35 Reader Space: Amanda's Organized Craft Studio

When Amanda contacted me mid-project to share with me some pictures of her "in the works" craft space, I was SO intrigued and couldn't wait to see more. 

Then, she popped over the final pictures and I was totally floored and in awe of the space she created!  And how creative she was throughout the entire process!

I know we don't all have the luxury of having our very own giant garage craft studio.  Amanda, you are a lucky lady!  However, her space offers up so many inspiring ideas that we can all use to incorporate in any space in our home! 

Just look at what she started with:

Doesn't look a thing like that now!  Amanda is here to share with us her favorite tips that worked for her and her amazing space:

"So, I know that I am crazy lucky to have my own crafting studio for all of my crafting dreams and wedding designs {I design wedding decor for a living} and although crafting spaces come in all shapes and sizes, I hope there might be one or two ideas in my space that will translate to your own.  Here are a few of my organizing ideas!

 

#1:  Don't buy new!

My favorite tool for organization is containers from the past . . . aka: mason and ball jars.  I have collected them for a while and utilize them throughout my wedding business, so it was an easy path to fill them with all of my "pretties" and display them as beautiful, useful, and recycled organization.

#2:  Out of sight, Out of mind

For me, this statement could not be more true!  Now, I know that this doesn't work for all organization, but in a craft room where I absolutely need to be inspired, I want to see what I have.  Throughout my space, you will see lots of crafting tools and trinkets in clear containers, displayed on the walls, and tacked up to a bulletin board.  Since my studio is filled with so much stuff, not everything is on display, but several of the smaller ornaments that could get lost in the shuffle are contained in plain sight.

#3:  Think out of the box

While I definitely enjoyed utilizing fantastically classic and cost-effective white storage containers from IKEA, not everything fits well in a big white box.  My ribbon collection is out of control since every bride seems to have a different shade or tone for her dream wedding.  I have seen other crafters try rain gutter ribbon storage, so I thought I would give it a try.  I found it easy to work with, inexpensive, and most importantly . . . versatile to any space.  The gutters were easily cut down to size and secured to the wall.  What a fantastic way to display my ribbon!

 

As a cost-effective solution to wedding decor, my business utilizes many wax and silk flowers.  They tend to flatten and fray when stored in boxes, so I developed two different types of storage for my flowers.  The first is a IKEA plastic bag storage solution.  Simply attached to the wall and inserting long-stemmed florals into the holes is a great way to keep flowers organized and safely stored.  For my smaller stems, I secured 1 X 4 inch wooden boards to the wall, inserted large C-hooks into the boards and then hung inexpensive bushel baskets from the hooks . . . voila, an easily accessible storage solution for small florals.

 

One of my favorite organization/storage solutions is an ornament storage box . . . you know the ones that show up immediately after Christmas to help you store all of those gorgeous ornaments your little lovelies made this year!  They are a perfect fix for storing and organizing votive candles, emergency fix-it kits for wedding days, and even organizing smalls such as punches, glitter, paint, and stamps.  These ornaments storage boxes are easy to grab up and take with you to a crafting party.

The renovated space is a free-standing two car garage on our land in Texas.  It was utilized as a storage space for my wedding decor business.  Since my business has recently expanded, it became obvious that the space needed to be better utilized.  We kept many features of the space including the concrete floor, but plan to change out things such as the garage door in the near future {hopefully to a set of french doors}.

More than anything it was important to incorporate my collection of glassware in a safe, organized, yet attractive manner.  I purchased the eight foot tall store fixtures from a Pier 1 that was closing down the road.  I got them for only $50 per unit, but had to get them home myself . . . thankfully, I live out in the country and have some wonderful neighbors with large trailers and strong backs.  Most people don't think about using store fixtures for organization, but most fixtures are built to stand the test of time between heavy merchandise, frequent moving, and tough shoppers.  Most are designed to display the product attractively as well.

 

I used to have a lovely craft room in my home, but I had out-grown the space and it was spilling out into our home in a wave of chaos.  Since I had many units in my former craft room, I used as many as possible in the new space.  I love the idea of moveable, portable organization.  I have a lovely white cart on wheels {purchased at The Container Store} that houses my scrapbooking materials.  Since I rarely find time to work on my scrapbooks, the wheels allow me to keep the unit out of the way until inspiration strikes and I can roll it out in the room for use.

Working in my craft studio surrounded by all of my baubles and beads, listening to the third season of Felicity, and creating the perfect decor for a blushing bride is a dream come true!

WOW right?  

What I love:

• She reused items she already had and loved for storage.  The Ball glass jars are so beautiful!
• She used clear storage to be sure she was utilizing all of her items and things of importance weren't being lost in the shuffle.
• Gutters for ribbon storage?  Oh my.  Now that is genius!
• Look at all the color!  Who wouldn't feel creative in that space?  The encouraging words are too perfect.  And that chandelier and painted dresser are beyond fantastic!
• She was so RESOURCEFUL!  I never would have thought to ask a store that is closing for their storage shelving.  Wow.  1,000,000,000 extra points scored for that smart move!
• Labels. Enough said!

Thank you SO much to Amanda for sharing her incredible transformation and tips today!  You can read all about the big craft studio reveal here on her blog.

Now it's your turn!  What do you heart about today's Reader Space?

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!  More info HERE.