craft #2: storage solutions, because I'd like to stay sane while I craft

Happy Tuesday everyone!

It's day #2 of craft week and today's craft is all about storage solutions.

I turn into a crazy mad-woman if I'm working on a project and can't find something that I need because-

A) I don't have a craft room and all of my craft supplies are strewn about in cabinets and stuffed in drawers

B) I don't have an unlimited amount of time to spend on craft projects during the day, since I've got those 3 kiddos and all, so searching for what I need eats up what little time I have,

and

C) did I mention I don't have a craft room so my craft supplies are literally strewn, yes strewn about my house in 3 different locations?

Some of my supplies are super-neat and tidy and all containerized, but alas, there's this one cabinet that's been driving me nuts-

looks all pretty on the outside, huh?

But open up those doors, and...

(cue stabbing music from Psycho, please)

I shudder at the horror of the mess you see before you.

Yes, there are containers.

I started out with good intentions when this tv cabinet moved into the dining room and became craft storage.

But oh heavenly days what a flippin mess it is now...

somewhere in there are 3 of those large canvas bins, each overflowing with flowers, party supplies, ribbon, blank note cards, glue sticks, felt, fabric, and oh by the by, do you see Mr. Potato Head in there??

And those formula cans?

What the flippity-flap are they doing in there?

Well that's what I'm crafting with today-

*and while I know that not all of you will have a plethora of formula cannisters, this idea would also work with shoe boxes, poptart boxes, oatmeal cans, diaper boxes, ANYTHING that you have on hand that can be covered and repurposed to hold and containerize your stuff*

So-

for the past 4+ months, I've known about the hideous craft cabinet problem and it struck me that I was already buying something that could work perfectly for storage of some of those craft supplies that were stuffed and thrown into said cabinet. I started stashing our empty formula cannisters in the bottom of the pantry and then in the cabinet itself until I had accumulated 5, because that's how many I had space for.

I set aside an afternoon last week after VBS, and I took everything, yes everything out of that scary cabinet. I sorted, I purged (trash, not my lunch), and I pulled a recently-booted-from-my-closet shoe shelf and replaced everything inside until I had this:

I even had space to add in items I've purchased for the girl's birthday party-

2 cupcake stands and egads of plates/napkins-

really kinda glad that shoe shelf didn't fit when I reorganized my closet last week. Now I can keep some of my fabric folded on its shelves and in plain sight, instead of rolled up in one of those bins.

Also-

I'm loving that I can slide containers underneath the shelves as well-

Now, when I said I put everything back into the cabinet, I fibbed.

Some of it really didn't have anywhere to go,

like this sorta thing-

tons of ribbons, already-cut fabric and felt circles, twine & fishing line

(you'd be surprised at how often I use fishing line)

So...

that's where those formula cannisters come in.

They'd serve their purpose (to hold stuff) as is, but,

we can do better than that.

I grabbed a roll of craft paper, which I always have on hand,

measured the cans,

and cut out 5 strips,

all while keeping those scissors away from that lil' 2-year old.

Then I grabbed my glue gun and glued the paper around each can-

until I had 5 of these:

and that alone would have done the trick, but...

I've got all that ribbon.

So I added some toile-

and again,

that would have been enough,

but,

I'd bought these cute little chalkboard cards at the hob lob and thought they'd make great labels for just such a project.

so I glued those babies down as well.

I picked up a white paint pen at Michael's last week (I wanted one of the new chalk pens/markers, but no one there had heard of them) and labeled each of the, uhhh...labels-

and OH HAPPY DAY, all of that stuff that didn't have a place to go now had a place to go.

did ya get that?

I also got rid of all of those cardboard ribbon thingys (since they take up room) and did THIS with my ribbon before I threw it in my new FREE ribbon cans-

pretty, huh?

Now,

let's have one last look at that newly organized craft storage space, shall we?

(collective sigh of relief)

Now when I'm ready to work on a project, I can actually place the basket (with all of those free containers) right on my table and

get.to.work.

No more looking around for ribbon or glue sticks or twine.

"It's in the cans!"

So-

are there any spaces in your house that could use some organizing or containerizing?

say that 5 times fast...

Are there containers at your house that maybe aren't necessarily used for storage but COULD be used for storage?

Take a look around.

I bet you can find something to upcycle.

That's right-

I said upcycle.

Go forth and repurpose, my friends!

May the force be with you!

I'm linked with:

 

Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories A 2 Z,

Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife,

Before and After at Thrifty Decor Chick,