Help... My materials are taking over my house!

[BugsNButterflies]

I just need to vent... I am sure many of you can relate:)
I try to be organized but somehow I find my letters, ribbons, buttons etc taking over my house. I was wondering if anyone has any helpful ideas to craft and still live. I find most of my crafting happens at night once my girls are in bed and I leave it out incase I get a chance to work again before they wake up. I will be working on one order in the dining room another in the kitchen and one more in our loft They are surrounding me... LOL!

I would love any ideas from those of you who have a system that works for you:)

[PotteryLodge]

welcome to the club. : )

I can't stand clutter and I am becoming overwhelmed by all my materials. I also live in a 750 square foot apartment so my space is very limited.

I am planing on cleaning out my laundry room and using it for storing my stuff.

I will be buying stack-able shelves with sliding draws. I think this is the best idea I can come up with with my space problem.

Not sure if you have a garage but that would be an awesome use of space to turn the garage into a craft warehouse. If you are crafting at all hours of the day/night you will just have to have some self discipline and make it a point to only keep out materials you are using at the moment.

any other organizational tips are welcome!

[DoodleBirdTerrariums]

I bought a large armoir off of craigslist and instead of filling it with a tv I have filled it with my packing and art supplies. It looks pretty on the outside but is very functional! Best of all it's a tax write off!

[shaylalynnjewelry]

aww I have the same problem with beading supplies! But I feel much better when they are semi organized, so I try to put away at least some of what I wont be using in bags and baskets. Maybe try building or buying something for storage :)

[Former_Member]

I've found that old old repurposed dresser from the thrift store can be painted or refinished and create great storage space.
Love the idea re: the armoir, Patricia. Sounds beautiful!

[Former_Member]

Canvas bags. When and if they are empty they fold and go into a main bag. When I need them they hold my many projects. I have been thinking about painting large numbers on them to help me keep things straight on my to do list.

[ForeverSweethearts]

I'm planning on going the armoire route, too :)

[Former_Member]

I buy every issue of "Where Women Create", and steal at least one organizational/storage idea every time.

[Former_Member]

We use stack-able drawers with whells at our facility . But my wife and I do a lot of crafts at home. I came up with a system that was installed above the shelf in the closet ( directly above the door) of our craft room. It have 2 rod holders and a 1/2" rod about 36" long and put all our ribbons on that. You can then take them down or just pull the ribbon and cut where you need to.

Close the door and they disappear.

But, hey I'm a guy, so what do we know.

Thanks for reading.

[BugsNButterflies]

Great Ideas! I am ready to start fresh:) I love the idea of the armoire... then you can just close it and them mess is hidden.

[Former_Member]

crafty items: we splurged on Ikea shelving system and their kraft-paper-colored boxes (small and medium) with lids and space for label, so items get organized by craft.

unfortunately my current Etsy shop is for books, so there is a wall of boxes filled with books that divides the dining room and living room. the neighbors keep asking "oh, are you moving?" because it has that kind of look! the cats love it, though :)

[FreshFromtheFlame]

I use a workbench and above are several shelves. This forces me to clean up a bit after I have worked on something. It is nice to have an idea and not have to get distracted by cleaning a space before you can get started.

[TheFamilyJewelsWI]

I can so relate Sarah! I turned my spare bedroom into a craft room. My hubby was getting very crabby with the mess and I felt bad for him. I wouldn't want his stuff all over. Check my about page. I have 5 colorful organizers that have helped me a great deal. It takes discipline to stay organized. Try telling yourself "I am the most organized woman I know". Positive thoughts do work!

[CarolSMiller]

I have leather hides stacked! Along with patterns, thread, the sewing machine.....sigh!
But, what has helped me is an organizer unit that I bought at the container store. you can also get them in IKEA or Target, Home Depot. Mine has wheels,and pull out mesh drawers so my hides can breath and stack-able shelves. But, during the season, I do get overwhelmed by my product.
Good Luck!

[PrairiePrimitives]

I loooove Where Women Create! My studio is often a mess, but I dream of having a WWC-worthy workspace. :-)