dining room. i love what you have done with it. i have one also. you don’t happen to know of a tutorial on how to restore one, do you?