DIY Network

How to Organize Your Arts and Crafts Area Learn how to organize your arts and crafts supplies. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-112

Guest Jessica Sabat outlines the steps needed for organizing the arts and crafts area in your home.

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	Jessica shares terrific tips for organizing your arts and crafts supplies.
	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

How to Organize Your Arts and Crafts Area

• The universal law of storage organization is grouping like items together. This is particularly applicable to crafts rooms. Group your wooly fabrics, silky fabrics, paints, cutting tools and then store them together by category. Once you have identified your most used and treasured materials, donate the rest to a school, or give them to a senior citizen or recreation program so that they can be put to good use.

• A tool box is another great option to store your craft supplies (figure A). They're handy because they can be taken out of the work space because they're portable. Each child could have a tool box full of craft supplies.

  Note: A compartmentalized fisherman tackle box also can be used--and they come in different shapes and sizes.

• Today there are many plastic storage containers with drawers available. The clear drawers allow you to see what is inside. Inside each drawer you can place other containers to hold craft supplies (figure B).

• The best way to organize your craft room after you have grouped everything together is to label the area where you have decided to store your items. Invest in an electronic label maker machine--they cost approximately $20. Label maker machines are every well organized person's best friend.

• Stackable storage bins are great to use on open shelves (figure C). These are idea to store your paint brushes in jars, etc. to give them a chance to dry out. Again, label each section.

• Boxes that were originally designed to hold small toy cars are idea for storing spools of thread (figure D).

• A clear, plastic, over-the-door shoe organizer would work also. The pockets are a neat way to store craft supplies and you won't be giving up drawer and shelf space.

• Clean up, clean up clean up! Every time you work on a project, it is essential to save ten minutes at the end for a clean up. You will never want to return to your projects area if you keep it messy. We are always teaching our children to clean up after themselves, but adults need to be just as vigilant in their own clean up duties.

GUESTS :

Jessica Sabat
Professional Organizer
Website: www.optimumorganizing.com