| If you're a weekend crafter like me, you probably have | | | | another. |
| a lot of crafting odds and ends laying around that get | | | | The containers and boxes stack on top of each other |
| all jumbled together depending on what project you're | | | | and fit nicely underneath a small square "craft table" I |
| working on at the moment. | | | | have set up in the corner of my home office. It's all out |
| Over the years, I have found several ways to | | | | of the way and everything is easily identified. |
| organize my craft and sewing supplies in a way that I | | | | On top of the table I keep little projects I'm working on, |
| can actually find them again when I need them. As I | | | | like cross stitch, or photo albums for working on |
| went through the process of organizing them, I was | | | | scrapbooks. My embroidery thread is organized by |
| able to identify items I no longer needed and separate | | | | DMC number in plastic containers made for storing |
| the remaining items into logical groups. As a result, I | | | | embroidery thread. These containers are also stacked |
| now have all my supplies limited to one corner of a | | | | on the table. |
| room and well organized. Now I can find things when I | | | | My sewing machine thread is organized on a small |
| need them. | | | | wooden board with small spindles you can buy that is |
| When I first started sorting through all my supplies | | | | designed to hold spools of thread. My sewing machine |
| everything was thrown together in a lot of cardboard | | | | sits on the floor next to the craft table while not in use. |
| boxes up in a hard-to-reach closet. The first thing I did | | | | Next to my craft table is a stand-alone cupboard that |
| was dump each box into a big pile and start sorting. | | | | is sold as a pantry cupboard that you can probably |
| My piles were: lace, trim, buttons, quilting supplies, cross | | | | find at Walmart for about $100. In the cupboard I store |
| stitch supplies, ribbon roses, fabric scraps, craft books, | | | | a lot of multipurpose items like my glue guns, all kinds |
| and misc. | | | | of glue, paper, scissors, and all of my scrapbooking |
| I first discarded the odds and ends I knew I'd never | | | | supplies. This cupboard works great for items other |
| use again. I then bought two very large Rubbermaid | | | | family members also use a lot, like tape and scissors. |
| containers (great for stacking) to store my supplies in. | | | | My paper cutter and long stapler are stored on top of |
| You may need more depending on how many supplies | | | | the cabinet. |
| you have accumulated. I also bought some gallon-sized | | | | I also have several bookcases in my office, and I use |
| Ziploc bags. | | | | a couple of shelves on one of them for organizing my |
| I sorted through all the lace and trim and put lace in one | | | | craft and sewing books. The books are organized by |
| Ziploc bag and trim in another. The ribbon roses went | | | | craft type. |
| in another. I put all the buttons in a plastic container with | | | | All of my small sewing supplies I keep in a couple of |
| different compartments--sorted by color. All these | | | | small sewing baskets that I can move with me from |
| items, plus other misc. like styrofoam balls, contact | | | | room to room. In these I keep sewing needles, |
| paper, plastic canvas, went into one Rubbermaid | | | | embroidery scissors, measuring tape, pins, seam ripper, |
| container. | | | | etc. |
| All my quilting and cross stitch supplies (mostly fabric | | | | Hopefully these ideas will help you get in the mood to |
| scraps and cross stitch fabric) went into the second | | | | start organizing your own craft and sewing supplies. It's |
| container. | | | | so much more enjoyable to work on projects when |
| All my unfinished projects went into a cardboard box, | | | | you know what you have and where everything is. |
| and all my yarn for plastic canvas projects went into | | | | |