With the frequency that your scissors go missing, you’d think they’d become sentient and grown legs. And finding the right color of yarn (or thread, or paper, or ink) in fewer than 10 minutes? Forget it. A messy desk may be a sign of creativity, but when you’re a crafter, that delightful chaos might actively be costing you money, if it’s getting in the way of making and doing the things you need to make and do.
Instead of spending another minute (or 20) hunting for your missing stamp, pinking shears, or Wacom tablet, invest in some DIY storage solutions – many of which you can totally make yourself.
Here are some ideas:
File your fabric:
What’s better than piles of fat quarters, piling up everywhere? Copping this trick and storing your material in a hanging file cabinet.
Hide your sharps:
Under Desk Tool Drawer [Modeller’s Delight] http://t.co/rMjKqURTaf pic.twitter.com/oWt2hOooj5
— instructables (@instructables) June 23, 2014
If you’re a jeweler, you’ve probably struggled with where to keep all of your sharp tools safely. This DIY desk hack can help get the sharp stuff – or really, any tools – out of the way, while keeping them within reach. The rolling drawer is make out of scavenged kitchen runners. Get the video tutorial here.
Corral your cords:
Everyone has at least one drawer that’s full of cords. Phone cords! Hot glue gun extension cords! Sewing machine foot cords! And while wrapping them up and shoving them out of sight is tempting, there’s a better way – and it’s basically free. Using old toilet paper tubes (yes, really), you can get keep them tidy and organized, regardless of where they end up.
Get clarity:
Everyone loves a Mason jar — and these caddies have been cropping up all over the place. You can buy them on Etsy…or you can make one yourself. The DIY Playbook has a great tutorial.
Pin your yarn:
If you’ve got a real knitting habit, you’ve probably experienced the yarn monster that can come of storing your spools in drawers and boxes. Lorna White, of Knits for Life, made this incredibly smart, beautiful yarn board to store hers on — and it’s so blissfully simple, you’ll be able to copy it in an afternoon.
…And your finished products:
Whether you’re taking some product photos, or you just want to set aside something that’s finished, this clothespin trick is easy, beautiful, and inexpensive. Also on this particular DIY storage solution, you could hang letterpressed cards that need to dry, paintings…or basically anything.
Save your sixers:
A six-pack becomes a storage solution when you drink all the beer, paint it, and put your craft stuff in it. Get the tutorial here.
Suit up:
Why do we collect things like hat-boxes, suitcases, and other luggage-like items…and then leave them empty? Turn an old suitcase into a storage solution by adding a dowel for ribbons, a bit of netting to make a ready-to-go display case for craft shows, or old drawer wheels to make it into a sliding under-the-bed storage solution. You can even mount them on the wall to turn them into shelves.
Get your ribbons right:
This is just a pants hanger. No extra crafting required. Amazing!
