Craft Room Tour
A look inside my creative work space
I can hardly stand it, I'm so excited to use this space!! Did you see how my craft space used to look? This is my crazy before room…
So back to that 47 images. Don't worry, I'm not loading you up with a pile of photos today. I decided to show you the highlights and then later I can share more details for different areas and talk about how I organized and what I use. So please, do feel free to ask questions or share comments… I'll make sure to share the details you want to know more about in the extra posts.
So on we go.
First, I wanted to make sure my work space had areas for all the different things I need to accomplish when making a project.
My Craft Room Must Have list:
- Lots of work space to be able to create more than one project at a time, so if something needs to dry or pause, I still have room to keep working.
- Sewing table. I've never had an area set up just for sewing… now I do! So projects I'd like to add a little stitched accent, I no long have to worry about the time it takes to set up a space for the 5 minute activity. Woo wee!
- Work areas for my daughter. My daughter is super crafty… even more that I am. She also likes to craft all over the house, so as I was re-working this space, I wanted to make sure she had areas to be able to work too. The other family members.. we'll share with them too.
- Plenty of organized storage areas so I can not only put things away, but easily find things when I need them. I think I previously spent 1-2 hours a week just looking for things. Not anymore!
- Photo/video light box so I can work any time of day and still have light and bright images.
Plenty of space to work
Lot of space to work. This area is HUGE. My craft studio is downstairs in my unfinished basement. The basement is a walk-out, so it doesn't feel too cramped and has a decent amount of light… but work lights are definitely a must any time of day. Every wall has workable counter space. Under every countertop is storage. I've used industrial storage racks because they are sturdy and inexpensive.
When I first set up this space years ago, I divided it into various project-type areas. I kept that organization, for storage purposes, but found that I prefer to work mostly at the big center table or near the window with natural light. So, when cleaning and re-organizing, I cleared off the big table so allow for even more work room and I added a second chair so my daughter could work on one side while I work on the other.
Plus work space for my daughter too!
My daughter has storage for all her supplies on this side of the table. There are 3 shelves and the floor space, all filled with different plastic bins full of various supplies. Keep reading to see some of the fun workspace details I created in my new craft space. Or skip ahead to the organized storage areas.
I love the shoe rack for the ribbons. Your tour gives me hope that I will gradually get more organized. Thanks for sharing.
You’re the first person that I have seen have as much paint as I do! Super inspiring!
Haha! This makes me so happy. Thank you so much for the note!
Love your space. We are finishing the building of my new craft room and have been looking for the heavy metal shelving you used, but have been unable to find anything like it. Can you please tell me where you purchased your shelving for your counters .. this is the BEST idea I have seen
thank you for the inspiration!
So sorry for the late reply. Did you finish your space yet? I purchased my large shelves through Lowes about 12 years ago… they are a standard utility storage unit, usually used for the garage. Instead of building the shelves full height, I used them at half height to create all the counter space.
Thanks for Sharing your photos and ideas! I have been encouraged for the past 2 to 3 weeks , I have been re-organizing, cleaning up, purging my craft room.!!
If I Can share with you my before video, and my room when it’s done. I am so anxious to get this project done..
Thanks so much!!
Karen Lambert
Thank you for the note Karen, I’m so excited for you! I think cleaning up our creative spaces sometimes end up feeling like a whole new room. So many fun projects ahead for you!
Your Craft Room is Beautiful NOW!!! I LOVE IT!!! I am downsizing so I won’t be able to have all of my craft stuff anymore. Your ideas will help Me in my new space!!! THANK YOU!!! I love Your new area!!!
I am so excited for you! I’m going to be downsizing my craft space too… I think using more wall space to store supplies will take up less room without getting rid of all the things. I can’t wait to hear how your new space turns out!
My basement looks like your use to. My biggest problem is lighting. I’m “older”. Do you like the track lights you have? Do they give you spots of light or cover an area with light? Of course electric outlets are another “basement problem. My initial problem was a flood that poured in thru to one window whose drain was plugged. I threw everything up off the floor. It took me forever to get the mud off the floor. Now it looks like your before picture. But you give me hope. Thanks for posting your work.
Amazing! I too have a craft hoarding room that family members look at and tell me, “It’s growing”. This year I mean business too! Got some pretty organizational pieces and an inspirational drum chandelier lamp that I love. Once I clear the room I can begin and you just gave me some much needed hope. God bless!
Susie
I am so excited for your room overhaul this summer! I hope you stop by and share how it goes 😀 😀 😀
Are the shelving units from Home Depot/ Lowes – 2 shelves around the room?
Yes! We bought a bunch of tall metal shelving racks, normally used for storage in a garage, and then set them up only 1/2 high and added a piece of wood on top as a work table space. So each shelving unit we bought, was used to make 2 sets of shelves… and they are placed all around the perimeter of the room. At the time, the shelves cost about $75 each (plus the wood for the top).
So amazing! I dream of having some studio space like this! Nice work!
Thank you so much! It’s a work in progress! Just start with a space and add a little as you go 😀
Lovely room! I too have an unfinished basement that I want to set up as a studio. Do you have anything covering the walls? Nice work and a great inspiration!
This is great… my space looks like the first photo.. lil projects here and there.. crap everywhere I can’t move.. haha
So I can totally relate
Painter.. sew things…. paper craft..( just got a new circuit!!) can make jewelry ..sell stuff on eBay..whatever!! we can make …build it.. and best of all collect it all to do it!..
eh…when we get to it. .. BUT!!! when we do get to it..we have it.. or we knew we had it and put it somewhere!
Thanks for sharing your space looks great! Now If I can stop collecting ideas off of pinterest maybe I will get something finished too
Haha, I completely understand! I had to give myself a rule – if there isn’t room on the shelf to keep it, then I need to either get rid of something not no keeping. It’s worked a little so far. I dare ya, finish one project and then stop back by and tell me about it so I can cheer you on!
Good Day!
How long did it take for you organize your work area? I also wondering where did you get your metal shelving units? I have a craft room but hopefully in a couple of years I’ll have a better room.
Organizing is an ongoing process for me. Cleaning it up took a good week… but all the little organized details has been going on for a while. I think it’s more fun to craft in the room than organize it!
Love what you have done! My craft area is also in the basement , looking somewhat like your “before” picture. Lol.? I have big ideas to shove things around, put up another wall of drywall or two, and reorganize!! Winter has set in and I want to clean up before Spring arrives. MY sash of thrift buys keeps growing. Thanks for your many ideas.
I’ve decided I need to use the stash before I buy more… I’m not sure how long I’ll stick with that plan, ha! Good luck with your organizing too!
I really like your room because it’s ‘real’! I have a large basement space as yours does and am just now getting it together -it is not fancy, not a showroom craft room and I also am using family furniture handed down to me. So I feel like once done it will be similar to yours! Thanks for sharing and if I can will post my ‘before and after ‘ pics of my crafting sewing painting etc space! C
Oh I’d love to see your before and after pics! I think sometimes we see all the pretty pictures shares online and it makes it harder to love our own spaces… but really, I just love creating. It the room were too pretty, I wouldn’t want to dirty it up with my creative messes. Happy organizing!
tres sympa comme endroit pour travailler et semble vraiment pratique !!!!!!
moi je viens de demenager et passe de 18m2 a 8m2 snif …. j’ai beaucoup de mal a trouver la place ideal pour tout mes petits “”bidules”” de scrap
Merci Beaucoup! I don’t know much French, I’m sorry. I think you can make any size space into a fabulous scrap or craft room with you organize it right. Happy Crafting!
I have 1 word WOW!!! Thats amazing. I too have a new room that I need to turn into a craft room. Out of interest what crafts do you do?? Enjoy your new space happy crafting 🙂
Thank YOU! I like all crafts, seriously, I enjoy all things creative. I spend more time drawing, coloring and creating paper crafts with my Cricut. But if we could add more hours to the day, I would love to spend time painting and sewing and playing with clay too. What do you like to do?
i like what you did with the paint storage, is that on the outside of cabinet doors? would love to see more of that area. I am a pinterest aholic. and am still trying to figure out some ideas for organizing my area but have very little financing and have a very eclectic version of what i craft, which is a little of everything. if you could possibly get back to me especially with pictures of that area i would really like that
Hi, Thank you bunches! Yes, the paint shelves are on the outside of the cabinet doors. So I’m not taking up any more “floor space”. The doors are a solid wood, so that is important as the paint can get rather heavy.
Enjoyed the tour. I am lucky & have a small guest house that I have just thrown together. You gave me a few good ideas. Loved the whole room.
Ohhh, this is lucky. A whole guest house just for crafting. Dreamy!
awesome room!!! thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for looking!
Love your room! I might have a hard time daydreaming out the window at the magnificent view.
Thank you! I have a hard time day dreaming, starring off at nothing in particular lol.
I also love your paint rack. I can see how you made that…very cool 🙂
haha, thank YOU!!
WOW! I have seen lots of craft organizational plans, but this is the best I have ever seen because it includes so many different kinds of crafts. I have adult ADD, so I have lots of different crafts interests– like polymer clay, beading and jewelry, yarning, needlework, sewing , paper crafts, scrap booking, etc. and and I tend to be a bit (er…ehem…).”hoardie” . The space is here, the “stuff ” is here, but like you it takes a while to find what I need so I usually buy new stuff. You could even say I have “vision” as regards to organizing but I only got as far as putting like things into like places. You have given me several great ideas such as making better use of wall space, putting shelves at the ends of work tables ( your ribbon organizer!), and the key to making it all look neat and orderly- using industrial ( cheap) shelving all at the same height and width, and -my favorite idea- using spice racks with small jars and similar kinds of racks for small things, and setting up work surfaces for each “department” ha ha! Your ideas have re-energized me and inspired me to get back up there and do some re-organizing! Thanks for posting these great ideas
I’m so excited for you, Sandy! Thank you so much for the note. I can’t see what fun things you create!
Very Cool- sounds like we have a lot in common Jen. I LOVE how you were so intentional in where things went and I just might have to make this happen, Thank you for the inspiration!
Thank you so much Darla. It took a really long time to finally figure out what I wanted to put where. If I had to do it again, I’d start sooner and worry less about getting it all “just right”. It feels so much better to walk in and be able to find what I need quickly. Definitely stop back buy and tell me how you craft room is coming along!
I Hope to see the rest of your room and organizational ideas. Your room looks great!
Thank you so much! Eventually I hope to finish the rest of the room.. add some more cabinets or a fairy Godmother to keep it clean 😀
What a great space! I see the post is from earlier this year and it is now September…have you been able to maintain it? I saw the pic come up on Pinterest and thought (with a smile) that I was finally seeing pictures of a crafter that has an amount of stuff comparable to what I have! I have a beautiful space to work, extra bedroom, roughly 12×14 , where I was able to install Ikea kitchen cabinets, counters, the huge pantry cabinet, drawers and cupboards below and full cabinets above. I also had two standard double closets that were gutted and installed with 3 of the 25″ wide Ikea Pax closet boxes with shelves and 6 pull out drawers below, that is 18 25″ wide drawers just in this little area! I also picked up 2 counters with shelving below from a closing scrapbook store, that form an island. In it I have 3 six drawer iris carts on one side and storage for lots of stuff on the shelves of the other. At each end I have an additional 3 tall carts with 4 shallow and 3 deep drawers. I should have plenty of storage. I read your line about your area becoming a dumping place for all things crafty and some not, and that is exactly where I am. Getting rid of the non craft stuff is easy, but how do you purge perfectly good craft stuff? I am stuck?
Oh my goodness, that sounds like a great craft space!! It’s definitely a challenge to keep my space clean. I find that if I craft everywhere else in the house, the craft room stays all organized and pretty, ha! Getting rid of craft stuff? I have been reaching out to various people to donate my extra supplies. I’ve found the school art teacher, school programs and homeschoolers all really appreciate and can definitely use the supplies. Start there, I’m sure you’ll find people eager to put your extra supplies to good use! Let me know how it goes. 😀
What type of cabinets did you use for your paint storage? I’m trying to find cheap flat door cabinets to copy your design.
Hi Melissa, The cabinets are an old set my folks pulled out of their garage. I suggest a solid wood door as they need to be sturdy enough to hold the weight of the paint.
Gorgeous!!! Looks like a great place to get some work done!
Thank you! Now the trick it to keep it clean! Hope you’re staying warm 😀
Oh my gosh Jen! That space looks amazing! I’m now inspired to do something with my heaps of craft supplies.
YAY!! Thank you. Definitely tackle it, it’s worth it when you know what you have and can find everything. I’d love to see pictures when you are ready to share!
You did an amazing job wowza!!! Someday I’ll have a space too but until then I’ll just stare at yours. Lol
lol thank YOU! You can start with a little space… my computer desk is really where I do the bulk of my work and its only 5 ft long by about 24″ wide. I’ve seen some amazing closet craft spaces too – check out the other Craft tours, there’s a couple in there!
I organized and purged my craft room last weekend but never thought to take photos – ugh! Great job Jen!
Yay! You did such a fabulous job!! I think all that hard work really paid off! 🙂
Looks fabulous! Lots of work but paid off
Love it Jen! I need to give my craft space some love!
Do it!! What’s your craft of choice these days?
Wow it looks great! Good job on thinking through what you want your space to be and then making it happen. Your hard work looks week rewarded already. 🙂
Thank you so much, I’m so excited that it’s finally an area I’m not embarrassed about it. Lets of work left to do, but one room at a time… this is now my favorite!
Congrats on your newly organized space! A home base for everything is key!! I’ll have to give you a virtual tour of my art space sometime. It is very festive.
Thank you so much! Absolutely, I’d love to see your creative space – I think all this space sharing is more inspiring than just making it all ourselves!
Wow, I’m so jealous of your working spaces! I need to come visit in person!
Love it!! My art room is always the last place to organize.. I only have before pictures so far.. I’m still waiting for my invite to Jen & Chrissy Craft Day!! 🙂
Your space is awesome! So glad you cleaned up!