The creation of My Craft Room - Part 4 - Filling the shelves

About time I continued telling you about my craft room.

Once I had my cupboards and shelves I needed to fill them with boxes and baskets. I was so excited especially as it would remind me of all of the gorgeous things I had to "play" with!
I sorted things into categories e.g. Woollen fabrics, flannels, felt, christmas prints, stationery etc, etc. Keeping the same things together would make it easier to find (fingers crossed!). I was lucky I could squeeze most of the same thing in one box and generally similar items could be grouped together on nearby shelves or in the cupboards.

I didn't want to be able to see some things through the boxes as they would look messy, so I slipped some patterned paper down the front of these boxes. So that I would know what was in them I used some Cath Kidston sticky labels and a book of Crafty sticky labels (I knew they would come in handy one day!)

I had 4 drawers in the Ikea expedit shelving units to fill. I had to work out what I would need more often so I could just turn around and grab it easily.  I decided to used them for glues & sellotape, tools, rulers & scrap paper.

On some shelves I put my Mollie Makes magazines (I had about 2 years worth) and a few other craft magazines I buy occasionally like Making, Homemaker & Handmade. These magazines aren't cheap so I only buy them if there are several things or ideas in an issue that I could make or use.

Another couple of shelves were reserved for some of my craft books like a few Tilda ones and Cath Kidston Sew, Stitch, Patch,  & her latest "Sewing" (a Christmas present) to name a few. I love books like these and cannot imagine ever having an e-book version.

I have quite a few folders too full of patterns and ideas. The ones that had boring covers got covered in wrapping paper. I used sticky labels on these too. 

I painted some wooden Ikea magazine box files in shades pink, turquoise and aqua. I want to stencil or paint a rose on them but still haven't made my mind up yet what to do. I've had a go with paints on scrap paper but haven't quite found the look I'm after. I also want to finish off a painted chair and stool with the same motif so it's got to be just right. I'll have to give it more thought and do some more searching online for inspiration.

I have a couple of pots (melamine tumblers) that I have put paint brushes and a few pens & pencils in and I bought a cutlery drainer from Dunelm Mill in a gorgeous shade of pink which I use like a desk tidy. It will do until I see something better.

I will review my tins, jars and other containers I've used in a future post but for now here are some photos of my filled shelves and cupboard in my new craft room.

Zx

The creation of My Craft Room - Part 2 - Storage

The next stage of my craft/utility room was shelving for storing all my craft stuff. I want to see what I've got and make it easy to get to it. Before I had so much stuff stacked on top or in front of each other I didn't know where anything was. It took so much effort to find things I ended up not even trying.

Because of the low ceilings and the beams we were restricted with height so we chose Ikea Expedit shelving units all along one wall. One 4 x 4 unit and one 5 x 5. They fitted perfectly with room on top of the smaller one for some of my jars and a little chest of drawers. (Btw, they have stopped making the Expedit shelving & replaced it with Kallax range. Same internal measurements but if we hadn't bought the Expedit ones when we did we would have gaps at either end)

I scoured shops and the Internet for boxes that would fit into the cubicles to make the most of the space. I also needed smaller ones that could stack and fill the space.

With tape measure in my hand I found some food storage boxes approx 33 x 33 x 11cm  from Asda for £2 each. Not very pretty but I plan to insert some floral paper down the inside.

Asda Food Storage Box

Next I got 3 Fushia pink boxes with lids from Argos. 45W x 34D x 26H

They stick out a bit but the colour will hide the not so attractive bits & pieces.

Pink boxes from Argos

A friend who runs a cafe/tuck shop gave me some empty sweet boxes which were perfect for smaller collections of items e.g. Hearts - wooden, rusty, buttons, tiny willow wreaths etc. Yet again I plan to insert some pretty paper down the inside at the front. Although I have washed them they still smell of sweets. Quite a pleasant smell I think.

Sweet boxes (think Fizzy Strawberry Laces were in these - yum!)

I bought 3 slightly see through 24L lidded boxes from The Range then I found the perfect fit in B & Q (wish I'd discovered these first!) Expensive, and the clear plastic doesn't seem very good quality, but 2 of the medium boxes stacked on top of each other fit perfectly in a cubicle. 3 of the smaller ones stacked also fit perfectly. These boxes are ideal for my fat quarters, eighths and smaller left over pieces.

B & Q Sweater box

B & Q Shirt box

24L Storage box from The Range

The other cubicles will be filled with some of Ikea's DRONA boxes, books, folders, box files, baskets, tins etc which I will come to soon.

Zx