Craft Room - Take 2

So my craft room drives me nuts.  It's really just a hodge podge of stuff and I've never really done much with it.  Mostly because eventually that room won't be mine forever.  Someday we might have another baby and then we'll have to play room shuffle, and if not, then eventually that will become Rowan's room.  With that in mind, I just haven't had the heart to put much effort into it.

However, the other day I finally had enough.  The closet in particular made me want to pull my hair out.

I decided to roll up my sleeves and tear in to that sucker.  First thing I did was pack up all the bellydance costumes on the bottom shelf.  Since I'm sort of in bellydance remission, they rarely get used and I could really stand the closet space.

Then I took everything out and sorted.  I even *gasp* threw some things away!  I was very proud of myself on that one :)

Next, I went to Wal-Mart and bought a few cheap fabric bins and a large jar.  Here's what I used the jar for:

Isn't it pretty all full of buttons?  The little jars from Ikea have sequins in them.  Seriously, these jars make me pretty happy.  I plan to get more of them :)

My next big project was my fabric stash.  Holy Moly Cow.  The pink and green bins in the top picture were just overflowing with fabric and there was more on the floor.  Big pieces, little scraps, cotton, denim, felt...

While procrastinating on Pinterest one day, I ran across this awesome tutorial on a blog called Smashed Peas and Carrots that shows you how to make mini fabric bolts to store your fabric.  Brilliant!  Now all my big pieces are wrapped on bolts and out where I can see them.  Currently they're horizontal because my shelves are wire and I'm waiting for my husband to cut a sheet of something to cover them.

I know it looks a little sloppy now, but once they're vertical I think it will really clean up nice.  And I adore how I can see at a glance just what I all have!  As for the little piece too small for bolts, I used the fabric bins to stow them.  I also decided not to wrap the felt on bolts.  I just chucked all of that into an empty plastic box with a lid for now.  

My goal was to cut down on all the random, loose, stuff floating around that closet.  Most everything (at least the little stuff) is corralled into either a jar or a basket.

Not perfect by a long shot, but at least I don't cringe or run screaming every time I open the door.  I have several more ideas I'd like to implement.  The next one is also a Pinterest inspiration.  I'd like to find a couple wood spice-rack shelf thingies to store all my little jars of sparkies and doodads.

Give me some time, and we'll see what happens!