Doesn't it turn you off of crafting when all the various bits and pieces that you need have scattered to the four corners of the house? It does me. That's why, in an attempt to organize our family craft supplies and inspire us to craft more, I claimed a small bookshelf/storage unit in the basement and dedicated it to crafting and sewing.
Our craft cubby is squeezed in between the air hockey table and a very large doll house (which no longer gets used but can't be parted with). I stored my sewing machine (which just happens to have been my mom's sewing machine all the time I was growing up) on top of the unit, so it's easily accessible on the off chance it may soon get some use.
We put all our crafting-related books on the shelves, as well as my vintage sewing basket and several photo boxes holding embroidery yarn, felt scraps, fabric and the like. There are also two holders filled with various colours and sizes of ribbon. The two larger bins at the bottom hold stuffing and my daughter's Sew Cool machine.
We took out a small, round table that we had in our storage room and surrounded it with odd chairs that were around the house. I have visions of a big, rectangular crafting table made from reclaimed wood, but this will do for now.
My daughter and I christened our new craft area by making a project from DK's Crafty Creatures by Jane Bull. If anyone can provide you with the inspiration necessary to start crafting, it's Jane Bull. Just take a look at some of the fun books she's created.
Packed with more than 30 inspiring ideas, from fat felt cats to dangly octopuses and zany pom-pom pals,Crafty Creatures and author Jane Bull help you create your own world of colourful, cuddly animals, as well as phone pouches, purses, jewelry, and more! With helpful templates and patterns alongside basic sewing techniques, Crafty Creatures includes simple step-by-step instructions with detailed photographs to make sure everyone can accomplish any project in the book.
Because my daughter likes to do her crafting fairly independently, we started off with an easy felt dog.
I helped her cut out the pieces of felt using the templates from the book, but she was able to sew, stuff and glue by herself, with some guidance.
She even created a little pouch in which to carry her doggie friend.
I have my eye on some more fun crafting projects, like this cute yarn octopus.
So far, our crafting space has really helped us to stay organized. With the occasional reminder to put things back where they belong, we have been able to keep our sewing and craft items easily accessible. With the kids on summer vacation now, we will certainly be giving our crafting space some more use!
What's on the agenda for you this summer?
We have a spare bedroom that I was supposed to turn in to a Lego/games room, where we'd have a table for large board games, craft etc... years later it's still called The Junk Room (and the door is always closed) because it just gets full of stuff that I want to put on eBay, or stuff I don't have storage for and so on. We can barely walk in there as the floor is quite literally covered with boxes and whatnot but I would loooove it to be a dedicated craft and games room! Currently my craft supplies are scattered all over the house (or in the Junk room and I can't get to them!). The Jane Bull books are great!
ReplyDeleteI think we all need a storage/junk space. We have a big storage room in the basement and my husband keeps complaining about how messy it is. Every room can't be perfect. Something's gotta give!
DeleteI love that yarn octopus. What a great book for kids. Sadly I don't have a crafty bone in my body - my mother did all my sewing projects when I was in school!
ReplyDeleteWe need to do up our RV to sell this summer. Fingers crossed my DIY skills are slightly better than my sewing skills. ;)
I'm not very crafty either. Neither me or my mom sews. Good luck with the RV! Sounds like it could be a fun project...maybe?
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