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I am just about to re-organise my craft room however I rent so am unable to make any major changes. Does anybody out there have any great storage/craft room ideas for renters.
Any of the plastic drawers at Walmart. Since they come in different sizes you can get the ones you need. You can also put the rollers on and move them from room to room. the over the door shoe rack...clear is nice to have. Put the punches and such in and you can see them. I use plastic buckets like you buy at halloween and all the holidays. I love the Easter colors. These buckets fill up a lot faster than you think...LOL I put colored pencils and such. I only pay a dollar or maybe 1.50. I like the small pails for ink pens of different colors. For the brads I buy the plastic boxes that usually hold beads.
I recommend secondhand stores and yard sales. I love to pick up something and make it so me. For instance we got a diningroom set that my mom bought us at a consignment store. Old 50's art deco type table, chairs, side board and dish cabinet. It was that minty/dusty/martha green (KWIM?) and my friend and I painted it semigloss black, everything. It looks kinda like that ol' farmhouse furniture now. AND the last few homes we have lived in, that dish cabinet has been a HUGE help. You can't always count on rental places to have great storage.
Or even homes you end up buying!
Well, you have to look at craft space the same way. What pieces do I need :
1- to fit my amount of supplies
2- to have movable storage that can help any space I live in
3- will not break my bank account
4- will reflect me AND inspire me
When you sit down to craft you want to be comfortable. Be able to get at things easy. you want to feel like it's a space you belong in no matter what your address is. When you look at bookshelves, desks, end tables, dressers, telephone tables, chairs, stools.... imagine what you would do to them. If it excites you, pick it up and DO your painting or refurbishing right away. Don't let it sit. My sister turned a mirrorless vanity into one of the CUTEST small space computer desks ever. It sits painted lilac in her craft room. I am not at all against plastic drawer units, I have some, they are very functional. One day I hope to find something that will function a bit better and look cool too. (and yes, i am hopin' for the WORKBOX, sigh)
Have fun figuring out how you want your craft area to function!
PS: I also like using things like Ltd. Edition Christmas chocolate tins, tea tins, heavy duty chipboard type boxes to organize embellishments and ribbon, small wooden drawer sets for pens & markers, adhesives, embossing powders etc..., containers that make me happy when I reach for them
__________________ tania loves kevin
Last edited by cedargirl; 10-05-2009 at 11:11 PM..
I bought assemble-yourself cubes at Michael's and they work beautifully for so many things. They can be taken apart when you move too! I've also used a variety of over-the-door storage that would work well for renters (nothing permanent). See these ideas (ignore the stuff I attached to walls):
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I have this big credenza that my aunt had given me (she got it off freecycle). She used it as a buffet, my daughter had used it as a dresser, and now I'm using it for my crafts! The drawers are perfect for everything I need to store and I have my paper in file folders on top, along with a ribbon holder that I had picked up at Target. My only dilemma now is what to do with my ink pads.... All my books, stamps, etc are on a bookshelf next to the credenza.
I say take a ride around to consignment shops, Salvation Army locations, yard sales, etc... you never know what piece of furniture you're going to find that will be just perfect for all the stuff you have!! Before this credenza I was using... I think it was a dresser... that I picked up at Sally's. It had drawers perfect for 12X12 paper, laying markers flat, etc. (even a divided drawer in it!) It also had big, deep drawers that held my stamps.
You can get a nice, big piece that is cheap or free that you can make over any way you want and cover all your bases. The only problem is they get really heavy to move from apartment to apartment... but that's why there are guys, right?!?!? :-D
__________________
They say we must submit and be one with the Machine. Because the Kingdom of Fear needs compliance to succeed. ~Otep ~ Smash The Control Machine
The "itso" line at Target is great. Small units make it very move-friendly. Canvas and plastic bins keep everything in order and together. If you by any chance keep your stamp sets in CD cases, it's especially great.
You can stack the cubes any which way, so you can rearrange them to fit a new space easily when you end up moving. We're planning a big move up north (way north!) in a few years, so I kept the boxes the cubes come in up in the very top of an extra closet. That way when we're ready to move, I can set/stack the bins in moving boxes, disassemble the cubes, slip them back into their original boxes and take it all with me!
Hope this helps a little - If you have any questions, let me know!
Oh, and I meant to add that for more ideas on ways to use the "itso" storage (especially if you aren't particularly thinking of unmounting your sets), check out this blog from the goddess of organization, Patter:
I'm just about to turn my spare room into a craft room (and yes, we rent). One thing that I am tossing around in my head is the desk issue - do I want to buy one? Do I want to use the extra kitchen table I have? Then it struck me - what is most important to me at this point is function. Sure I want it to look good - but function is the number one priority. Now I'm thinking about using an old door or piece of plywood. That way I could customize it to fit my needs/wants....such as putting holes in it to fit cups that would hold scissors or pens or pencils or whatever. It can be held up by the two drawer file cabinet on one end and the two drawer plastic bin thing on the other. With something longer there would be space to have things out all the time on it (such as my Cuttlebug which I LOVE!). Anyway - my suggestion is decide what is important and then customize it to your taste. Good luck!
Craft Room Ideas for Renters
