Wednesday, November 9, 2011

35 Reader Space: Amanda's Organized Craft Studio

When Amanda contacted me mid-project to share with me some pictures of her "in the works" craft space, I was SO intrigued and couldn't wait to see more. 

Then, she popped over the final pictures and I was totally floored and in awe of the space she created!  And how creative she was throughout the entire process!

I know we don't all have the luxury of having our very own giant garage craft studio.  Amanda, you are a lucky lady!  However, her space offers up so many inspiring ideas that we can all use to incorporate in any space in our home! 

Just look at what she started with:


Doesn't look a thing like that now!  Amanda is here to share with us her favorite tips that worked for her and her amazing space:

"So, I know that I am crazy lucky to have my own crafting studio for all of my crafting dreams and wedding designs {I design wedding decor for a living} and although crafting spaces come in all shapes and sizes, I hope there might be one or two ideas in my space that will translate to your own.  Here are a few of my organizing ideas!


 
#1:  Don't buy new!



My favorite tool for organization is containers from the past . . . aka: mason and ball jars.  I have collected them for a while and utilize them throughout my wedding business, so it was an easy path to fill them with all of my "pretties" and display them as beautiful, useful, and recycled organization.




#2:  Out of sight, Out of mind



For me, this statement could not be more true!  Now, I know that this doesn't work for all organization, but in a craft room where I absolutely need to be inspired, I want to see what I have.  Throughout my space, you will see lots of crafting tools and trinkets in clear containers, displayed on the walls, and tacked up to a bulletin board.  Since my studio is filled with so much stuff, not everything is on display, but several of the smaller ornaments that could get lost in the shuffle are contained in plain sight.




#3:  Think out of the box



While I definitely enjoyed utilizing fantastically classic and cost-effective white storage containers from IKEA, not everything fits well in a big white box.  My ribbon collection is out of control since every bride seems to have a different shade or tone for her dream wedding.  I have seen other crafters try rain gutter ribbon storage, so I thought I would give it a try.  I found it easy to work with, inexpensive, and most importantly . . . versatile to any space.  The gutters were easily cut down to size and secured to the wall.  What a fantastic way to display my ribbon!


 
As a cost-effective solution to wedding decor, my business utilizes many wax and silk flowers.  They tend to flatten and fray when stored in boxes, so I developed two different types of storage for my flowers.  The first is a IKEA plastic bag storage solution.  Simply attached to the wall and inserting long-stemmed florals into the holes is a great way to keep flowers organized and safely stored.  For my smaller stems, I secured 1 X 4 inch wooden boards to the wall, inserted large C-hooks into the boards and then hung inexpensive bushel baskets from the hooks . . . voila, an easily accessible storage solution for small florals.



 
One of my favorite organization/storage solutions is an ornament storage box . . . you know the ones that show up immediately after Christmas to help you store all of those gorgeous ornaments your little lovelies made this year!  They are a perfect fix for storing and organizing votive candles, emergency fix-it kits for wedding days, and even organizing smalls such as punches, glitter, paint, and stamps.  These ornaments storage boxes are easy to grab up and take with you to a crafting party.



The renovated space is a free-standing two car garage on our land in Texas.  It was utilized as a storage space for my wedding decor business.  Since my business has recently expanded, it became obvious that the space needed to be better utilized.  We kept many features of the space including the concrete floor, but plan to change out things such as the garage door in the near future {hopefully to a set of french doors}.



More than anything it was important to incorporate my collection of glassware in a safe, organized, yet attractive manner.  I purchased the eight foot tall store fixtures from a Pier 1 that was closing down the road.  I got them for only $50 per unit, but had to get them home myself . . . thankfully, I live out in the country and have some wonderful neighbors with large trailers and strong backs.  Most people don't think about using store fixtures for organization, but most fixtures are built to stand the test of time between heavy merchandise, frequent moving, and tough shoppers.  Most are designed to display the product attractively as well.



 
I used to have a lovely craft room in my home, but I had out-grown the space and it was spilling out into our home in a wave of chaos.  Since I had many units in my former craft room, I used as many as possible in the new space.  I love the idea of moveable, portable organization.  I have a lovely white cart on wheels {purchased at The Container Store} that houses my scrapbooking materials.  Since I rarely find time to work on my scrapbooks, the wheels allow me to keep the unit out of the way until inspiration strikes and I can roll it out in the room for use.




Working in my craft studio surrounded by all of my baubles and beads, listening to the third season of Felicity, and creating the perfect decor for a blushing bride is a dream come true!







WOW right?  

What I love:
  • She reused items she already had and loved for storage.  The Ball glass jars are so beautiful!
  • She used clear storage to be sure she was utilizing all of her items and things of importance weren't being lost in the shuffle.
  • Gutters for ribbon storage?  Oh my.  Now that is genius!
  • Look at all the color!  Who wouldn't feel creative in that space?  The encouraging words are too perfect.  And that chandelier and painted dresser are beyond fantastic!
  • She was so RESOURCEFUL!  I never would have thought to ask a store that is closing for their storage shelving.  Wow.  1,000,000,000 extra points scored for that smart move!
  • Labels. Enough said!

Thank you SO much to Amanda for sharing her incredible transformation and tips today!  You can read all about the big craft studio reveal here on her blog.

Now it's your turn!  What do you heart about today's Reader Space?




ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!  More info HERE.

35 comments:

  1. Holy cow! How amazing. And what a fun job to have.

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  2. oh my word! needing to pick my jaw up off the floor!

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  3. WOW! I am in shock!! I would LOVE to have a space like that!!

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  4. WOW! A-mazing! Great pics, too. I would love to know what that thing (under T.V.) that looks like a cross between a kiln and a dresser is.

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  5. The inspiration I get looking at these pictures is hard to put into words. The colors, reuse of jars and containers, lighting, on and on. I love it, thank you for sharing.

    Jan
    Please follow me: http://kansasprincessjan.blogspot.com/

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  6. Wow !! That would be like stepping into your own little store everyday !!

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  7. GAH!! I so want to be her new best friend. And I want her job. That is amazing!

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  8. Amanda is officially a rockstar! This space is so perfect for her! And anyone else with this much to corral into one space! =) off to check out her blog!!!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas and Crayons

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  9. I so want to organize my spare bedroom into a craft room. Great inspiration.

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  10. Wow-ee! That is one amazing space! How impressive.

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  11. This is amazing! It makes me want to visit her and do some serious crafting!

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  12. As nutty as brides can sometimes get, that woman deserves the most awesome and perfect workspace she can get - and it looks like she got it. Congratulations!

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  13. I love the rain gutter ribbon storage. Makes complete sense and is just ingenious.

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  14. Holy cow! If I had that craft space my family would have to file a missing persons report!

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  15. I almost can't even look at this because it's TOO good -- my mind is racing with ideas and space-envy! Aieeeeeeeeeee! Very cool.

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  16. Wow wow wow indeed! Oh that is my idea of heaven. I love all the jars she uses and how beautifully everything is displayed.

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  17. OMGOSH!!! That's the dream right there, Amanda has achieved my scrap/craft room dream! I can't not look at it & be inspired by it. Loving all the upcycled storage, especially the gutter ribbon storage!

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  18. Oh my goooodness, this place is like a magical place I want to go to!!

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  19. I don't know how you do it! Sooo many brides are sooo annoying! I had a laid back attitude about my wedding and I and everyone else involved had a great time. I gave my florist (and decorator) a budget and told her to do what she wanted, and gave my caterer a budget and a list of some ingredients important to our culture (olives and sourdough bread for me and antipasto type stuff for my Italian husband's family) and told them to do what they wanted. I had a beautiful, stylish wedding for under 4,000...and over half that went to the location (charitable causes, worth the money). If I could have changed one thing though, I would have bought the groomsmen their shirts and ironed them...they literally wore them out of the package, classy.

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  20. Love this space! Almost makes me want to convert my garage!

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  21. I want to live in her craft studio!

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  22. I just found that craft room makeover (via Pinterest) several days ago, because someone had pinned how she made the crafting desk. GENIUS! You have to check out her site for info on that, because she used inexpensive bookcases from Wal-Mart, and flat panel doors from Home Depot. Love that idea!!

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  23. absolutely LOVE her crafting space! What I would give to have a huge room with so much organization and inspiration... just like that!!!!

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  24. This space is beautiful! What did you use for the bright orange flooring?

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  26. This is one great room. I used slatwall in my own studio, but only between the base cabinets and the wall cabinets, and on some of the walls where I have no wall cabinets. If there is no store moving or going out of business, Lowe's carries 4' x 8' foot sheets laminated in white that are pretty inexpensive. There are some great deals to be had from internet sources on store accessories made especially for slatwall. Do a lot of price comparison: I found 4" x 12" acrylic shelves with a lip every price from $1.65 to $10.65. there is one supplier that handles accessories for make-up for retail stores that work very nicely with a lot of craft supplies. Don't forget to watch the shipping; some of them bite you that way, and remember to check ebay and Amazon in addition to looking for those stores that are closing. I have the stuff to do it, but I'm having to force myself to go in there and start sorting, use, throw away, donate, and the one I have the most trouble with - save til later. When I do it, I'll post a pic.

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  27. What a wonderful space! It must make you smile each time you enter! http://sistersunderthetrees.com/2014/04/17/welcome-to-my-small-craft-studio/

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