12 Organizational Ideas

December 12, 2013 by FaveCrafts 4 Comments

Get organized with these awesome organizational crafts! Great for getting your work and personal life in order, these projects could really be used in the kitchen, in the office, in the bedroom, bathroom, closet, laundry room and so much more. Best of all, many of these organizational ideas are also super thrifty…so you can work through your craft stash and get organized all at the same time!

Keep little things on your desk organized with this Star Origami Organizer. This cute origami paper craft is a great way to store paper clips, thumb tacks, rubber bands, clips, and more. You could also use it to store little craft supplies or smaller hair accessories.

Teens and adults alike will love this adorable Jean-ious Pocket Organizer. Great for keeping your essentials organized, this wall hanging or locker organizer is made with denim pockets, so it’s great for storing everything from little notes to pens and other supplies. And if you love that organizer, you’re sure to love this awesome collection of 27 Craft Organizers.

12 Organizational Ideas for You!

Which organizational idea do you want to try?

17 Crafty Storage Solutions You Have to See to Believe

October 28, 2013 by FaveCrafts 24 Comments

I LOVE craft supplies. I may go so far as to say I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to embellishments, stickers, stamps, paper, yarn, and beads. Since I currently reside in a tiny apartment with barely enough room for my clothes, finding convenient ways to store my craft supplies can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. While I love big boxes and totes to help me keep track of all my must-have essentials, I just can’t pass up a project that A) helps me stay organized and B) helps me use up some of the supplies in my craft stash!

If you’ve been searching for some clever storage solutions that will keep your stash under control AND even help you work through some of your fabric and paper scraps, then you’re going to love this collection of 17 Crafty Storage Solutions You Have to See to Believe. Not only are these genius ideas for storing everything from yarn to colored pencils, but many of these projects can be made with materials you have at home already!

17 Craft Storage Solutions You Have to See to Believe

Check out all these clever and creative ways to keep your crafting supplies, jewelry, and other small nick knacks under control!

Decorative Storage

Recycled Storage Projects

Yarn and Thread Storage

Bead and Jewelry Storage

How do you organize your craft supplies?

National Sewing Month 2013: How to Organize Your Sewing Room

September 24, 2013 by AllFreeSewing 50 Comments

It’s Day Twenty-Four of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

Why is it that one of the most important rooms in the house almost always ends up overwhelmingly cluttered? At least for me, top-ranking rooms in terms of mess always are the bedroom, the kitchen, and inevitably, the sewing room. Today we’re exploring how to organize your sewing room to maximize space, enforce functionality, and reduce stress!

Sewn Containers for All of Your Goods

At AllFreeSewing, we sew. We understand the importance of accumulated odds-and-ends around the sewing room. The sewn containers below are the perfect solution to reducing the family’s inexplicable uproar over your 500+ button collection or 2-inch wide strips of fabric. Learn how to make a basket or box to stash your stash. After all, what they can’t see can’t hurt them, right? These DIY containers allow you to hold onto your absolutely necessary 25 spools of blue thread (different shades, of course), without hearing a single complaint from your loved one.

Hanging Wall Organizers

Learn how to sew a hanging wall organizer so that your sewing supplies are right where you can see them. These elevated, easy-to-make designs can hold clothespins, tiny tools, and more. Follow the instructions in these sewing tutorials to and apply them to fit your personal needs in your sewing room. You’ll absolutely love the finished product the each set of instructions yields.

Other DIY Organizers

Sometimes our needs in our sewing rooms are so specific, it seems like no single tutorial exists to properly address these needs. For example, many of us suffer from (or rejoice over) overflowing collections of fabric. In numerous cases, there aren’t enough boxes or bins to stash that fabric, or even put those containers that do carry your precious prints. We absolutely loved this innovative approach to filing fabric from The Thinking Closet. It uses up that desk space you might never use! Find more creative ways to organize bits and pieces below.

Helpful Hints to Clean the Clutter

When all of the sewing is said and done and you have all of the packages, boxes, bags and more that you could ever want, chances are you still have some stray threads around the room. For that finished look, try these helpful tutorials to keeping your sewing room looking squeaky clean.

What item in your sewing room would others say you have “too much” of?

How to Organize Beads: What Are Your Best Tips and Tricks?

July 26, 2013 by AllFreeJewelryMaking 7 Comments

Veteran beaders know best: If you want to be successful in the art of beading (and maintain your sanity while doing it), you’ve got to keep your bead stash organized. As you start to create your own jewelry, you’ll begin collecting more and more beads. Before you know it, your bead stash has gotten out of control!

Keeping your beads organized can help save space, time (“Now where did I put those crystals?”), and money (“Whoops, I already bought these briolettes!”). It can be quite a task keeping all those tiny beads, findings, and other assorted bits and baubles in order, especially once you become a full-fledged “bead hoarder.” So it’s best to develop good organization habits early on.

All beaders have their own special tips and tricks they’ve picked up over the years, from the best containers to use, to categorization systems by color and type. So why not share them and help out a fellow beader? Pass on your wisdom and experience to your fellow jewelry-making enthusiasts by leaving a comment on this blog post with your best bead storage tips! Then, we’ll pull all your awesome suggestions together into a handy tip guide for AllFreeJewelryMaking.com so other beaders can benefit from your wisdom!

So, what are your best tips and tricks for storing and organizing beads?

Your Must-Have Craft Supplies List for Kids + How to Store Craft Supplies

June 9, 2013 by AllFreeKidsCrafts 1 Comment

If you want to have a blast with the kids making the best craft projects out there, there are few materials you should always have on hand. After all, you never know when the urge to make an AllFreeKidsCrafts project is going to hit you. Don’t let yourself or your wallet…. or the limited space in your craft room…. overwhelm you. These essentials are inexpensive and can be stored easily.

Must-Have Craft Supplies List

Take the list below with you to your local craft store and stock up on these must-have supplies. The bill shouldn’t be outrageous, and trust me when I say that these craft materials will take you through tons of kids’ crafts, hours of fun, and a treasure chest of memories.

White glue
Scissors
Construction paper
Paper plates
Markers
Crayons
Buttons
Beads
Paint
Pipe cleaners
Popsicle Sticks
Craft foam
Googly eyes
Pom poms
Felt
Tissue Paper
Toilet paper rolls (no need to buy these…just save them!)
Mod Podge (or make your own)
Scraps (fabric, yarn, paper etc…. again just save these)

How to Store Craft Supplies

The craft supplies won’t overwhelm you if they’re stored in a way that’s pleasing to the eye. There are even crafts you can make with your essential materials to help keep you organized. Whether you have a craft drawer, closet, corner, or room, keeping organized is the key to success.

Crafts for Kids to Make with the Essentials

While some projects require extra supplies that you won’t always have on hand, these projects can be made with the basics. The list goes on and on, but I’ve chosen a select few to get you started. Happy crafting!

What supplies would you add to the list of must-haves?

Sewing Spring Cleaning and Organization Tools

April 8, 2013 by AllFreeSewing Leave a Comment

For some of you, spring cleaning may be the most exciting time of the year. For others, myself included, it’s a terrifying confrontation with a year’s worth of junk. For the benefit of crafters and cleaners alike, here are some projects from AllFreeSewing that should serve as home cleaning remedies. Whether you need to organize your house or evict pounds of dust from it, these craft organization ideas should make your journey to spring cleanliness easier. Look around you and admit that some extra ideas for home organization couldn’t hurt. You know that once you effectively master the mess in your home, you can enjoy a guilt-free spring. Ready for some ideas? Here they are:

Do-it-Yourself-Cleaning

Try out homemade cleaning remedies from AllFreeSewing like this these Washable Flip Mop Pads. There are tons of ways to make your own cleaning supplies. If you’re wondering how to remove dust from your home, these DIY Microfiber Cleaning Slippers from Housing a Forest are also a creative way to do it.

I also love this DIY Washable Duster. One: because it looks cool. Two: because you can actually reuse this DIY duster instead of throwing it away after every use. It lets you spring clean and be green!

Crafting Organization Systems

Closet cleaning is one of the worst kinds. It’s common knowledge that the closet is the real trash can of a room. Like a black hole it swallows an enormous amount stuff, unbeknownst to you. The problem is you can live without most of the items in your closet, but you choose to keep them. This spring is a time to enforce some organization systems into your closet. This Hanging Jewelry Organizer, for example, will keep your jewelry neatly in one place. Learn how to sew pockets to fit every kind of accessory you have. This Mail Organizer is also a clever closet cleaning DIY organizer.

I found this awesome Pretty Painted Pegboard from Sew Fearless. If you’re an avid crafter, this project may be worth the work. The weather is heating up so you can make this in your garage and really enjoy spring cleaning!

Organizational Tips for the Neglected Car

Unfortunately, you may have noticed that your accumulated junk doesn’t only stay in your house. If you’re ever embarrassed to have someone in your car, you know what I mean. A friend slides into the front seat to meet a pile of papers, an ice scraper (even though the snow melted a month ago), a pair of shoes, a sandwich, a roll of toilet paper- these items might be different in your car.

Try enforcing similar organization systems in your car that you use in your home. For example, this Car Caddy is a sewing project for intermediate-level seamstresses who need a place to put the items in their car. Making car caddies like this one will also teach you how to sew pockets. It’s learning a sewing technique and getting organized at the same time.

In my search for cleaning solutions to the car I also came across this excellent DIY sewing project. The Hanging Trash Bag will serve its purpose dutifully in your vehicle. You always need a place to put greasy take-out containers, napkins or baby diapers on the road. What’s great about this trash bag is it doesn’t even look like a garbage can; it’s actually pretty.

Do you have any spring cleaning tips?

Link Love: Crafty Organization Ideas

November 22, 2012 by FaveCrafts 5 Comments

Need a little help in the organizational department? I think we all do. Whenever I ask about organization on Facebook, people seem to have the same response – “Organization…what’s that?” Nobody’s perfect, but it helps to know where your supplies are and what materials you have on hand. Luckily, you can easily repurpose materials you already have or recycle your discards and create fashionable, functional organizational pieces. In fact, you can use everything from old neckties to aluminum cans for these projects. It’s time to get organized, crafty people!

First, make a few items for your desk or craft table and get into the habit of placing your supplies in the correct spot. A Denim Art Can or Crayon and Pencil Organizers can add a fun touch to your space and help you keep track of your supplies at the same time. If you frequent craft supply stores (who doesn’t?), the Best Coupon Organizer is sure to help you. The more colorful and stylish the organizer, the more likely you are to make use of it and score great deals.

Think outside the box and make it a priority to get organized. In fact, this is a great new year’s resolution. You can’t have to spend a fortune on supplies, either. Use your crafty know-how and creativity to dream up fun and unexpected organizational ideas – it’s a way to clear your clutter and your mind.

Colorful Desk Organizers from World of Pineapple
Twine Wrapped Pencil Holder from Crafted
Aluminum Vase & Utensil Holders from Sugar and Cloth
Shabby Chic Accessory Holder from Lovin’ Our Chaos
Notebook Organizer from Abernathy Crafts
Chalkboard Labels from The Thinking Closet
DIY Jewelry Organizer from C.R.A.F.T.
10 Minute Marker Caddy from Aunt Peaches
Hanging Scissors Organizer from Recycled Neckties from Craft Test Dummies

What’s one way you keep your craft supplies organized?

How to Organize Your Craft Room: 6 DIY Projects

September 16, 2012 by FaveCrafts 1 Comment

You’ve got five minutes to make a card for your niece’s birthday party and your “Happy Birthday” stamp is no where to be found. You need to patch your son’s jeans but your thread has gone into hiding. You’re almost finished knitting a scarf but you can’t remember where you put that extra yarn.

We’ve all been victims of messy craft room scenarios like these, but here at FaveCrafts we’ve decided that it’s time to stop the suffering!

However, when it comes to crafting staying organized is actually a huge benefit. If you know where everything is you won’t have to waste time searching and you’ll have more time to create. Instead of spending an hour looking for your favorite fabric or pair of scissors you can actually use that time to finish that new skirt pattern.Organization often falls to the wayside when inspiration strikes. Putting your supplies back in the right place is the last thing on your mind when you’re in the middle of a creating a cute scrapbook page. Unfortunately, that leaves us with a great finished craft but a disaster of a craft room.

The key to staying organized is making sure that all your supplies have a “home.” Drawers and baskets can do wonders at reducing clutter, especially when they are clearly labeled. Since you are already crafty you can use your skills to make your own organizers. These simple tutorials will show you how to make these craft organizers yourself.

This Sewing Caddy is great for any crafting supplies, not just sewing. It has handles that make it easy to transport and handy pockets for scissors, glue guns, needles and anything else you need. If you are sick of your ribbon getting tangled and unraveled then this Ribbon Organizer is a quick fix. All you need is a shoe box and a couple dowels to end your ribbon woes. Speaking of unraveling, keep all your yarn in one place with this Yarn Storage Box. Not only is it a great space to keep your yarn but the decoupaged sides of this box will liven up your craft room decor.

A bulletin board is a great way to keep all your project ideas and inspiration in one place. Pin up those patterns and pictures on this Pottery Barn-inspired Wall Organizer. You and your wallet will love the rustic burlap design that you were able to make at a fraction of the cost.

Baskets are a huge help when it comes to organizing your craft room. It’s so easy to just put all your fabric scraps or paintbrushes in one container. Do you have some outgrown jeans laying around? This Denim Fabric Basket is a great way to give that old denim new life. It’s an up-cycling project that can be made in a variety of sizes to store anything from tape measures to knitting needles.

If you are short on counter space these Hanging Fabric Baskets are sure to help. You can hang these baskets on the wall to store paper, magazines and photographs.

It’s never too late to get your craft room organized. Once you are done you’ll love spending time in your neat work space. All it takes is a little effort and creativity to transform your cluttered room into a creative oasis!

How do you stay organized? We’d love it if you shared some tips!

Craft Room Tour: Mr. Cricut Crazy

March 26, 2012 by FaveCrafts 4 Comments

Tanner Bell is a blogger at Mr. Cricut Crazy.

Take a peek inside Tanner’s craft room in this video tour he made. You’ll feel like you’re really there! Tanner’s craft room is full of Cricut supplies, scissors, and of course, paper. You’ll also see a cool, built-in trash can system, see where he films his video tutorials, and take a sneak peek at some giveaways he’s running on his blog.

Do you have a lot of supplies you never use inside your craft room? How do you deal with craft clutter?

GIVEAWAY
We are giving away a prize a day every day here on our FaveCrafts blog for National Craft Month. It is so easy to enter. Just go to our Project of the Day post and comment to enter! You have 31 chances to win and a new special prize each day. Tune in every day to see if you are the winner!

Craft Room Tour: Latrice Murphy from Any Occasion

March 19, 2012 by FaveCrafts 4 Comments

Latrice Murphy is a FaveCrafts designer who blogs at Any Occasion.

Hey there FaveCrafts fans! Latrice Murphy here with a fun studio tour for you. First off I have to tell you how we decided to create this unique space in our home. We were running out of space in our house when we decided to have our second child. The office that was in the third bedroom would become our daughter’s room, and her old room would be the new nursery.

Our house is a small one with a one car garage that was only storing tools and what not. My husband, being the idea guy, thought maybe we could finish it off, buy a nice big shed for the backyard, and make this the office. He was right! We cleared the space out of all tools, bikes, toys and whatever else, organized them nicely in a BIG shed, and went to work. We had to Epoxy the floors for a clean look, find cabinets from a house I actually remodeled (SCORE!) finish off the outside wall, paint, trim and add insulation to the garage door. WHEW! After all that hard work we went shopping.

IKEA was by far the best place for us to find large tables, shelves, racks and more. I have figured out a way to utilize just about every inch of space and keep it all organized. Here are some photos of my space along with a video tour I created to share with you all!