UPDATED: July 12, 2019

In my head, I see an organized craft room that houses all my supplies. Yarn is stacked neatly in shelves and buttons are organized in colour-specific mason jars so I can see my stock in one quick glance.

My eyes tell me that my reality is far from this dream – especially when I’m creating a new collection, the yarn and papers creep out of my studio into my living quarters because sometimes I just need to test a pattern in front of a good Hallmark movie or British TV series. Rubbermaid bins are filled with stash and since there isn’t any room in my studio, they have found a temporary-permanent corner of the basement.

I’m sure I could purge some of the bins but it’s so much easier to let them play together in their quiet corner.

Repeat Crafter Me’s Yarn Storage System

Pinspiration

For the last month, I’ve been reconsidering my storage system and room layout. Pinterest has been my inspiration and I’ve created a “Crafty Escapes” board that I frequent often and let my imagination consider the possibilities of how my craft room could look.

Make A Plan

I’ve developed a detailed list of what I think needs to happen to my craft room, in order of priority.

If you are looking to organize your craft room, you are welcome to use this process also.

First, wistfully search Pinterest to determine what your ideal outcome could look like. Print out some photos so it will help you keep on track for the next steps.

Next, list out the crafts you like to do and the supplies that would go with it.

Finally, do a visual inventory of how much you own in total. If it is realistic for it to fit in your current space, will it keep with the vision of your ideal space? (yeah, I had that reality check too).

Reality Check

At this point, some organizing professionals (which I am absolutely NOT!) recommend completely emptying your room and all your stash and putting it essentially on the front lawn to see the horror of the amassed amount of collecting you’ve been doing over the past decades. I will not be doing this because a) I am not a professional organizer and b) we don’t need to play a shame game or exhaust ourselves hauling it up just to haul it back. 

I prefer to consult my vision of the final craft room, my visual inventory of supplies and how it can actually fit into the room, and the physical dimensions of the space I have to work with.

I may take measurements and consider furniture I can use that we already have or debate purchasing new or used options.

If I’m feeling really clever, I might even use some graph paper and draft out the room layout. Remember to consider vertical space that you may not be maximizing with tall bookshelves or wall shelves.

Stash Diving

Time to get real. If I want to make my yarn escape a reality, I need to get serious when evaluating what I want to keep and what I know that I will never use.

I will put my vision image(s) in front of me to remind me of my goal for the craft room space, a bin for keep, and a bin of items I will sell or donate.

I’m also going to sort my collection by colour so that it will be easy to see how much I have when I want to make a new project.

My goal is to make my yarn a showcase of the room.

Since the yarn is the priority for my craft room, I’m going to remove the items that don’t belong there so I can see how much needs to fit.

I’m going to then clear the space where I will store them now, pull out furniture, deep clean that area, and set up the new layout.

Working In Stages

I will repeat the above steps for each craft category in order of priority of what I want to continue to make until my room is set up exactly how I want it.

I’m hoping this process will make my attachment to materials easier as the room fills up.