Steps to Organize Your Craft Room
Get the help you need on how to organize your craft room step by step. Follow along and streamline a space that you love to sew, paint, or craft in. Even if you do not have a craft room, I have tips on finding space for a creative area just for you!
How to organize a room that will hold all your supplies yet still have room for crafting, painting, and more.
Let’s face it, crafting is messy. With all the supplies, tools, paper, yarn, thread, paints, I could go on and on. The bigger the project the more supplies you will need and before you know it you have made a complete mess of a somewhat tidy room.
But let’s be honest here, this is your room.
Your place to get creative, to relax. To love. And it is only fair to give you a space that is all your own. One that is neat and organized and easier to keep that way.
Today, our goal is to find steps to organize a craft room you love to be in. And not only are we going to create a space for you that is dedicated to working on projects but we will also streamline it in a way that will allow you to work in that area without turning the entire room upside down.
If you have not decluttered your craft room yet, you will want to jump over and read our step-by-step guide on how to do just that.
READ: How to Declutter a Messy Craft Room the Easy Way
Once you are finished with the decluttering part you can then head back here for the fun part. Organizing a craft room you will love.
I know, I know…organizing is the fun part? But hear me out.
You already did the hard part. The initial clean out of the excess stuff that you have. And by removing the excess, you have begun to make way for systems that you can then rely on to keep your space as you love it. Neat and clutter-free.
Notice I said “initial clean out”. That is because, as a crafter myself I know just how many supplies you probably still have left in your area. Yes, even after you have decluttered.
Let’s face it, letting go of supplies is hard, but that is why I want to encourage you to look at your room and your things differently. Instead of the mindset of “what if I need those 27 orange juice can lids someday”, put your focus on keeping the supplies you know you will use in the near future.
The paints, the threads, the die cuts. The supplies that have a shelf life because you find you are consistently using them for projects.
When you change how you look at your craft supplies you will find yourself keeping the things you know you will be using for sure and not the things you might just need someday. This one shift in thinking will help you to make even more decisions in your craft room and remove even more items you no longer need.
Remember your end goal here. To set up a streamlined space that is a joy for you to be in. When you have an organized room you can really let those creative juices flow without being distracted by the piles and the bags and the stuff lying around.
Steps to Organize Your Craft Room
Step #1. Your Room’s Purpose
What exactly does this mean? Your room’s purpose is the final goal you have for your space, the end goal of why you are doing this. Knowing the purpose of your room is an important part of organizing a space you love and deserve, especially one where so many different activities take place.
I realize you may be tempted to skip this step, but I want to encourage you to give it some attention. Part of the reason why we lose ground with our decluttering and organizing projects is that we do not have a complete plan set into place. One that will take us from the very start to the very finish.
Your room’s purpose is your finish line and knowing the finish line for all the work you have done so far and the work you have left to do will help you to know there is end in sight and one you can work towards.
A few ideas for the purpose of this room are:
- Sewing Room
- Paint Studio
- Papercrafts
- Woodworking
- Knitting or Crocheting
- Ceramics
- Quilting
- Or a combination
When you distinguish what activities will take place in a room you can then also visualize how to set up organizers for the exact supplies you will be keeping.
Action Step: Make a list of 3-7 things you plan to do in your craft room. Take some time to sit in your room and envision just what you hope to do here. Take a look around. Be honest and list out the activities you want to do and not the ones you hope to do.
There will be time later on to try new things, but for now, our goal is to bring your vision in a bit so you can more easily organize the activities you already love to do.
Step #2. List your Zones
Another helpful tool (and one of my favorites) is taking your room’s purpose one step further and designating a spot in your room where each activity will occur.
Just like any multipurpose room, by giving a specific area for the supplies needed for each task that you do, you will be better able to streamline the activity itself.
Let’s take a look at an example.
Have you ever been in a preschooler’s classroom? It takes zones to an art form and for good reason. When so many activities occur in one small space, zones are crucial to keeping children focused on what they are doing without getting distracted.
Clutter is the same for everyone, no matter what your age. Clutter is distracting and will cause the items in one zone to spill out into another area without us even realizing it. After just a few minutes your entire room can turn into a completely chaotic mess.
This is why I love zones so much especially in a craft room. Zones will not only make it so much easier to organize each individual area, but you will also streamline your focus when you are in the space working.
This will allow you to get lost in a project without becoming distracted by something else.
When working in such a multi-purpose space, knowing for sure where each activity will take place can be a bit overwhelming. No worries, Post-it notes to the rescue. Use these sticky papers to map out where you plan to locate each zone.
The beauty of using post-its allows you to move zones around as you settle on the best set up for you and your space.
Action Step: Place a post-it note in each zone so you can clearly see what will happen where.
Armed with post-it notes, walk your room and choose where you hope to do the activities you listed out in step #1. If you love to work on paper crafts, then a large table might be the best zone for that. If you love to paint, then an easel near a window may be your best area. Do you quilt?
A well-lit workspace close to your fabric shelf might work best. By using post-it notes you can move the locations around until you find a setup that works specifically for you.
What are some common zones in a craft room?
Yes, we are going to keep talking about zones for just a bit. I realize this can be a bit confusing if you are not used to this organizing technique so let’s take a moment to break things down a bit more.
Remember that the zones that you have will all depend on the main crafting you do in your space. There is no right or wrong here, it is all about personal choice. Below are a few of the more common tasks that crafters do and a few zone ideas to get you started.
Don’t overthink this part. Zones are meant to be helpful. To make the setup easier to do without getting frustrated.
Let’s see it in action.
Say you have a craft room where several activities routinely happen such as woodworking and sewing. Over the last few months, you have decided to stop woodworking but you plan to keep on with your sewing hobby. Oh, and while you are at it, you want to start making cards instead of buying them.
That would mean that your room will make a switch from two zones of woodworking and sewing to sewing and paper crafts. By knowing your zones (both before and after) you can begin boxing up the woodworking supplies and equipment.
This will not only free up much needed space for your new hobby of paper crafting but it will also turn your room into a more focused and enjoyable one.
D/M PRO TIP: Stressing out about giving away all your supplies to a stranger? Why not make craft totes for your kids or grandkids to enjoy? I still make a material/embellishments kit for my young niece each Christmas.
This not only gives her a bigger supply to work from but it frees up space in my room for paper craft projects.
Remember this list is just to give you a starting point and is not set in stone. Add in zones, supplies, tools and equipment that fits you more specifically.
Sewing Room
A sewing room includes making clothes, mending, quilting, and needlework. For a sewing room, you will need the following zones.
Work Zone
- A large table
- Good lighting
- Iron and board
- Magnifying glass
- Mannequin
Pattern/Planning Zone
- Material
- Pins
- Patterns
- Marking tools
Cutting Zone
- Scissors
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting mats
Sewing Zone
- Sewing machine
- Pins
- Threads
- Notions
- Scissors
- Buttons
Paper Crafts Room
As a paper crafter myself, I know the number of supplies and tools needed for this hobby. Paper crafts can include card making, scrapbooking, and paper art. Let’s take a look at some of the supplies you will need for an amazing paper craft room!
Work Zone
- A nice large table
- Good lighting
Paper Zone
- Paper of all sizes
- Card stock
- Envelopes
Cutting Zone
- Scissors
- Die cuts
- Paper cutters
- Cutting mats
- Scoring Tool
Embellishment Zone
Paint Studio
I love to paint! And although I do not have a lick of talent I still enjoy doing it. Painting hobbies are growing in popularity and if you need a creative outlet I highly encourage you give this one a try.
Work Zone
- Easel
- Chair
- Good lighting
- Table for supplies
Paint Supply Zone
- Brushes
- Paints
- Stains
- Cleaners
Woodworking Room
Woodworking means so much more than building furniture. Woodworking can include small projects, wall decor, even holiday ornaments.
Work Zone
- Large open area
- Sturdy table
- Good lighting
- Chair or stool
- Power tools if needed
Finish Work
- Stains
- Staining supplies
- Paints
- Paint supplies
- Hardware
- Glue
Step #3. Focus on One Zone at a Time
I know we have covered a lot so far and it can be so easy to get overwhelmed. Take a minute to catch your breath.
When we are in the middle of a big project and let’s face it, this is a big project, it can be easy to lose focus and start to freak out just a bit. If this is where your mind is, I want to encourage you to take a step back and bring that finish line in.
Break your project into a more realistic game plan so you can experience more small wins as you work your way through this space.
This may mean focusing on just one zone at a time instead of the entire room.
What does this look like? Look at the overall room and pick out one area to put your focus first. Take a look around and ask yourself what tools would make it easier for me to work on this activity and enjoy the project at hand? This could be bins, baskets, boxes, jars, or complete organizers.
Write down a few options you can see that may work well in this zone and help contain tools and supplies more easily while you are working. When organizing any area your goal is to make it easy to find what you need and just as easy to put those items away again.
Action Step: Look at each zone and make a list of organizers that you would love to have in this space.
Once you have your list remember to shop your home first. This means taking a looks at your stash of tools that I am sure you already have scattered around your home. You might be surprised at what you already have that might just be the answer to an area in your craft room.
READ: How to Setup a Decluttering and Organizing Kit
Step #4. Get Inspiration!
Once you have a plan you can then get into the fun part. Finding organizing ideas that will fit your room and your organizing personality.
Jump over to the zone you want to set up first and check out some organizing ideas here (see below), online, or on Pinterest. Adopt the ones that make you smile and skip over the ones that just don’t fit with your room or your personality.
If it helps, take your phone or laptop into your craft room and see if any of the ideas below will work for you in any of your zones.
Action Step: Have fun with this, dream big because you deserve it! Remember, there is no right or wrong here, our goal is to just inspire you to create a room you love to be in so you can enjoy the space rather than avoid it like the plague.
What’s next? Check out a few of these focused articles that will help you to set up each area in your craft room! And bookmark this page so you can stop back as I add more!
Organizing Ideas for your Sewing Room
This is your space and you can have fun with it all the while putting your stamp on things and making it your own. Do you have fun ways to organize a craft room? Share in the comments below!