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A popular New Year’s resolution is to get organized, whether that means finances, appointments or a cluttered storage space. As an avid crafter, you may benefit from some organizational tips to keep your crafting area neat and tidy, especially if your crafting area is also your kitchen table. With good organization, you will have a better grasp of what craft materials you have and will not buy things unnecessarily. By organizing your tool, supplies and even your inspiration, you are sure to have a better crafting experience!

Organize Your Materials

• Find and Sort: First, make a list of all the crafting materials you currently own. Sort your materials into piles by type once you have accounted for everything. You will then have a good idea of the size of storage bin you will need for each type of material. You might be surprised by what you find buried in a drawer!
• Store: For larger materials, such as paper punches, you can purchase storage bins or use shoe-boxes. For a set of matching boxes, paint or cover with scrapbook paper. Many stores sell sturdy, plain cardboard storage bins, which offer many possibilities for embellishment and look a bit better overall than plastic. Here are some other ideas for cheap storage:
  • Clear mason jars work beautifully for storing items like beads and buttons. For something that fits in a drawer, try circular metal tins with clear tops. These shallow tins are often used to store spices. Can you imagine an array of beads sorted by type?
  • Empty prescription bottles work perfectly for storing needles. Cover with scrapbook paper, fabric or felt, and a touch of ric-rac of course.
  • To organize ribbon spools, find a wire hanger. Jeanie Cheeseman of Columbus. OH  says, “I take a regular wire hanger, untwist the top, string each spool (grouped by color) through the hole on the wire and re-twist the wire top. Ribbon ends should roll off the spools in the same direction and be attached to the spools with a straight pin or tape. It is convenient to use and can easily be stored by the hook top of the hanger.”
  • Empty oatmeal containers can store yarn. Check out this project for embellishing an oatmeal container for this purpose.
• Label: Make sure you label the outside of each storage bin for easy access. For inexpensive labels, simply cut up a plain brown paper bag (cut into various shapes for a bit of fun) and write your label with black permanent marker. Affix to your storage bin with double-sided tape.
  • You can create the label with the help of the item stored inside for a cute touch. For example, group scrapbook paper colors together and use a scrap to create the lablel. Affix a few beads to the outside of the storage container.

Organize Your Inspiration

Print your favorite craft projects from online and cut them out from magazines. Punch with a three-hole punch and arrange in a binder for your “Inspiration Book.”  You can even use dividers to sort by category, such as “Holiday” and “Knitting Patterns.”  For extra inspiration, hang a bulletin board or homemade Inspiration Board from above your craft area. Hang beautiful scraps of fabric, favorite pictures you want to use for a craft projects, ideas from different publications and other items to inspire.

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If you like to craft, somewhere in your home (or many places in your home) is likely awash with yarn, patterns, paints, magazine clippings and various machine manuals. To keep from drowning in buttons and be able to see all the available craft supplies for projects,  crafters need to give a little extra attention on organization. Of course, you can craft solutions for your organizational needs and keep it fun! Here are our favorite ideas:


Mindy’s Picks

1. The Bookbinding Etsy Street Team (AKA Best) has put together a list of box making tutorials. From origami and book boxes to clamshell and drop spine, you are bound to find something that can help you organize.
2. A quick and easy tutorial on how to jazz up a boring corkboard with old t-shirts. I love that they used a Super Mario one.
   

   T-Shirt Covered Corkboard from Crafting a Green World

3. There are a million great ideas out there for how to decorate a corkboard, but I love especially love this vintage frame by Lisa Tutman-Oglesby. Check out her blog for lots of great organizing ideas. You’ll envy her amazing craft workspace.
   

   Vintage Frame Corkboard from Lisa Tutman-Oglesby

Kelly’s Picks

1. Country Living offers some great ideas for organizing your craft room.  I especially like the simple board that could translate well into an “Inspiration board.”
2. Are you the kind of person that has to make three trips back into the house because you forgot your car keys/cell phone/wallet?  This great little door hanger will be your new best friend! Never forget anything again!
   

   Door Hanger Organizer at Design Sponge

3. These fabric boxes are great for storing all types of craft supplies.  Use leftover scrap fabric from other projects or make a  bunch that coordinate for a cohesive look – perfect, easy solution to your organizing needs.
   

   Fabric Organization Boxes from Flighty Girl

Caley’s Picks

For my picks, I’ve picked three Guest Contributors at FaveCrafts, who have shared great ideas for getting organized.

1. Allison of Petit Elefant shared a project for creating a ribbon and fabric inspiration board. She definitely makes it easy to display your ideas, photos and more.
   

   DIY Inspiration Board from Petit Elefant

2. Lisa of A Spoonful of Sugar shared a  fantastic tutorial for customizing notebooks with fabric. I’d love jotting down ideas in these.
   

   Custom Notebooks from A Spoonful of Sugar

3. Elise Bond of Betani’s Bureau shared a tip for how she organizes all the manuls for her crafting equipment. Instead of hunting all over the house when you have to change something, she puts everything at your fingertips. Great idea!
   

   Organize Your Craft Manuals from Betani’s Bureau