Customer Spotlight

Customer Spotlight: Jo's Dream Craft Room in a 100-Year-Old Farmhouse

What does it take to transform a 100-year-old farmhouse into a dream craft room? For Jo, it took a little creativity, careful planning, and craft storage solutions designed around the way she loves to create!

After outgrowing her original craft room, Jo set out to create a space that was both beautiful and functional. With a few unique architectural challenges and a growing collection of crafting supplies, she turned to Best Craft Organizer to help bring her vision to life.

Join us as Jo shares her crafting journey, takes us inside her farmhouse studio, and offers practical craft room organization tips for creating a space that works for you.

Meet the Crafter: Jo's Creative Journey

Q: Tell us about your crafting journey. What types of projects do you love creating most?

Jo: "My crafting journey began when I was young, begging my mom for a needlepoint kit. Though she doubted I would finish, I did, sparking a lifelong love for handmade crafts. As a teenager, my sister-in-law taught me to crochet, and I taught myself to read patterns. Over the years, I've enjoyed cross-stitch, wall art, Cricut t-shirts, and mixed media.

My main passion, however, is card making. I discovered Stampin' Up! (SU!) in 1998, and became hooked after I heat embossed my first card. I became a demonstrator in 2000."

Transforming a Farmhouse into a Craft Studio

Q: Tell us about your craft studio. How has your crafting space changed over the years?

Jo: "I craft in my 100+-year-old farmhouse. After outgrowing a small upstairs bedroom, I moved to the main-floor dining room. The space presented several layout challenges, including four open doorways, a bay window, and a radiator under a large window."

"Initially, I repurposed cube furniture with baskets and stackable drawers for my 12x12 and 8.5x11 cardstock, as well as other craft supplies. However, I spent too much time digging through deep stacks to find what I wanted and often forgot what I had. Frustrated by the lack of organization and scrap management, I searched for a cohesive solution and discovered Best Craft Organizer (BCO)."

Creative Craft Room Storage Solutions for a Unique Space

Q: We love how you incorporated Best Craft Organizer Storage Cabinets into your studio, especially around the angled bay window! How did you plan your craft room layout, and what do you store in each area?

Jo: "My husband and I measured the available wall spaces and floor space and mapped out the layout with painter's tape. BCO solved all of our structural challenges:"

• Bay Window: "A triple cabinet sits in front of the main window, flanked by two single cabinets. These fit perfectly in the angled space. I use these cabinets to store non-SU! supplies."
• Radiator Wall: "A second triple cabinet sits between the wall and radiator to store less-frequently used items like pastes, sprays, re-inkers, and various tools."
• L-Shaped Desk: "The desktop holds my inks, markers, stamps, dies, laptop, and the customizable drawers keep all of my frequently used supplies at my fingertips with plenty of available counter space to work."
• Craft Island: "The bar-height island provides ample storage and a standing workspace for designing. The top holds my large paper cutter, scoreboard, and die-cut machine."

Explore the storage solutions featured in Jo's studio, including Craft Storage Cabinets, the L-Shape Craft Desk, and the Craft Island.

Jo's Favorite Craft Room Organization Solution

Q: Of all the storage solutions in your studio, which has made the biggest difference in the way you craft?

Jo: "To manage paper scraps, I use BCO vertical 12x12 paper holders to store SU! 12x12 two-tone paper alongside matching 8.5x11 cardstock, in rainbow order, using clear sleeves for scraps. This allows me to view full sheets and scraps simultaneously, and keeps my most-used paper within reach. The addition of this piece has eliminated my biggest frustrations and is my favorite!"

Jo's paper organization system combines the Best Craft Organizer Paper Holder with clear Paper Sleeves to keep her cardstock and scraps organized and easy to find.

Jo's Advice for Planning and Organizing Your Craft Room

Q: What organization advice would you give another crafter designing or reorganizing their own space?

Jo: "My best advice for reorganizing a craft space is to plan carefully. In addition to taping off furniture dimensions, I taped the drawer dimension on a table, arranged my specific supplies inside, and measured the required drawer depths (1", 2", or 3"). Keeping track of drawer depths ensured I had enough tailored storage, with a few extra drawers to spare."

Planning your craft room layout and choosing the right drawer sizes can make a big difference in how your space functions. If you're designing your own craft studio, explore our Customize Your Cabinet Tool to find storage configurations that fit your supplies and creative needs.

A Beautiful and Functional Craft Room

When asked how her new studio has changed the way she crafts, Jo shared:

"This setup has completely transformed my workflow, making every supply accessible. Because my craft area is on the main floor it was just as important for the room to be beautiful as it is functional, and it is."

Jo: "Thank you BCO for making a cohesive and customizable product!"

We're so grateful to Jo for sharing her beautiful farmhouse craft studio with us! Her space is a wonderful example of how thoughtful craft room design and customizable storage can turn even a challenging layout into an organized, inspiring place to create.

Share Your Crafty Space With Us!

Your space might inspire another crafter who's dreaming of a place of their own. We'd love to celebrate the creativity and care you've put into yours!