Hi everyone! It’s always exciting to welcome a guest blogger to Connecticut in Style. Today, home cleaning and organizing expert, Nicole Gardiner shares her tips for organizing a craft space. Nicole is with Dream Cleaners Kensington (yes, she’s a modern-day Mary Poppins) and explains the importance of finding the ideal spot in your home to dedicate to crafting. She also talks about preparing that space with a thorough cleaning before you add items to get your craft supplies organized.

I never thought I would say this, but Nicole actually makes cleaning sound fun! I found all these tips so helpful and was inspired to create a small crafting area for Catherine. With school being out for the summer, we are spending a lot more time at home. My blossoming little artist can spend well over an hour drawing, coloring and painting. This little space is cozy, tucked away, and most importantly, free from distractions.

I only needed a few items to organize her art supplies. Her crayons are in a convenient tin Crayola Box, the markers are in a cute polka dot box, and her colored pens are in an empty round vase I wasn’t using. The clear vase makes it easy for her to find the color pencil she wants. The desk and bench are from IKEA and I simply strung pom poms and tiny lanterns for ambient light.

Good practices for organizing your craft space by Nicole Gardiner

Getting ready to verse your skills in a particular craft, you will need your own spot. Instead of drifting around your home in search of a pair of scissors and scotch tape, you can organise everything you need at one place. This practical solution will save you a lot of time and nerves instead of looking for a needle in a haystack. When things are disorganized, you may even lose desire to start with the particular activity because of all the searching to find the missing tools you need to get started.

Create your own workspace where you can indulge in creative work with all the needed materials at hand. Arrange it in a way that will inspire you to devote entirely to the craft and do it with pleasure! This article will provide you with some ideas of how to do it in the most efficient and invigorating way.

Find the perfect space

No matter if you are an amateur or a professional, every crafter needs a particular nook of his/ her home, where to establish as a private workshop. Be ready that it will take some time to organise all the needed supplies and sort them out, but it will make your life much easier. Moreover, once you spend a pinch of time in this activity, you will save at least ten times more.

When choosing your spot, keep in mind that it should fit your needs. Before you start adapting it to be your workshop, you need to give the place one good, in-depth cleaning. This will refresh the look of the place itself and let’s admit it – nobody enjoys to work in a dirty or dusty place. To make the cleaning part easier and more efficient, it will be a good idea to supply yourself with all the needed cleaning tools and products, which you might need.

First things first, clean your craft space

Dream Cleaners Kensington will advise that you don’t need to spend a fortune on expensive cleaning materials. Most likely, you already have the solution in your cupboard – a simple white vinegar and baking soda can do a perfect job. These will not only sanitise, but also disinfect and deodorise. Moreover, being free of any chemicals, these “detergents” will do also good to your health.

So, let’s roll sleeves and get started. Don’t forget that you need to clean all cupboards from the inside and outside, so that these will safely “accommodate” your belongings. All surfaces should also be cleaned, because these will be your working spot. It is also a good idea to wipe the place every time you finish with the work. This will keep your workshop in a perfect condition all the time without the need to scrub dried stains. Once you clean your own spot it is time to adjust it for the exact purpose.

Furnish the space with items to keep it organized

The first step is to “furnish” the chosen spot with the needed equipment. One efficient way of organising it is to add shelves. This is convenient because you can arrange everything in a way so that you will always know what you have “in stock.” Moreover, this will save you the hunting of space, since shelves are fixed on the walls.

Use drawers to organise small items in groups and put labels with the contained stuff. For example, put all of your decorative ribbons in one drawer and name it. These are also very convenient to hold your sewing or office supplies like glue, tape and paperclips. This practice will help you find everything easily and quickly.

Plastic boxes are also very useful when arranging your craft space. They will guard all of your stuff and at the same time will show you what they keep inside. Then you just spot the needed item, open the plastic box which saves you from all the fumbling.

For organising things in a stash, a good idea is the use of baskets. You can keep also larger items such as print paper, projectors and even sewing machines. These are cute addition to your craft space, which you can decorate in accordance to the thematic of your inspirational spot. Moreover, wicker baskets will provide a vintage and exquisite touch.

Have you ever been in a situation, in which you are talking on the phone and you need to write down something? But then Murphy’s Law is interfering and you can’t find even a single pen or pencil. You start to try to dig it out, while the person on the phone is getting annoyed by the waiting. Familiar situation, isn’t it? Discover the power of the empty jars, which are the perfect weapons against the spread of the pens and pencils. The best is that you can turn the simple jar into piece of art, by decorating it in accordance to your taste.

Create a pegboard with small nails, where you can hang all of your scissors or other instruments. In that way, everything is at sight and you have an easy access to what you need.

I bet that everyone felt the experience to look for a certain thing in the most nodal point. We all know the additional pressure, which may be created by the searching activity. Knowing the place of everything will definitely save you these extreme situations, or at least reduce them to a great extend.

Inspire and endeavour yourself in the craft you like. Staying organised will help you being motivated and season your skills. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on expensive furniture. Just be creative and make everything visible and easily accessible.