If you have a craft room of any size, in any location, chances are keeping it organized has been a struggle at some point. With supplies in different sizes, half-completed projects, and what seems like never enough room, organization can seem impossible. A quick search on the internet will pull up an endless amount of blog posts and videos about how to organize your craft room, but not every craft room organizing tip works. We’ve got a list for you of what actually works and what doesn’t!
1. What Doesn’t Work: Baskets
Baskets are a popular pick for storing supplies. Most of us probably have a basket or two lying around. It’s easy to toss some ribbon in it or pile your stamps up inside. While it certainly is easy to put things away in a basket, it’s not that easy to find what you need from it. Baskets might make your space appear more organized, but all it’s doing is containing the clutter in one small spot. Baskets are not stackable, and their contents are often hidden from view, making it difficult to locate specific items. Additionally, baskets are often awkwardly shaped, which can make them challenging to incorporate into a larger organizational system.
What Does Work: Visible Storage
When you can see it, you’re more likely to use it. Visible storage solutions, such as the Acrylic Crate and Marker Stands, are more practical. Stack the Small Acrylic Crates on a bookshelf where you can see what’s inside each crate and easily access it. If you frequently use markers when crafting, consider using a Marker Stand to hold all your markers on your desk. You can slide it up against the back of your desk to add some color to your workspace and keep your markers easily accessible.
What Doesn’t Work: Unlabeled Storage
When your storage lacks labels, it's easy to forget what you have or where things belong. How often have you searched for a specific tool, only to open every drawer before finding it? Or how many times have you pulled out a spool of ribbon and just left it sitting out or thrown it in a random drawer? These are common experiences we've all had. When you label your storage, they become the rules of your craft room. They enforce order and eliminate clutter. Stick to the labels and you’ll know exactly where those tools are or the extra ribbon you keep on hand. Using labels is a simple solution to help keep your storage solutions in working order.
What Does Work: Labels
Labeling your storage is essential to keep a craft room organized. It helps you find items faster, leaving more room for you to work on your crafts. An easy way to label your items is to use a label maker or the BCO Label Holders. Another option is to print your labels at home. When you use labels it ensures that each item has a designated place, reducing the chances of misplacing or losing supplies.
3. What Doesn’t Work: Deep Drawers
Deep drawers can be useful when you have an item that can fit perfectly inside, maximizing the space available. However, more often than not, deep drawers can become a source of clutter. Similar to baskets, deep drawers tend to consume items and leave you with a pile of supplies. Resulting in having to dig through the pile to find what you are looking for.
What Does Work: Shallow Drawers
A better alternative to a deep drawer is the opposite, a shallow drawer. Shallow drawers provide the right space to store your supplies without leaving extra space for clutter to build up. BCO Cabinets offer a great storage solution with shallow drawers that can be customized to accommodate all of your supplies, from tiny beads to larger gift-wrapping supplies. If you have small items in a shallow drawer like bottles or paint brushes, the Grid Storage System or Accessory Trays are a great addition to keep those items from rolling around in the drawer. The BCO Drawer Inserts are designed to fit perfectly in BCO Cabinets, maximizing storage space without any wasted room.
Single Drawer with 6 Tool Tray
Best Craft Organizer Storage Cabinets
4. What Doesn’t Work: Not Utilizing Vertical Storage
Under-utilizing your vertical space is common, especially in small spaces. When your floors and desk space are limited, wall space is a great way to gain more storage. However, it's easy to fall into the trap of piling up storage units, which can make items inaccessible. Have you ever had to move something out of the way to get to the item you wanted? That’s not an easy and efficient way to craft.
What Does Work: Vertical Storage
Using wall space can save you from moving around supplies or having little working space on your desk or counter. Consider what items could be transferred from a cabinet to the wall, such as thread, stamps and dies, washi tape, and embellishments. For more details on how to hang your supplies, check out our blog post "Maximize Your Craft Room Space with Wall Storage."
Wall boxes are an excellent option for storing a variety of items. They are transparent and easy to hang on your wall. Wall Shelves are another great solution to using vertical space. If you are unsure about what to store on your wall, you can also display your finished projects on the wall. This doubles as storage and decoration.
Wall Box & Ribbon & Washi Wall Box Kit
5. What Doesn’t Work: Having Supplies Unorganized on Your Desk
The main reason for clutter is, well, clutter itself—having too many things lying around and taking up valuable space. The tricky part is sometimes the clutter is from the supplies you’re using. What doesn’t work in creating an organized space is leaving those supplies on your desk. This leads to misplaced items and a crowded workspace. You will constantly find yourself searching for scissors under your paper, or trying to find that tape runner you know you just placed on the desk. Not having a system for your tools while you work, can create frustration and stifle creativity.
What Does Work: Keep Supplies Organized on Your Desk
What does work is having a storage solution that can sit on your desk and keep things accessible while keeping them organized. The Craft Caddy and Tool Tray are perfect for storing frequently used tools right next to your workstation, keeping your supplies within hands reach. The Craft Caddy has a 360-degree base, making it easy to access your tools. If you would like a smaller option, the Tool Tray is a great way to have visible storage. It has a silicone insert that can hold pens, markers, scissors, blending brushes, glue sticks, and more. It’s slimmer than the Craft Caddy, but can still accommodate your most used tools while you craft.
Craft room storage can be a source of frustration when it doesn't function as expected or as you envisioned. It's disheartening when your supplies are difficult to reach, unusable due to poor organization, or simply not sorted in a way that supports your creative process. A clutter-free environment is crucial for nurturing creativity. When your supplies are well-organized and easily accessible, you're able to focus more on your projects and less on searching for materials. By choosing storage solutions that are efficient and effective, you can create a workspace that not only looks great but also enhances your creative flow.