Craft Room Reorganization Part 1

I recently went on an organizing binge in my craft room. I didn't get many cards or scrapbook pages made for a week, but I got my space organized! I'll share pictures in the next few posts.

First of all, a little disclaimer: This is not the world's most eye-pleasing craft room because I don't want to spend my craft money on organizational products. I love to craft and I have to be organized to do it effectively, but I didn't spend thousands of dollars redoing my room. (In fact, if I spent even $10, I'd be surprised.) I just used what I had on hand and could repurpose.

With that in mind, let's check out my wire storage tower:



This might still look like a jumbled mess to someone who didn't see it beforehand, but trust me - it's greatly improved! I grouped everything by category now and purged all my glass bottles that were sitting around to be altered "sometime," and now I know where everything is.



This is the top of the organizer. This is where I put a few stamp sets that I like enough to keep, but I rarely use (which is why they're on the bottom of a stack). On top of those is a box of homemade envelopes that I'm always reaching for. Also on top: chalks, CM cutting templates, small baggies, embossing powders and a few embossing/cleaning helpers.



Here's a better view of those embossing powders. I had them all stored in the nice little compact jars they come in. I would use them with the blue tray that's sold for this type of thing, and then try to get the remainder back into the jar. I'd even use a foam brush to get as much as I could out of the tray.

Well, that blue tray has the worst static cling of anything I've ever seen, so remnants of every color I ever used would cling to it - until I used my clear embossing powder. Then they'd decide to come loose, so that my "clear" embossing powder wasn't so clear any more.

I had enough of that and went back to an idea I learned from my very first PSX consultant - emptying them into these little Rubbermaid containers, including a plastic spoon in each one. (I got the containers, Rubbermaid brand, at my Dollar Tree. They were 4/$1.) This works so much better!

You'll notice I still have that blue tray, but I honestly feel like throwing it away. It was a complete waste of money.

Now, on to the different compartments in my tower ...



I grouped all of my adhesives together here (with the exception of a few liquid adhesives that you'll see in a different post).



Here are some extra printed card fronts and envelopes. As I need more envelopes, I'll be moving them to the box on top of the tower. It's so much easier to get to them there!



I had previously been storing all my little bits and pieces (like brads, beads and buttons) in revolving spice racks on my work surface. Well, it was taking up way too much of my work space, so I decided to change that.

I had a DMC floss organizer on hand, and I sorted all of my buttons into that (by color). I bought another floss organizer and sorted most of my beads into that (by type). Underneath those floss organizers is a large box of silk flowers I tore apart to use on cards. These are the largest of the flowers, ones that wouldn't fit in my bags that you'll see in a minute.

The flattish tin on the left is holding my homemade mini roses. In front of that, you'll see a few clamshell boxes with my flocking and superfine glitters. I bought those little organizer "jars" at Dollar Tree (6-8/$1), and the clamshell boxes were left from separating a few Stampin Up stamp sets that I had.

Finally, you'll see two Making Memories embellishment boxes in the front. Those are storing my metal embellishments.



These are my Bind It All accessories, which includes the actual BIA (and instructions), chipboard albums, coasters, and wires (in the KJV Bible box). I love having it all together so I don't have to go hunting all over my craft room when I want to do a BIA project!



This compartment holds my sizable sticker collection. I used to do all-CM scrapbooks, and I still have a ton of their stickers left in that organizer on the right. I'm trying to remember to use them up! The smaller organizers in the back are holding my mini ABC stickers and a few small page kits I have from my CM days. In front are the rolls of stickers I got at Tuesday Morning last year sometime. I put them in front so I'd remember that I have them! :)

I shoved my one pack of chipboard letters in this shelf, too, because I wanted to remember to use them. If I have them there, maybe I'll remember them when I reach for my ABC stickers.



And here is the side of the tower, with various hanging items. The wire things they're hanging from used to be belt racks for a wire closet system. I'm not sure where I ever found them (probably in a closet somewhere), but they came in handy here.

I have some small punches in the tin buckets on top. This is also where I've hung my sizable collection of wall stickers from Dollar Tree (for future projects). On the end, you can catch a glimpse of my baggies of flowers for cards. I sorted them by color and put them on a binder ring so I can easily flip through them.



Last, but not least, is my ink pad organizer. It used to be a cassette holder, but it's perfect for my ink pads! (I think this one was $1 at a thrift store.) This is hanging on the wall right above my wire tower.

I hope you've enjoyed this peek into my craft room. Stay tuned for more pictures to come!