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My studio/craft room/workroom is a smallish bedroom. I've utilized all of the available space going as high as possible to maximize storage (and using the closet), but I have literally NO place to cut or diecut or emboss without using the table. I can't leave anything on it, since it's also the work table for my "day job" (sewing and upholstery), and I have to spread out 54" fabric to cut and sew.
Any thoughts on what I could use to create landing spots for my guillotine cutter and/or Big Shot? It's a real nuisance to pull them out and put them away every time I want to make anything...
I'm totally open to EVERY suggestion - most of what I have now is not being used for its intended purpose, so I'm good with outside the box, or inside the box, or inventing a new box, or re-purposing your old box, or WHATEVER! Thanks in advance for any/all suggestions
Not a suggestion for actual storage but wondering if you could set-up something just outside the room. I too have a very small BR to use and have plans to put shelves on the wall between the door frames of the linen closet (used for craft storage) and the craft room. Perhaps moving other things outside the room will provide space for your stations? At the very least I hope it sparks a solution! You have some of the best organing tips!
Maybe a kitchen work table or utility table on wheels? It seems there are a lot available in different price ranges, and they typically have shelves underneath for storage.
I use something similar that's an old hospital medicine cart. It has a wood top, casters, and a metal shelf underneath. I can roll it in and out of the storage closet. I like things that can repurposed easily as my storage/crafting needs change.
__________________ Marcy Wolf Creek Crafting
I just love the smell of Stazon in the morning!
I use one of these and store punches, dies and Big Shot accessories in the drawers; however, a couple of the drawers are getting kind of heavy. The beauty is you can customize the drawers. Mine has three of the narrowest drawers and two larger ones.
Mine also has casters.
Last edited by psychspa; 11-24-2013 at 06:35 AM..
Reason: Add additional comment
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I tripped over a solution to my problem this morning, pretty much by accident. I've been rearranging our guest room and took a couple of shelving units out. They actually work better in my room than four smaller units did, so I replaced them and moved everything around (again - fifth time in as many months). In the previous configuration I had my white cubes (Jet Max or Recollections or whatever) stacked two wide and three high with "stuff" on top of them, so they were unusable as work areas. In the new configuration I have them three wide and two high with nothing cluttering the top, so my guillotine cutter is there now. I also had space to put a smallish table/desk on a different wall, so my Big Shot is there. Problem solved - hooray! I also tripped over a solution for my ink pads - double hooray! Even though I didn't use your suggestions, you still spooled me into a different thought process, which was very helpful, so thanks again! I'll take pics after I get the valances made and up (that vanity thing)...
In case anyone else is having this problem, I just thought I'd throw in another idea - if you have a storage unit with adjustable shelves, set one at bench height with a bit of extra gap above for moving and you have usable 'bench' (and it can even be behind closed doors). You can add rollers if you would like a pull out shelf (think a drawer without sides).
__________________ There is no such thing as lack of sleep, only caffeine deficiency.
Looking forward to the photos and happy a solution was found no matter how it happened. I am considering several options for my space and one factor is deciding how high/wide my white cubes will be. I want them 2 high but can only accommodate 2 wide so I have to decide if the "work space" is more valuable than the storage space of 2 additional cubes if I went 3 high.
But first I must clear the desk so I can make some cards with the few supplies I can locate (yesterday I did a rough sort and anything I came across that was Christmas/Wintery is in the same stack of cubes - that's as togther as I could manage in my space. That's actually quite a lot as most of my cards fit this theme.)
But I found out today that, yet again, the space designated for my craft space is one the coldest room in the house. I actually think the basement is warmer LOL but I cannot get good lighting over work spaces down there.
So, I now have to clear a sufficient area to safely use a space heater. I predict I'll end up using the dining room table instead!
Hope everyone finds the solutions they seek and ...
I have bookmarked that Stanton, DianeinSparks. It looks like a really nice unit. So onto the wish list.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
In the previous configuration I had my white cubes (Jet Max or Recollections or whatever) stacked two wide and three high with "stuff" on top of them, so they were unusable as work areas. In the new configuration I have them three wide and two high with nothing cluttering the top, so my guillotine cutter is there now.
I have the same 'station' issues and I love your idea to go 2 high with some of the cubes, so I'm going to follow your lead. This will solve my problems re: where to put my Vagabond and my large Carl rotary trimmer - perfect size for them to fit on top of the cubes with the added bonus that I can sit while using them instead of having to stand up which is very inconvenient and uncomfortable for me. Plus I can store my dies and cutting pads, etc. in the cubes that are 2 high and all my supplies will be right there for me. WOOHOO - thanks for sharing
Right now I'm using a 36" high bookcase for my die cutting with my Vagabond and a small light sitting on top and they take up the whole top surface of the bookcase. And my Carl is leaning against the side of a cube so I have to pull it out and make room for it (not easy with my workspace) on my table every time I want to use it - a real pain in the neck.
__________________ "May your mind whirl joyful cartwheels of creativity." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie.
I have bookmarked that Stanton, DianeinSparks. It looks like a really nice unit. So onto the wish list.
It is very well made and comes already assembled except for the casters and they slipped right in. Look for sales and free shipping; I got free shipping and $50 off when I bought it.
I have something very similar to this I bought from Home Depot - mine is not on wheels, but it is VERY sturdy. And it is counter height. You could put your cutter and bigshot on top and it has 4 drawers underneath for holding lots more stuff. If there is a little nook or cranny in your hallway, it isn't that big. I admire women who can sew - wish I had paid better attention in Home Economics when I was younger. My mom is a quilter now, but she sewed all our prom gowns (4 girls).
I saw this the other day and love it. I subscribed to updates from Home Decorators and they are having "12 days of deals," and yesterday I was quite happy to see the category "home office" for today.
The discount did not appear in my cart so I called. The woman I spoke with initially said that she could place the order for me with the discount, but then the system would not let it go through. So it is not in the "office" category; it's considered organization or storage.
So I will keep an eye on it and let you know if it goes on sale (even though $149 is not a bad price for the unit I'd want).
Another vote for the Home Decorators Stanton here. But that's not the only size and configuration available. If you search on Stanton you will see the other offerings. It is rock-solid and NO ASSEMBLY except putting on casters (so that's optional)!! Just one thing - the drawers do seem smaller than expected but you can get deeper drawers in the other configurations. Home Decorators is a part of Home Depot and they carry the Martha Stewart craft storage line which is very heavy and solid but is a pain to assemble.
Another vote for the Home Decorators Stanton here. But that's not the only size and configuration available. If you search on Stanton you will see the other offerings. It is rock-solid and NO ASSEMBLY except putting on casters (so that's optional)!! Just one thing - the drawers do seem smaller than expected but you can get deeper drawers in the other configurations. Home Decorators is a part of Home Depot and they carry the Martha Stewart craft storage line which is very heavy and solid but is a pain to assemble.
I have two of the Stanton's and love them. Only complaint is there is no "stop" on the drawers so you have to be careful not to pull them too far out. They, however, were the perfect height for me. The IKEA ones DO have the drawer stop. For me, though, their units were either too short or too tall for what I wanted.
Don't forget flea markets, garage sales, estate sales, etc for storage units. I bought a wooden kitchen cart at a garage sale for 20 dollars that is great for my Big Shot and guillotine cutter, it even has pop up shelves on each end. It has a drawer that holds all my plates! Makes me very happy!
I'm tempted by a tool cart because the drawers are shallow for one layer storage of stamps, etc. Also they can hold the weight of punches. Need to sort more to see if I can make space in my room without losing (too much) other storage.
Lack of a stamping table space plagues me too. What I ended up with was a wheeled 80's stereo cabinet from the thrift store. I removed the big front glass door and the glass top, glued a wooden cutting board on top so it would be a bit larger and then added various little holding devices on the 3 outside supports. One side has another thrift store rescue that was some kind of wall-hung cubbie thing and houses adhesives for me, another side has some metal wall files that holds instruction sheets that came with products and also my cricut mats and the other side has a canvas over-door-shoe-holder with mesh pockets. All I had to do was cut one row off the bottom and screw it in place. It is great for punches, acrylic blocks, the heat gun, a jar of ribbon scraps and lots of other goodies. Inside the cabinet I have a paper stacker from Michaels and a lot of scrapbook-sized plastic stackers for sorting things as well. It is keeping me tidy, just the right height for standing and stamping and the Big Shot and Baby Bug fits right in the area under the cutting board (where I guess the record player would have gone). It would be prettier if i emptied it someday and painted it all white but that won't happen. For an entry-level card maker like me it is working well.
My cricut sits on an old metal typewriter table... the 1950s kind with the drop leafs on either side. I can pull the leafs up to accommodate the cutting mag length when in use. All of my cartridges ( I only have 6), the tool kit, design studio stuff and the power cord store in a basket underneath in the knee cut-out. I picked it up at an auction for $1 and hubby wondered what I would do with it. Took me 4 years to figure it out but I love it!
__________________ Kelly BlogYouTubeS2S $0.00
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Here's my Cuttlebug station with storage�..an old computer cart I bought for $5�my husband put a back on it to make it sturdy and casters to be movable�.I painted it to match my crafting room! I love it! This pic is before I had it filled up!
__________________ Deb Enjoy the little things in life...for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things.
Here's my Cuttlebug station with storage�..an old computer cart I bought for $5�my husband put a back on it to make it sturdy and casters to be movable�.I painted it to match my crafting room! I love it! This pic is before I had it filled up!
That looks so nice! Much more usable with the added back to keep things from falling off, and your personalized paint job really makes it look like something custom, not a repurposed cart
__________________ "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that is my religion."
--Abraham Lincoln
How about wooden TV trays? They aren't very tall, but it's something. They tuck away or you can move them close to your work surface...
Cindy/CA
I actually do have one wooden TV tray and the top from an old enamel rolling cart that I set up when I'm doing an extended "session" - mostly for heat embossing. Good suggestion, though! :p
We use it as a catering cart, a transport cart for hauling files back to storage and vice versa, for hauling in supplies and groceries. One the most important things is the great quality of the wheels - they are first rate and roll smoothly. This cart is so well built it can take anything you throw at it. It's the perfect size. When I redo my craft room, I'm looking forward to having one in there.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
We use it as a catering cart, a transport cart for hauling files back to storage and vice versa, for hauling in supplies and groceries. One the most important things is the great quality of the wheels - they are first rate and roll smoothly. This cart is so well built it can take anything you throw at it. It's the perfect size. When I redo my craft room, I'm looking forward to having one in there.
That's not a bad price for something that sturdy either.
__________________ Kelly BlogYouTubeS2S $0.00
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Need suggestions for "stations"
