If you’re anything like me, when it comes to finding the best way to organize craft supplies, you kind of want to curl up in the fetal position. You know there’s gotta be a better way, but putting it in practice can seem overwhelming. So I asked for a little advice from an expert, Maria at Leisurely Does It. Read on to get her awesome tips that won’t make you want to throw all of your arts and crafts in the trash!
If you or your kids love crafts and DIY projects, then you know how quickly craft supplies can multiply. Seriously, they’re like rabbits!
It may seem like an impossible task to get all that pretty fabric, stationery and paints under control but I promise it’s not.
Here’s a simple guide you can use to prevent craft supplies from taking over your house.
The Best Way To Organize Craft Supplies
-
Purge
First, gather all of the craft supplies from every corner of your home. Start sorting them into different groups. For example, put all of your paints in one pile and fabric in another.
As you go, get rid of anything that is:
- Broken or no longer works
- No longer used
- Not loved
- A duplicate of another item you own
Throw away broken items. Donate things that you don’t want to keep but are still in great condition to schools, family or friends or sell them for extra cash.
- Define Your Crafting Space
It’s so important to have a specific area for crafting because this will prevent supplies from being scattered all over your home. Not to mention, things are a lot easier to find when they’re all in one place.
If you have a room that you can dedicate to crafting, then great! Outfit it with a large table (or as big as your space will allow), a comfy chair, good lighting and plenty of shelves or cupboards for storage.
If you don’t have a whole room that can be used just for arts and crafts, then determine which room in your home you will use. Lots of people craft on their kitchen or dining room tables. Just be sure that you have a storage area nearby to house materials and tools.
-
Assign a Home
All of your craft supplies must have a home. This is non-negotiable! If you don’t know where to put things, you’ll end up throwing them anywhere.
Use storage bins, drawers, boxes, baskets and anything else you like to store supplies.
Group and store items by category. For example, if you want to organize sewing supplies in one drawer, place all the fabric in one half and then put threads, sewing machine accessories into separate boxes, but in the same drawer. Got it?
Find a space to put your kid’s art projects as well. If you have a mini artist in the house, their works of art can pile up fast!
-
Label
Use a label maker to label storage bins, shelves and drawers so you know exactly where items are stored. Not only do labels make it easy if you need to grab something but you also know exactly where to put things back.
Plus, you’ll eliminate all of the questions your kids will ask because they can’t find something or at least cut down on them.
-
Tidy Up After Yourself
Immediately after you’ve finished crafting, tidy up and put everything back where they belong. Make sure your family does this as well.
We’ve all fallen victim to procrastination. You say you’ll do it later but more often than not, you don’t end up doing it at all. Then, your craft supplies become a jumbled mess all over again.
It will be so much easier to keep things organized if you just stash materials and tools back in their rightful spots once you’re done with them. It’s also easier to clean because you don’t have to move around a bunch of things first and let’s face it, crafting can get pretty messy.
Organized craft supplies actually make crafting more fun and can save you money. No more hunting for items you need or buying more of something you already own but can’t find. Follow these simple tips to organize your craft supplies and keep them that way.
About the Author:
Maria Arthur shows women how to banish clutter, manage their money and conquer their lives on her blog, Leisurely Does It. Check out her free cheat sheet guaranteed to help you organize your home from top to bottom. Follow her on Facebook for more inspiration on how to live your best life.
Thanks so much Maria!
Here are some of my favorite organizational helpers:
Comments