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My new stamp room in the basement is nearly complete. It will be twice as large as my current stamp room. I will be using some of my current stamp storage furniture that I've commandeered over the years (a couple hutches & bookcases). Currently most of my stamp sets are in iris drawers.
But I'm gaining 8' of upper & lower kitchen cabinets. Which I hope to use the uppers to store stamp sets.
My question is my current stamp room is so full, I'm overwhelmed at where to start the moving process.
I plan to take my current stamp table 2x4 folding and my new stamp table 3x5 wood table down first to help sort, but beyond that I'm stumped.
Any advice, experience, or tips would be greatly appreciated.
(I'm moving 20 years of stamp/paper craft material)
I have absolutely no experience with moving into a big craft room, and I am quite envious!
But as someone who has arranged and rearranged my teeny tiny craft room, I can give you my thoughts on that.
First, you'll need to decide where you want your work table, preferably a place with good lighting that will provide easy access to other areas of your room. From there, consider where you'll put each other piece of furniture.
(I have an old dresser and my work table in an L-shaped configuration that works very well for me. On my dresser is a short, deep bookcase and under my work table are my Iris-style carts.)
Second, and maybe most important, figure out what you NEED to have close at hand. These are things you'll be likely to use during most of your crafting sessions and will want them so close that you won't have to get up from your chair.
I have a giant lazy susan on my work table with a craft tote and a couple coffee cups on top. In the tote are my regularly used tools: scissors, rulers, craft knife, corner chomper, hole punch, notepad, a couple writing pens, etc. Coffee mugs are where I store colored pencils, markers and a few paintbrushes. (note: I read that good paint brushes should not be stored like this, but mine are cheap and used mostly for adhesives or cheap acrylic paint, so I don't stress over it.) Also on the lazy susan are my baby wipes, paper towels and a large spray water bottle.
Also nearby in my craft area are: ink pads; Copic markers; adhesives; paints; white & black card base cardstock; white cardstock for coloring; white shimmer cardstock; my stamp/die/ink indexes; stamps (in my Iris carts); portable trimmer; Scor-Pal; computer monitor & keyboard; heat gun; scraps; fountain pen ink & supplies; embossing powder & glitter; chipboard alphabets and phone. With the exception some of my ink pads, everything above is within arm's reach as I sit in my chair. Yeah, I'm lazy like that!
The next thing on your list will be to think STATIONS. Cutting station, sewing station, computer/printer station, painting/spraying station, stamping station, and so on.
As I said, my room is teeny tiny, so my only "station" is for cutting and it's split into two sections and at opposite ends of the room. On one side, is my punches hanging on racks mounted on pegboard, which hangs on the wall. On the opposite side is an old microwave cabinet where I store my dies and embossing supplies. Above the cabinet, on the wall is a smaller pegboard where I keep my lesser used scissors, rotary trimmer, rotary cutting mats, packaging tape gun and a few other odds and ends. On top of the cabinet is my large cutter (which I use for card bases and anything that needs accurate measurements larger than 4") and my Big Shot--they barely fit on there together.
Once your main areas with your most-used tools are set up then the hard part (for me) is to find room for the rest of the stuff. Here is where you'll want to consider how often you will use it, how big it is, how heavy it is, etc.
I have an area for my themed embellishments, another for my embellishments that are sorted and stored by color, and one big section for my photographs (which I need to scan). My colored cardstock and printed paper are stored upright on a four-foot shelf in my closet that is easy to access. Above that shelf is a ton of other stuff like computer books, Bind-It-All, serger, sewing books, craft books and stuff. Below is the worst. It's where I keep my sewing machine and the stuff that goes with it, my empty rolling scrapbook tote and other stuff that gets piled down there. Not convenient, and my sewing items generally go unused because of it.
While I'm mostly happy with my most-used items, it's the ares where I keep the bulky totes and lesser used stuff that is in need of a major overhaul--with some items going to the garage and others to the thrift store!
Great advice Melissa. Setting your room up by stations will help with moving things downstairs. After your desk is set up, move one station area at a time.
The next question is, are you willing to not stamp for the time it will take you to get things relocated? You may want to pull out your very favorite stamps and supplies so you can destress and make a few cards.
The closest I've come to swapping rooms within a house was moving from a downstairs corner unit apartment to the adjacent upstairs corner unit. Since it was just up the stairs, I used laundry baskets instead of boxes. It was miserable, things fell out of the holes and over the top. Must have been pretty funny to any observers! As much work as it seems, use boxes and label them. Move all the items for that station at a time and then unpack that station. I find it easier to put things away when I have the entire stash of that item in front of me. That way things get put away once, instead of having to rearrange because the latest item doesn't fit.
Take a deep breath, it will be so nice when you're done.
Oh, those are great ideas. I have an old dresser that I wouldn't have thought of combining with the work table in an L shape.
And stations! A cutting station & bigshot station is need. Thanks for also for the reminder on "no stamping time". I have birthday and sympathy cards stored up, but need to get a couple wedding cards done.
I'll try not to use a laundry basket to tote things down. I can see myself losing items.
And I like the lazy Susan idea.
Thanks!
I moved rooms a couple of years ago, to one on the opposite side of the house. One thing to consider-make sure things like ink pads and stamps will not be in full sun for any part of the day! I had to move my inkpads as I hadn't thought about that.
I'd also say that this move is a great time to 'de -clutter'. The chances are you have stuff that you have outgrown, or is not your style anymore. Be honest with yourself- if you haven't used it in the last couple of years, will you ever really use it? Or is it just that you spent the money on it? If it's the latter, then look on it as you will never, ever regain that money, no matter how long you hold on to it. Gift it to a school/retirement home/refuge/charity and gain the space.
I took the opportunity to do this when I moved rooms- I'm surprised there wasn't a world shortage of decoupage papers, I'd bought so many when I started out. Same goes for peel off sentiments. I had so few sentiment stamps, they were useful. Now, like the decoupage papers,they never see the light of day.
I think you will also find that however you lay out your room right now, when you actually get in there are start working regularly, you will make a few tweaks here and there.
I moved all my scraps to a drawer behind my main desk, in the hope that I would start using them up, rather than keep adding to it! It's working, sort of. Nine times out of ten, the scrap I have of the right colour isn't big enough, lol.
Which reminds me of another point- Scraps. Have a sort out of these too. If you don't already, set yourself a minimum size to keep, realistically. You would not believe the tiny bits of card and paper I found in my scrap box. Honestly, little slivers and bits about a quarter inch square! Madness, lol.
Just one thought and one suggestion to add: purging and moving at the same time can be overwhelming. Yes, it is ABSOLUTELY the best time to do it! Maybe it would be easier if you only move the things that you KNOW FOR SURE that you're keeping to the new room, and leave everything else in the old room until after the new room is put together. Then you can go through the "iffy" stuff and decide if it gets to move or go...
Excellent thought on not moving iffy stuff. There was a thread called 'You Matter' that accepts donated products to make cards for abused women & children. I'm going to keep some boxes just to house the iffy stuff. So it's easy to close the cover & mail off. Certainly don't want to pack it downstairs just to pack it back up.
I love SCS and the help & encouragement provided. The overwhelmed feeling is dissipating. Thank you!
Do you need/want to do it big bang (all at once) or can you take your time? there are pros and cons to both ways.
I personally am an all or nothing kind of girl....I will figure it out when I get there. I wish I wasn't but I have accepted it lol!
I would sit in the new space for a while, work out what your 'must' haves are, so cutting station...imagine where that would located, what do you need with arms reach of that, will that all fit in the cupboards that are close by? do the same for your bigshot station, where would you store your dyes, cutting mats, shims etc? your stamping station, your creating station, your computer if you are going to have one in there.
I used similar not only for my craft room but also when working out my kitchen layout, fridge, sink, stove/cooker should be in a triangle and what works best is not having to walk across the room to do a simple every day task.
It might help to sketch out the room on paper and try placing things on the sketch to see where you might like them. You might want to first sketch in your stamping/crafting station first and then add what you use most nearest. Don't forget to keep paper out of sunlight to because it will fade. My friend had that issue of faded tops on her card stock because of the sun hitting it.
I am a firm believer in the fact that using some storage pieces lose their usefulness because we outgrow them. I also think using furniture for a craftroom is not about using what you have. When I go to house something...say DVD/CD racks, I build twice as much space as needed at the time I build it. When I hit full, it's time to stop buying or to weed out what I have to make room for new. The other choice is to build more shelving. LOL I also love my room to have an continuous feel to it. I won't use 10 different surfaces...say a desk, a table, a chest of drawers, of different style, height, and color tops. My room has all white table tops that are built into a T shape. Not expensive but works for me. All my storage is either under the tops or on shelves. I want all my cardstock in one place, all my wood stamp sets in another, all my cling and clear in another, etc. I like organization but what I like best is when my craftroom welcomes and encourages me and friends to come into the room and play. So my suggestion is don't move all the little storage that is not working in the old space to use in the new space. Figure out where you were needing more storage and abandon the old.
Before you move the furniture use newspaper or copy paper to create what the footprints of it will be and put it on the floor-you make sure you walkpaths, you are not overloading one end of the space, etc.
If your cabinets or bookshelves have the adjustable holes, you can add shelving. If they are standard you can just get em at Home Depot or whatever or you have them cut from plywood planks and paint if you want. (inside a cab I wouldnt both myself, but in a open bookcase I would) I did that with a dishes armoire I inherited from MIL. You can gain a lot of space like that. Even one extra shelf per cabinet across 6 cabs-is like a whole extra one. If you are doing small bins you dont need to lose that open air space between it and the next shelf. If in time, you want the higher space, you can pull the shelf, lay it on the bottom one for storage.
Or if the holes are not cooperating, you can get those wire shelves that have legs on the sides.
You only have to get one. You may be able to get cheaper, I just pulled that as a sample. They come in different sizes and are everywhere. They can also go on counter top. They wont hold a big shot but they would hold light bins of embellies or whatever.
I really like Sue's idea. Start with what you know you want. It could be eye opening-if you only have 1/2 your stamps down and are already using 80% of the space...
Also like the bins for what you know already you dont want just in passing-I'd have one both up and downstairs.
This last bit is pricey-if you dont have a/c or heating down there...I would think about that seriously. What's the point if you are bringing stuff back upstairs to work on the dining table b/c it isnt comfortable down there? That stuff has to go where it has to go so I'd look at that first. Or if you are going to want a tv or computer down there that requires any kind of wiring for cable.
And....I dont know if you are in a flood prone area. So many people think they are not and suddenly there it is with the crazy weather and storms. Basements are vulnerable.
I'd probably do it in a way with bins in the lower areas I could pull out and move up onto counters or upstairs if a storm was rolling in. But I am a freak that way. It's just we dont think about how much money is in play if a whole bin of DP is lost, etc. (provided you can even replace it) Seen too much damage with friends' basements. :-(
Not to end on that sour note...I wish you many happy years of playing in there!
If you have a hard surface on your floor get a comfy office chair with wheels. You can then roll around instead of jumping up and down. It is also good for your back! I have an IKEA Raskog cart which I keep all the paper, embellishments for current projects. It keeps my work surface cleaner. R�SKOG Utility cart - IKEA
I did sketch out the area, but I also like the idea of laying out newspaper. Also, adding one shelf per cupboard is a good idea. (The cupboards go in next Monday). I did add two heating/AC vents to the room. There are no windows, so I'm safe there.
The one that made me laugh and then blush was : 'It could be eye opening-if you only have 1/2 your stamps down and are already using 80% of the space...'. I've pretty much decided, purging is going to take place.
The Raskog looks handy. I think I will take it relatively slow, although I would like to have the main floor room cleared out by beginning of May. I'm turning it back into a bedroom for when the granddaughters come to visit. So many great ideas!
I have read a few of the comments/suggestions and they are wonderful. I moved my craft cave and have re done it a couple of times but life, family and disuse have caused it to be in GREAT need of a makeover. This looks like a thread where I can get some ideas as well. Mine is a multi-use room stamping, scrapbooking, sewing plus a place to store my bags of teaching tools. Then it became a place to drop and run as life began to get difficult and crafting seemed to come to a complete halt. So now it is a dumping ground that on occasion I go in and pull something to work on.
OK I've gone on too much but I will be reading the thread so I can get some ideas of how/where to start again. I would like to have the room back into some type of order by mid-spring.
__________________ Donna T My moto for 2017...Do what you need to do. Count what you want to count. Enjoy the process.
My craft room is small but efficient due to the fact of a walking closet.
I have arranged and rearranging it several times to meet my needs through the years.
I found out that by placing my work table in the middle of the room first, place the chair/stool that I will be using in the best possible position, (facing the door--window to the side of me--not behind me) I was able to arrange the walls-cabinets-shelves-bookcase according to my needs.
For instance the wall behind me has all my embellishments, cleaning supplies, scrabbling pads.
The important stuff like CS, inks, refills are in the closet away from the sunlight.
__________________ Irene I have learned one thing from our ancient Greek ancestors- PAN METRON ARISTON- "Nothing In Excess"
Just watched Lydia's video. Very inspirational. I'm going to keep my eyes open for some small drawers. Loved what Lydia did with the antique card catalog.
I have read so many good ideas on this thread. And nothing has become clearer to me then that I need to purge what I don't use. Don't move the iffy stuff. The new room will also be multi purpose: a couch, tv, and play area for the grand daughters when they come visit. But 90% of the time it will be my crafting haven.
Started purging. It was so hard at first, but I came back & read this thread and another thread on purging and now have about 30 sets, 5 inches of paper, buttons, several punches & peel stickers I've never used in boxes ready to donate come Monday. (Hope to do about 5x that amount purged before I make the move.) I just keep reminding myself, I don't want to carry 'iffy' items or items I don't love downstairs.
I'm still trying to decide what to store in the lower cabinets. Half are drawers, which I usually can organize pretty well. But the shelves that are 24" deep, have me wondering what to place in there. Does anyone have any ideas? I already have a big shot station planned.
Linda
I am PURGING...big time! Where does all this stuff come from? I am donating, giving away, throwing away. Whatever it takes to MAKE IT GO AWAY. And I swear I will not
get myself into this mess again. It is too much work to undo it.
I'm still trying to decide what to store in the lower cabinets. Half are drawers, which I usually can organize pretty well. But the shelves that are 24" deep, have me wondering what to place in there. Does anyone have any ideas? I already have a big shot station planned.
Linda
The first thing I would do is install pull outs. Rev-a-shelf sold at lowes makes some, and there are others. I'm to old to crawl in the back of a cabinet any more so it's MUCH better to be able to pull the stuff out to me!
If you can't install pull outs, I would at least get some big jelly roll pans to put on the shelves so you can pull THOSE out.
Started purging. It was so hard at first, but I came back & read this thread and another thread on purging and now have about 30 sets, 5 inches of paper, buttons, several punches & peel stickers I've never used in boxes ready to donate come Monday. (Hope to do about 5x that amount purged before I make the move.) I just keep reminding myself, I don't want to carry 'iffy' items or items I don't love downstairs.
I'm still trying to decide what to store in the lower cabinets. Half are drawers, which I usually can organize pretty well. But the shelves that are 24" deep, have me wondering what to place in there. Does anyone have any ideas? I already have a big shot station planned.
Linda
Can the shelves be made to pull out? Would be ideal as it would give you access to the full depth without having to get down to look for stuff.
Excellent thought on not moving iffy stuff. There was a thread called 'You Matter' that accepts donated products to make cards for abused women & children. I'm going to keep some boxes just to house the iffy stuff. So it's easy to close the cover & mail off. Certainly don't want to pack it downstairs just to pack it back up.
I love SCS and the help & encouragement provided. The overwhelmed feeling is dissipating. Thank you!
Thanks for considering our "You Matter Project". Good luck with your new room and don't forget to post photo's of your before and after!
Ready to move stamp room - tips?
