Friday, June 14, 2013

Friday Feature - Karin's Craft Space



Hi Everyone! Karin, here. As you probably know by now we are doing a series of Friday posts where we Lawnscaping designers are sharing our crafty spaces and today it is my turn. At first I hesitated because as you can see my space is very tiny (this is also where I sew and paint ) and not fancy at all but then I thought - why not???   I'm probably not the only one with very limited space -so this could hopefully be a post where we  "Crafters in the City (?) Girls" could share some compact crafting ideas. We have a three-room- apartment in the center of Gothenburg and we LOVE  it here but of course I wouldn't mind an extra room or two!





 This room used to be our office till we had Ted 4 years ago. It is now his room but I've kept my crafty desk in one corner and I guess I'll find out how long Ted will let me keep it there (-:
 
My crafting budget isn't very large so I have no specially designed furniture for my tools and supplies but have made use of things we already had at home; winebottle crates,  shoeboxes, cd-boxes, old bathroom cupboards and drawers. I like that I have almost everything I need within reach when I sit working at my desk - just wish I was a more tidy and organized crafter, because unfortunately my desk turns into a bombshell disater within minutes after starting a project and then the quickest solution is often to move down to the floor and suddenly things aren't that easy to reach anymore (-;  
 
Above my desk I have an old IKEA pin board where I keep some of my favorite embellishments so I don't forget to use them - but  also because I find it very inspiring to have them there! The stamps I use the most are also always within reach either in their packages or stored in cd-boxes on IKEA shelves . I have a large IKEA box under my IKEA desk ( and - yes, I am Swedish (-: ),  which I think is perfect for keeping my 12x12 patterned papers and cardstock.



I've printed pictures of all the stamps and stampsets I have and put into a photo album so I can easily  flip through that to find the perfect image or sentiment I for a card I'm working on. It is also great for when I'm writing my blogposts and need to know the name of a certain set.




I keep my dies like this in a cd sleeve book. It is easy to find the dies and it doesn't take up a lot of space.


 Other ideas for compact crafting:

1. As soon as you know your not going to use an old product or tool any more,  give it away or sell it on ebay.
2. Before you rush to buy a new cool product or tool make sure you don't already have something very similar or have a product that can be used in different way with the same result.
3. Label all your boxes and folders carefully so you know exactly where to find what - searching for things have a strange way of eating up a lot of space!!!
4. Organize your desk so that the tools and supplies you use the most are closest to you - biggest chance of putting them right back where they belong after you've used them - I use my inkblenders and distress inks (-; and 6x6 patterned papers on almost all my projects!
5. I sort my markers by  putting a rubberband around colors that have the same tone, that way I don't need one box for greens and one box for blues etc.


It would be awesome if you would continue this list and share your ideas for compact/budget storage and crafting in the comments section below!
 
Have a great day!, Hugs Karin







10 comments:

  1. Your small space looks awesome, and similar to mine! I love having everything at my reach, and not have to get up and down all the time. One thing that I did is put long open shelves on my wall in front of me. I can really pack a lot of stuff on them! And it's out in the open so I can see it, and not in a storage bin! I love it!

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    1. Great idea! Maybe I should make something like that to hang where I have my photos of Ted! TFS!!!

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  2. Karin,
    I'm so impressed with how you have used your space! Love your idea of printing a picture of your stamp sets and the CD sleeves for your dies. Thanks for sharing!
    {hugs}
    Debbie

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  3. i love ur crafting space.and all the tipsyou shared.thanks so much.love ur idea of keeping stamps and dies

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  4. Karin, pretty impressive for such a small space. Love that you have everything right where you need it!

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  5. I admire the realness of your craft space....its just like mine! I completely understand about your desk getting piled with stuff after one project so I try to make a conscious effort not to start anything another project until its clean again. Unfortunately I make excuses about using the same supplies again for another project and the desk will stay messy for a while...haha! Thanks for your tips. My storage bins are always clear so I can see in them...that would be my tip...it reminds me to use them!

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  6. You have a great compact space. Lots of light too. Looks like a very happy space!

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  7. Thank you for sharing your space! I enjoy seeing small and shared spaces. Our third bedroom functions as an office, craft room, and guest room. Once my son is older I expect him to want the larger bedroom. I set up my space with items that we already had on hand. I am working to condense my supplies so that they are all within reach. The extra items in the closet rarely get used. Here is a blog post with a picture: http://www.1200somemiles.com/2012/12/around-here-december-2012.html

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