Many of us love arts and crafts, but don’t have the luxury of a spacious room dedicated to our beloved pastime. If you’re like lots of people with a tiny place to work on art and crafts hobbies, it can be a challenge to maximize the available space.
To that end, this article will provide some tips and tricks to suit different budgets and skill levels with a particular focus on how to store and organize arts and crafts in a small space.
1. Maximize Wall Space
Making use of wall space is an excellent way to corral supplies and optimize every inch of a small space. A coat of paint and some decorative shelving can be used to store materials and supplies while simultaneously sprucing up the room. Hanging cork boards, white boards, and peg boards are great ideas too!
Putting up notice boards and tracking the progress of projects, to-do lists and inspiration can all be tracked in a very minimal amount of space. Another option is to set up walls of containers in narrow spaces.
That way all of the supplies can be organized and kept out of the way. You can attach metal shelves, book shelves, cabinets, or cubes to the wall for extra storage or to place items on display.
Finally, installing metal wire shelving across one wall is an incredibly cheap and space-saving way to store a lot of items you wouldn’t otherwise have room for. Teacups, tiny figurines, fabric swatches, craft supplies, and so much more can easily fit in the wire shelves. Painting the wall and wire shelving the same color will help it blend in and make the small room seem bigger.
2. Use Vertical Space
Vertical spaces are often overlooked, but stacking supplies can be super helpful when working in a small space. Tall furniture such as cabinets, bookcases, armoires, and shelves are great for additional yet hidden storage space.
Hanging baskets and peg boards from the ceiling can also be used. Even if the room itself doesn’t allow for vertical space, accessories like magnetic boards and furniture with storage drawers can be attached to walls and doors. You can also install shelves or rods partway up the wall to store items such as scissors, glue guns, paint brushes and sticks.
Use a pegboard system with dowel pegs, hooks and cork boards to hold all your crafting supplies. Mount the boards on the wall and store the items either inside the board or directly on the wall.
3. Repurpose furniture
If you have already cobbled something together that works, consider refitting used pieces of furniture instead of purchasing new items. Coffee tables, dressers, and sideboards with lots of drawers can be a super useful storage solution. Additionally, investing in a few plastic drawers is a great way to store tiny items like buttons, ribbons, and tools.
Repainting existing furniture or covering it with washable material can add a pop of color to a room and help lighten the load. You can always buy new furniture too and repaint it to your liking.
Look for multi-functional furniture like a daybed or an ottoman that can double as storage.
4. Put everything in its place
While this may seem obvious, it’s important to spend some time every week putting things away correctly. Good organization isn’t just about having storage units and containers; it’s also about having a place for everything.
This will ensure that you’ll always be able to find what you’re looking for and save precious time! Buy labeled bins, baskets, and drawers to conveniently group items together. Place common items away in easily accessible places and try to have items with similar sizes and shapes together.
Once you find a good system that works well, stick with it.
5. Buy Modular Storage Containers
Modular storage containers are great because they allow you to easily customize your setup. This can be a great way to utilize wasted space or narrow areas. Most of these containers come with slots and dividers that you can use to store different size items in separate compartments.
Some will even fit into tight areas under your desk or shelves. You could also mount a series of containers or shelves to the wall and stack containers on top of each other.
This creates vertical layers of storage. A great example of this are drawers that mount directly on the wall. You can use these to hold craft supplies and other tools you may use frequently.
6. Buy Modular Furniture Pieces
Modular furniture is an ideal option for those with limited space because you can get a lot of storage solutions out of one piece. Instead of spending money on several large furniture pieces, buy a modular office desk or built-in shelf that will cover the whole wall!
If you can’t find a perfect fit, find pieces that can be customized to match a specific space. Invest in tall pieces so you can take advantage of vertical storage solutions and to make the room feel open.
7. Separate and Group By Type of Supplies
Separating items by type will save a lot of time and energy when looking for certain items. Sort materials into different categories such as paper, crafts, fabrics, paints, brushes, and tools. Group related items and store them together in their own containers, boxes, drawers, or baskets.
That way if you are looking for a specific type of material, you know exactly where to find it!
8.Utilize the Back of Doors or Cabinets
The back of cabinet doors and closets is an excellent space for storing materials you need on a regular basis and it’s often overlooked. Over-the-door hangers, clothing hooks, and magnets can all help organize art supplies.
Hanging a nail board on the door can also be helpful; it’s a great tool for keeping a constant supply of nails, screws, and other small tools on hand.
9. Use Rolling Carts
Rolling carts are an excellent storage solution and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. You can use them for supplies, craft materials, tools, and anything else you may need for your art project. Store them in hard-to-reach places, on the side of a shelf, or tucked away under the desk.
When you’re ready to start a project, simply roll the cart out and get to work.
10. Think Outside the Box
Instead of spending lots of money on storage, think out of the box. Mine the house for old office, bedroom, and kitchen supplies like baskets, bins, boxes, caddies, and racks.
Reuse chip bags, plastic drink cartons and butter tubs as storage containers. Look around for pretty boxes and other craft items that also work as storage vessels. You can also make your own containers with plastic bottles and cardboard boxes.
11. Make it Accessible
Make sure items are easily accessible. You don’t want to constantly be searching for materials when you’re in the middle of a project.
Place frequently used items on shelves or holders within hands’ reach. Store larger items or craft pieces out of the way in bags or boxes with easy-to-open closures.
12. Create a Charming Display
Finally, turn your small space into a welcoming, charming little workspace. Use floating shelves to display colorful collections, vintage pieces, framed art prints, or knick-knacks.
Hang artwork and fabrics on the walls and use decorative containers to store small supplies. Treat your space like a gallery and have fun with it!
Conclusion
Working with art and crafts in a small space doesn’t have to be a struggle. With some careful planning and a lot of creativity, you can turn a tiny space into the perfect workshop.
Following these tips and tricks, you can create an organized and inspirational place to express yourself.