Love the blog!

I can't remember how to sew anymore. It would be great to win one of those prizes!

nancy's last blog post..Petit test.

Here's hoping I win…thanks for the contest!

It's pretty simple, but the best thing I did was put shelves up in my office/craft room. I also have an old dresser in the closet of that room, which keeps the closet looking neat because most of the stuff is in drawers. My 1959 Singer just broke down, so I could really use that new machine!

When organizing threads and fabrics, organize not by color texture, but by use! If you use a fabric more often, keep it in a drawer closest to you. The least used fabrics should be stored together. The same applies for threads, keeping stuff closer that you use will also be more handy in the long run!

I bought several plastic see-through containers for all the beads I have, anticipating that someday soon I will find the time to make something out of them. Just seeing them in their little round containers might actually inspire me to get started.

I don't get to sew much, but I found a nice "basket" shaped like a box, with a lid on it. I put all of my fabric in there, and put it on top of the sewing cabinet my husband built for me years ago.

I do knit, though. My works-in-progress (there are always too many) littered the house, either out or in knitting bags. Most of them, since they're small, I've put in an ottoman that my Mom gave me. The lid comes off, and in goes the project. It's handy to the sofa, I can put my feet up when watching a movie - it works great for me.

I also either have patterns as pdf's on my computer, bookmarked, or printed and placed into a 3-ring binder.

Malena's last blog post..So Many Crafty People…

My craft room was a huge mess, with all kinds of items everywhere. First, I bought a huge rolling scrapbook bag at Michael's, and it holds SO MUCH STUFF. That took care of a great deal of the problem. Then I found a very nice craft table for $199 at Target.com. It holds almost everything else! I love it so much and admire it daily.

Thanks for the contest!!
Smellyann's last blog post..Another FREE Redbox Rental!

great prize!! Who would not want a Singer?

I'm a big fan of labeling all of my boxes, baskets, tote, carts and drawers so that I can see clearly what is inside at a glance. I use my computer to create the labels in a really cute font and to create a uniform look.

My biggest problem was that I was doing my scrapbooking and other craft projects at the dining room table, which meant I had to either clean up even if I was in the middle of a project or we didn't eat at the table, both options less than desirable. Especially with small children. So I asked for a scrapbook table one year for Christmas and that is where I do my scrapbooking and crafting. Now I don't have to put away projects that I am in the middle of, and the table is in my room so I can just shut the door to hide the mess Having a space just for craft projects makes a huge difference.

I've been wanting a sewing machine for so long now. This is an awesome give away!

My favorite organizing solution is my label maker. It makes life SO much easier!!

Thank you for this opportunity - all of the prizes look great!

First, I suggest that you purge items regularly. I go through all of my craft and sewing items once a year to review what I've used and haven't, and then I either give the items to friends, or Freesale them, etc.

Second, I keep a Family notebook for storing craft and sewing ideas. I have plastic inserts to keep individually pages from magazines, rather than cluttering up with the entire magazine.

I store Holiday issues of magazines that are loaded with crafts, food, etc. with my Holiday decorations. That way, I can turn to the ideas year after year.

Finally, I have clear boxes where I store my craft and sewing supplies. I keep my supplies together by activity - stamps and paint in one; non-sewing (knitting, etc.) in another, and sewing in another.

Thanks!

Emily's last blog post..Shameless Child Labor!

I have definitely found that having storage containers is the best way to go. Esp the desk organizer ones that have drawers - using a lable maker and you're set!

Jamie's Precious Peas's last blog post..Merry Christmas!

You always have great prizes!

I designated 1 large cabinet in our built-in bookcase for my craft supplies. It's really a time-saver to have everything in one place. Clear shoeboxes, labels and binders with protective inserts/sleeves are my best organizing friends for those supplies.

Empty oatmeal boxes have been awesome for storing my son's craft stuff (pipe cleaners, wooden craft sticks, extra crayons, foam pieces, bottles of glue, etc.) They are large, tall and narrow and he can decorate the outsides of them.

I like to use a pants hanger with 4-5 rungs to hang my ribbon on. I can hang about 25 rolls on one pant hanger and keeps it all in site yet out of the way.

Thanks for the chance to win
Sue
marklovessue@numail.org

Lots of containers, that are see thru. I don't have a craft room, so I store a lot of my stuff in our eaves.

I would love to win this sewing machine. I had my mom's sewing machine but it got damaged and then lost in the great toilet flood of 2007 in our house.

Kim Holsapple's last blog post..Heading to the Playoffs!!! Woo Hoo!!!

I use clear bins to keep all the crafts neat. It makes finding what you need so much easier and you can see what needs to be restocked.

I don't have a sewing room nor a closet to store all my sewing machines and accessories.

What I have done was store everything sewing related in a sofa table that's against the wall behind my couch.

Nobody knows it's there. When I feel like sewing, pull the couch forward and I can access everything and bring it to my dining room table.

Any of these prizes would be amazing! thank you

The clear up my cutting table (always a huge mess!) I lined the wall with tin (soup) cans. Now I have my marking pencils, scissors, seam rippers..etc. where I can see them, and out of my way!

Jana's last blog post..Choose

I use one of those old mug holders to hang my scissors from. This way they are always in easy reach. I also have some pot holders that were made into scissors caddys. I hang these from the mug holder and put in other small items I use a lot such as seam rippers and bodkins. And I can always use another sewing machine.

Hello to all my sewing and craft friends,
In the past, I had problems with storing extra needed notions (threads, buttons, pins etc.). However, that problem is a blast in the past. Now, I use 3 Qt. recycleable empty water bottles for all my storage needs. The easy screw on and off top is easy for dropping small items in (buttons, pens, thread etc.) and the bottles come in a various amouunt of sizes. For storing large items, I just cut the top off the bottle and insert an opening in the top of the bottle (the part I cut) and the side (the body) of the bottle. Insert Velcro in the opening. This method is a money saver in my house. My kids have become expert designers with creating there on storage containers. Guess what!!!!!! The containers are free.
Hope this will work for you,
Zina

I have no sewing room per say. I have a card table I set up in my small kitchen/dining area and I have everything I use for sewing containerized so putting it away is simple and quick–even the card table is fold up and stow. The thing is, my sewing machine is dead and beyond repair; since we are older& live on a small fixed SS income, replacing it will not be easy or soon. At present, I am trying to figure a way to recycle it. I try to find everyday uses for ordinary things that prevents them from being trashed. I really need a new machine–I am diabetic &" have lost 160#s. Needless to say I have clothes that can be remade into either wearable clothe, curtains etc.–if I had a machine!!

I have to share the guest room with my sewing, xstitch and now in the process of learning chrochet so what I have done is bought a folding craft center that tucks into a corner out of the way.. it has four small drawers so i store stuff I am working on at this time in there and keep all my sewing supplies in the sewing cabinet (two drawers) also in the closet in that room I have a large chest on the floor and it holds all my stash(es).. works out well and not mess in there if somone calls and says they are stopping over for a few nights..

would love a new sewing machine mine is 40 years old..

thanks.. for the chance to win one

Labels! Labels! Labels!

Jen

I just make 19 quilts for christmas and need a new sewing maching, I am 63 and I started sewing on a singer, my daddy sold singer machine

I use a small open desk magnetic paper clip holder for all of my straight pins. This way when I need them to hem, etc., they're easily accessible yet not falling out all over the place. Also, can move it around and again they stay in the holder. Now, I need another one for the paper clips on my desk…lol.

I went to this site because I would appreciate a sewing machine to make throw pillows, etc.

Appreciate the opportunity.

The best thing I did when organizing my craft room was buy a large number of clear boxes, a shelf to store them all on, and my very own label maker. I loved sorting and labeling everything— It was almost as much fun as making something.

rsgrandinetti(at)yahoo.com

i just got back into sewing and am planning some good projects for the new year. here's hoping I win! thanks for the chance to help with my new addiction!

kate's last blog post..Update Central

The best thing I did to remain organized was to keep my cats away from my crafts!

My problem was that I needed storage space for tons of scrapbooking stuff that I really do use frequently. I didn't want to put all the stuff in drawers or away because for me out of sight is out of mind. So I have some pegboard and some shelves close to my scrapping table where I can keep things in view.

I *wish* I had a solution. Currently my supplies are tucked under my tiny kitchen table in bags (Crate & Barrel sturdy paper type). *sigh*

I'm far from my goal of organized sewing center. Here's hoping I get closer in 2009!

Thanks!

MJ

Happy new year!

My sewing machine was my grandmother's (circa 1960) It is a big old cabinet model and takes up a good chunk of my small closet. Most of the pieces are lost and only the straight stitch works. Would love to get my hands on this one.

Hi there! I actually do not have a total craft room, we live in a very small house (780 square feet!) so, we are VERY creative with storage of anything. Essentially my living room area contains crafting things. Instead of a TV stand, we have an old vertical filing cabinet that I got off of freecycle. It is a really disgusting brown color, so I covered it over with an old toile fabric and put our TV on top of it with the dvd player. It is against the only wall space with out a heating source on it, and right next to it I have an old school sewing machine in a cabinet that I also got from freecycle. Inside the top drawer of the cabinet are our familys dvd's and in the bottom drawer are most of the crafting supplies that I need on hand in clear containers. We just lift up the fabric and voila, movies and crafty stuff. Then next to our the loveseat (no room for a full size couch) are these really pretty storage boxes that I scored on sale for 2 $ at a big box store. They are also toile and are filled with smaller crafting items and left over materials. Under the love seat are flat storage boxes for under the bed with material and our games. Then we have one recliner chair on the other wall and next to that ( I love freecycle in case you did not notice!) is another small bedside type of table that has a drawer with knitting stuff and yarn and needls and room for more plastic clear containers in the open space underneath for other assorted crafty things, including the stuff my 3 year old is allowed to "help" mommy with! I hope this helps out some people like me with VERY limited space but who still like to be creative!

I was limited to the master bedroom for my craft area. I bought an inexpensive corner computer desk with a low hutch that attached in the corner. In that one corner I had a small desktop computer on the right, a small TV attached to a dish box and vcr on the corner hutch and my sewing machine on the left. I could multitask very nicely with this set up. I not only sew, but was also knitting and crocheting at the time and so I bought two sets of cloth lined baskets from Jo Anns or Michaels (can't remember) to store my materials and two rubbermaid drawer set ups, one of which slid right under the desk. The baskets could be stored on top of my high chest and around the room because they matched the decor. I have since moved and have an entire bedroom at my expense and haven't had a chance to organize it!

This is actually for my wife that like so many others finds every bit of her storage space to be very valuable. My suggestion to her that she incorporated was purchasing clear plastic shelving units that she could label and see through. We have a multitude of various sizes and shapes. The other idea that I gave her was to purchase a small peg board to hang on the wall. They have all sorts of hooks and things that could be very usefull.

This is small but it really helps when wrapping or doing crafts with ribbons. I take all my ribbon and put 5-6 rolls in a zip-loc bag and cut tiny holes big enough for the ribbon to fit through and then reinforce that with plastic sticker paper hole fixer I use for my kids papers when the hole is torn. The ribbon just slides right out and you don't have to reach and grab and lose the end. It just seems to make life a little less stressfull!

I call myself a quilter but mostly I just keep buying fabrics that I can't resist and hope to use later. I know it's not good for the fabric to be stored in plastic so I purchased canvas shoe and sweater organizers for the closet in our guest room and was able to sort my stash. It looks really nice too!

I love this DMC Stitchbow Travel Bag organizer for needlework — even when I'm just 'travelling' to my couch. I can take it out and everything I need is right there, and then when it's time to put it away, I just zip it up — project and all — and put it in the closet until I have time to work on it again.

http://www.createforless.com/DMC+StitchBow+Needlework+Travel+Bag/pid65047.aspx

There are cupboards lining 2 walls in my son's room (was planning on making it my office/craft room when we moved in, but God had another idea!) So, I put craft items, paper products and extra linen in those. That way, they are out of the way, but neatly organized.

Anita B's last blog post..The Bitter Homeschooler's Wishlist

Being honest with myself about what things I am actually going to use someday has cut down my clutter immensely! I used to save scraps and beads and broken things in the hopes of reusing them someday when I really never got around to it. Now I try to save things that are likely to be used in a project within a few months. It helps!

Naomi's last blog post..A Christmas Miracle

What a great giveaway! I am hoping for the sewing machine but I really like the other prizes, as well. Happy New Year!

I bought a bunch of pattern boxes from Fabricland. I don't use them to store my patterns. Instead I use them for all kinds of things on the shelves in our storage room. I put a white sticky label on the front of each & mark it with what is inside. e.g. extention cords, glue sticks, computer cords/accessories etc.
Keeps our storage room really neat & tidy.

Wow, there are some great ideas up there.
I started with my thread holder. I took a piece of 1/2 " press-board and drilled holes into it on a 45* angle. I bought dowels small enough to place thread spools onto. I cut the dowels just long enough to hold 1 or 2 spools of thread. Then I glued them into the holes I made in the board. When it dried I mounted it on the wall in my craft closet. Walla! All my thread is in one place and I don't have to pull out and dig through boxes to find the color I want.
I do beads, a lot, of them. I believe in the million drawer organizers they sell at hardware stores. They are clear so you can see whats inside them. They are not really deep, so, one shelf can house 5 organizers and I can bracket them down, so, they don't move.
My fabric I keep in big clear organizers and my craft tools I keep in my own little tool box. It Works.
Now, the sewing machine that I have is the kind that came in a wooden cabinet. I bought it for 10 bucks from a yard sale 15 years ago. It only did a straight stitch when I bought it and that is what I have been sewing with for all these years.
I have made Halloween costumes every year for 10 years for my kids and it has just kept putting along. But, that Singer is beautiful!! I would never have to hem another pair of pants by hand, again. Wouldn't that be soooo nice.

I have a file drawer filled with scrapbook paper organized by color. Inside the drawer are boxes, like magazine files but sized for 12×12 paper, and dividers in the boxes. This helps all the paper stand up straight and not get floppy. I can just pull open the drawer, see all my paper, and grab what I need quickly. I love it and my kids do, too!

Janelle's last blog post..Felted Flower Bag is done!

Because I am a neat freak, I bought inexpensive boxes from Ikea and organized the contents of each box by craft area like jewelry, ribbons, stamps, paper etc. I did not buy see-through boxes because I didn't want to see the contents, so I made labels on my computer for each box too. Now I have what I need when I need it but I don't have to look at it in the meantime.

I like those compartmentalized craft boxes for small craft supplies too but I can usually find the same thing cheaper by going to the hardware or fishing department in a big box store. They look and feel like the ones from the local craft store but for some reason, they're almost always cheaper.

My sister got me 4 really nice canvas tote bags from Land's End last year for Christmas but I couldn't figure out what to do with them until I had to stop in the middle of one of my craft projects. Then I realized the tote bags gave me a place to store all the pieces/parts of my unfinished project while also keeping it neat looking. (Have I mentioned I'm a neat freak yet?)

So I made a really nice oak rack with big hooks and I put whatever project I'm currently working on in one of those bags and just hang it up on the rack till I've got time to work on it again.

Like one of the other commenters, I decided to purge my craft "holdings". After all, both my kids are in college now and way past the plastic beads phase. But instead of tossing anything, I brought it to my middle school library and at least once a month, I have "spontaneous" craft moments during each grade's lunch recess and I let the kids use the craft supplies I don't need anymore. It's amazing what gorgeous xmas tree ornaments they can make with old CDs and beads!

There are other ways to recycle craft supplies you no longer need. When my mom died a year ago, my dad asked us to go through all of her craft/sewing supplies. What we didn't want, we took to a senior citizen's center. The director was thrilled to get all the supplies for her crafty residents.

Organizing by craft type, labeling the containers and purging what you will never use are my top 3 ways to keep my crafting supplies organized!

I love this blog - it is full of such helpful, interesting ideas

My best solution…..
Just put it away~i have a bad habit of leaving things out to finish later…and that always turns into a big mess!

Shoe hangers. I know, crazy easy, but they work.
Also boxes for seasonal clothing: put away summer or winter clothing to help it last longer and stay cleaner.

I stabilize my dress patterns and then hang them on clip hangers in a closet - along with the original envelope and any notes I made about alterations in a clear zip-lock bag.

My best organizing tip is to organize, place everything in containers, label and put everything away!

I use tupperware containers for everything & label it

Karen C's last blog post..Eco-Me Giveaway

When I finally bought a shoe rack (such as the one pictured above), I wondered what in the world took me so long!! Little investment that goes a long way!

I don't have a sewing area, nor a machine yet, but if I had, I am sure I would be able to keep it neat. My secret would be shoes boxes. I have a lot of them laying around recently, and I used almost all of them for storage. It's the perfect size for storing sewing materials too. A box could be divided into 4 little rooms with just 2 pieces of hard paper.

That's it, I hope I win!

I sat down one night with a roll of blue painter's tape and all my spools of thread. I tore off little sections of tape and taped down the loose end of thread on each roll. It's much easier now to keep them in a box, bowl, or drawer. Some of the thread spools I have are vintage silk thread from the 40s (a great-aunt was a seamstress for the movie studios — she did alterations for the great Marilyn Monroe!) and I keep those in a pretty glass jar to show off the rich colors and the old-fashioned wooden spools.

Neat ideas, everybody.

The Rubbermaid flex-and-carry hamper is my new favorite thing for storing rolls of gift wrap. One hamper gets the Christmas gift wrap; the other gets birthday, Valentine's day, etc., gift wrap. Very easy to carry up from our basement!

I hardly ever enter contests but that sewing machine's amazing.

I ordered a custom (and adjustable!) organizer insert from OrderlyDrawer for my large top drawer. I hope to outfit my other drawers as well. (My brithday, maybe?) It has made putting things away a no-brainer. There is a perfectly sized place for everything, and that place can be made smaller when supplies dwindle or larger when supplies are replenished.

Custom and adjustable is a dream combination.

I couldn't find the template I needed on their site, so I made up my own at no extra charge.

Best thing I have found for organizing my fabrics is one of those hanging sweater racks, like this one http://www.stacksandstacks.com/hanging-closet-organizer/112/3769/

Recommended the blog to my sister, we both love it! Lots of really cool products and solutions.

I store all of my suitcases under my bed.

I've put a small dresser in my closet to give me more storage.

I keep almost everything in labeled bins.

Great prizes! ~ Would LOVE to win a sewing machine! I recently bought myself an electronic label maker and some clear bins to organize everything around the house!
Thanks! ~

i use shelves in my closet to store all my sewing items. this way, they are easily accessible, organized and don't create an eyesore. i also use a long table (a bit like a long bench) for both my computer and sewing equipment, sewing things on one side, computer stuff on the other.

awesome site

Some wonderful prizes. A sewing machine would be so welcome here

I can never seem to keep my crochet hooks straight. AND I do not want to go buy a crochet hook caddy (please! ten dollars!), so I dug through my old schoolteacher stuff and found a pencil case. I'm using it to corral all my crochet hooks now, and while they're not lined up, each in its cutely labeled spot, they're all in one place, easy to find. I love it.

I'm an avid knitter/crocheter, and can't seem to stop myself from buying yarn! I put up shelves and use semi-transparent plastic bins to store the yarn and sort it by function - wools, novelty, ribbon, sock yarn, etc. Since I can see through the box, I don't have to pull each box off the shelf to find a yarn to use when I start a new project. I also throw in some cedar balls to keep the moths out.

I would love the convenience and speed of a sewing machine versus having to sew everything by hand.

I usually make Christmas ornaments every year and used to have a hard time locating all my ribbon and beads and what-have-you when the time came to pull them out.
I figured out that I can use Christmas ornament storage boxes to store all my Christmas ornament making supplies as well.

I separated all my crafting papers into thin rubbermaid drawers by color groups. I also set up bins where i grouped adhesives, one of inks, one of acrylics.. that way I can just grab the bin I need.

fidget's last blog post..Rock who?

I bought some shelving and some fabric lined baskets. It is amazing how much neater a set of shelving makes a room look.

I recently let go and re-organized all my clutter in my laundry room, my goal is to start my sewing area. This machine would be perfect, especially since I'm working with a small area. How exciting!! I love this site, lots of wonderful info. Keep up the great work and I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I have been purging unneeded clutter to free up storage boxes for crafting supplies. Thanks for a super giveaway!

I use plastic ice cube holders to put project materials in, then stack them in my art studio.

I can't organize clutter. To keep my crafting/sewing area organized, I have a "use it or lose it" rule with all my supplies. If I have not used an item in 6 months, or if I look at an item and think "well maybe someday I'll use it." It needs to go.
Those items are donated to Goodwill or posted on Freecycle.
Double bonus with that rule. I'm happy tht my area is not cluttered up with things that I'm not using. And the items purged can bring joy to another crafter.

I use clear (large) plastic bins and put like things in them. So, cottons (especially patterns) are in one, corduroys in another, notions in another. It helps a lot.

I struggle with clutter elsewhere, and have been loving this great book on clearing clutter "Your Spacious Self: Clear your Clutter and Discover Who You Are." As a life-long hoarder, this book has helped me experience fundamental changes in my life, most notably in how I FEEL — lighter, less attached to "things," and more in the flow.

Love this blog. I've made it my 2009 Resolution to GET ORGANIZED and I've had so much fun reading over these posts.

I managed to fit my office in my closet. I measured the desk and monitor and it fit. Then, I even installed and extra shelf for more storage, and hung my quark board, and white board on the inside of the doors. There’s just a cable and power cord that comes under the door and plugs in behind a book shelf (needed to be kid safe).

I did this all so I could potentially set up a sewing table and make the “office room” my sewing and craft room. Only problem is…I don’t have a sewing machine yet….crossing my fingers, and very glad I found your blog today =).

I'm working so hard on decluttering this year. Oddly enough my New Year's resolution is to learn how to sew. I wonder if both are possible…Hmmm…
Love this site and blog. Always looking for new ideas.

Oops. forgot to add my tip. Shoe boxes (and any other interesting boxes) get covered in pretty coordinating fabrics and placed around the house. Nobody suspects they were not bought or that they are cardboard. It hides clutter in all the "hot spots" around the house.

I have very little space for projects in my house, so I use a large rolling makeup case. The kind the pros use and then I can close it up and park it in a corner. For table space I will use folding tray tables. Put 4 together to make a large portable area to work!

My craft area was cluttered until I got several plastic organizers with individual compartments and started putting in the envelope making/stamping/glitter etc… into each compartment. Less risk of spills and much easier to find what I need to create that special envelope for someone…

Michele P.'s last blog post..Love birds? Check out this Giveaway—

i keep all my threads on a tall wooden dowel standing straight up and down. Slide them right on threw that little hole in the middle. I do the same with my ribbons. That way i can always have an inventory at eyes view. Usage is easy to. Just pull, measure and cut. No mess!
For buttons, pins, sequins and other small odds and ends, i took some fancy spice jars, nailed the lids on the underside of a shelf, and screwed the filled jars into their lids which allows them to "hang" from their lids. The clear glass allows me to see whats avail, they are up high, away from the kids, and i always can see when its time for a refill. What i love about these tricks is that they did not cost a dime. Recycled materials from around the house. With 4 kids, you learn how to make somethings out of nothing!

I originated a system of bringing together all my scissors in a roll I created,I arranged and distributed all my scissors big and small without haveing to put them out of sight haveing to hunt through boxs of sissors each time when needed,now they are close at hand when needed in a sudden moment of sewing.I went to Walmart which by the way sells fabric and bought plastic hooks to attach to the wall behind my sewing area.I arranged them in rolls 1st roll big scissors,2nd roll little scissors 3rd roll tiny scissors.Now when I sew, my scissors are easy and quick and handy within arms reach when needed.I also made a pin cussion 4in by 8 in stuffed it with remants and sewed it together to make a rectangle and attached it to the wall to the left with straight pins on each corner holding it to the wall.Now when I sew I have a big pin cussion in arms reach for pins or needles also,this way I don`t have to hunt for straight pins or store them either.This was very irritaing every time I had to get up to hunt a different size of scissors or pins.Yea irritation went right out the window.I also had problems threading the sewing machine needle so I use thin craft wire,the tiny kind to thread my needle,works when I can`t find my needle threader,you can use it on needles also.I also was irrated by having to put away my sewing machine when I used it since it is kinda ancient,not a good sight to look at,so I purchased an old woodened desk with 2 drawers,got my husband to cut the center out to fit the machine and now I have a sewing desk and table to sew at.The drawers I use to store thread and bobbins and needles in alone with other remants like velcro.I took an old cloth rack to hang my little dog coats on I make and use the lower bar that is there to help for support of the rack and put my rolls of ribbons on,I made the holes in the rolls of ribbon larger slipped them on to the bar and put the bar back into place since it was easy to slide the bar out,Now when I need the ribbon I dont have to go through unrolled rools tangled up and the ribbons are plesant to look at,I do not have to store them now and there in plain view when needed and can be rolled up neetly when through.I have ridded myself of agravation and irritation and created a plesant sewing amosphere by not having to put them in storage.Yea right out the window flew irritation again.You said you would like to know my best organizing solution and irritating storage issue now You have recived my wisdom.I hope I to may win the Singer.A little bonus:For the crochet and knitting lovers try this for storage go to the painting section in the craft departs they sell little painter brush holders with different sizes of holes on the plate,use it to store your needles in,you may need an old can of some sort the plate will fit down on.Happy sewing.

I use old pill containers to hold small items that are easily lost like buttons or ribbon pieces. They're clear and child proof, so my cats can't get into them.

I store my fabric by content in clear plastic containers, with notes on each with how much I have. Saves me time of pulling out a piece only to find that I don't have enough.

Best thing I did for my sewing table was make an organizer that has pockets for scissors, pinking shears, machine needles, etc. The flat section goes under the machine and then it hangs over the edge of the table. It has prevented desperate searches for scissors as well as kept them out of the way of those who would use my fabric scissors on paper or other damaging items!! My craft room is the guest room and I store fabrics in the bedroom furniture. I also separate items into plastic bins, such as all adhesives in one, paint brushes and stamps in another, etc. I have patterns in a 3-ring binder with plastic sleeves so I just slip the pattern right in and can easily flip through. Purging those "I might use it someday" items helps too and its time to do it again! I would LOVE a new sewing machine as mine is an old hand-me-down that doesn't have buttonhole and some of the other new features. THANKS and I LOVE this site, too!!

I have a pegboard on the wall. It's the best! Scissors, containers with pins, bobbins, etc.
I love it!

What I have found to help me organize my craft items the best are Rubbermaid racks that come with three drawers in one rack. I assign each drawer for a different type of craft supplies. They're me organizing savior!

Love the website! Just found you in my AOL search web browser! Love the name of your site too. Stacks and Stacks…gotta love the name!

I don't have my own craft room yet…but what I have done is hang a 6 compartment canvas sweater hanger in the closet. In each compartment I have a project that is in the works. I can't start a new project until I have an open spot in the canvas organizer. It really keeps me focused on what I have already started.

I love to sew but all the spools of thread and colors can get messy. I bought clear see thru containers and organized all my thread by colors. The containers are as high as a large spool of thread so not to clutter up the containers! Shelves in my craft closet display the containers and I stack them with the most used colors on top. Some of the colors I don't use much but it was needed for that one outfit! Some spools are almost 50 years old now but keeping them covered perserves the color and no dust!

Easy! After years of having a craft room that doubled as a "fun room" for my husband, we decided to organize and double up the room. Here is what we did:
Hinged together 3 old doors and painted them white, which served as a room divider. On that divider, we attached shelves to both sides. (more storage and a place to get stuff off the ground)
After that, I purchased a nice compact craft desk. For all of my little goodies, I went out and bought a ton of muffin tins. Hooked them together by chain..one on top of the other (almost like a chandelier) and hung that from my ceiling.
Went to St. Vincents and bought 3 of those produce hanging 3 tier baskets. They hold all of my ribbon, scissors, hot glue guns etc.
And after that, we built a few floating shelves and Whalah!! No more junk on the floor and LOTS of room on my craft table. Cheap and inexpensive!

Thanks for all the great ideas.
I needed a space to store thread so that I could see the colors I had. I found a shadow box of sorts at a flee market that allows the thread to be displayed as well as add color to the wall in my laundry room. Take a look!

My HTML got redirected on the "Look" - Click this link to see the shadow box.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj229/tealesdigidesigns/thread_holder.jpg

I went to our local chain grocery store and asked if I could have some of their clear plastic containers for their bakery cookies. They are the exact right size for small rolls of ribbon and don't cost a dime!

My tip is fairly simple…I use a 6 drawer dresser to keep my fabric organized by color family.

I have a red drawer, blue drawer, etc.

It really works great!

Deborah Napoleon's last blog post..A fun Photo Tag

I receive several scrapbooking and cross-stitch books and magazines. I make an index card on my computer, type the contents of the mag or book on the card/label and attach it to the front. I mark the patterns/pages that I really like and want to make with asterisks.

In my storage/craft room I bought 6 small bookshelves and stacked three next to each other in the middle of the room and put three behind them the same way. we then fastened them together and added a large table top for a work station. used see-thru plastic containers and stacked them on the shelves clearly labeled.
angelacisco@rocketmail.com

Wow, after so many years of hunting and deciding what sewing machine i could get for a good price and good features, it would have been nice to just win this sewing machine huh? lol Ever since i purchased this machine, it has brought me nothing but happiness. I would recommend it for anyone!

I'm so glad you're happy with it! You should leave a review on the Stacks and Stacks site!