Organizing For Crafters

Do you have dozens of craft projects going on at one time? Hmmm, that sounds familiar. There's nothing wrong with that as long as your husband doesn't find out how much money you have spent on all that "crap", as he would call it, and divorce you. Another problem is the Breeding Phenomena. Whenever I start a project and I get pulled away from it because I need to fix dinner or run to the store, etc, I tell myself I'm going to get right back to it but guess what? I never do! It just sits there, reminding me what a failure I am for not finishing it. "I'm going to finish it, just not today!", my thoughts scream. Soon I will start on another project, and another, and another until the mountains of fabric and patters and patterns and scissors and supplies are looming over me so high that I force myself to sort through it. I either spend hour upon agonizing hour going through it and putting it away or I just throw it in some drawers and boxes to get it out of my sight till I start all over again! It's taken four years of practice but I finally have a clean craft room and you can too. When you have all your projects organized it is easier to see what you need to finish before you start something new. Your head will be clearer and you will work better in an organized space.

I want you to try something this week. Find everything you need for one of your projects. Gather all the supplies into a clear Rubbermaid container or a gallon sized baggy, or try using my Organizing Bags. Use whatever it will all fit comfortably into but the number one rule is that it has to be easy to put away. If your craft supplies are in a cold dark basement and you have to drag them upstairs to work on them then they are not going to be easy to put away. Where do you work on your crafts? That's where you will store them. If it's in the kitchen then you are going to have to find a place for them in the kitchen. Clean out a cupboard or two. I know you have dishes or pans in your kitchen that you never use more than once a year. Put those in the basement and use your prime storage space for the things you need every day. Buy a set of organizing drawers on wheels if you have to and keep it in a closet nearby. If you get this done and it wasn't too painful then start sorting all your projects this way until you have a clear space to work. Separate your quilting from your scrapbooking. Your knitting from you cross stitching. From now on, every time you get something out to work on you are going to put it away immediately. Make yourself do this! It is so easy to put away now that you won't have a reason not to. If you struggle with this then remind yourself of the pain you will be causing if you leave it out. The pain of your kids getting into it. The pain of losing things. The pain of it constantly nagging you. You don't need another pain in the neck. You need an organized craft room!

Organizing Crafts
Find a place to donate your finished or unfinished projects.