Friday, October 28, 2011

The Storage Dilemma

I think every work at home artist has this dilemma. What to do with all those supplies needed for the creative process. I've mentioned it before - the piles and tubs full of yarn. I was not exaggerating. I have at least 10 large boxes full of yarn and more than 2 dozen skeins hanging on a coat rack. I've got 6-8 large Rubbermaids full of fabrics, 3 shoe boxes full of ribbon, another shoebox full of handles, and 2 sewing baskets full of needles, clasps, zippers, etc. That does not even include the other basket with my current hand knitting project in it. And I have machinery - a sewing machine, a knitting machine, a yarn ball winder (for creating center pull skeins). Oh, and tools - scissors, knitting needles, crochet hooks, grommet makers, eyelets, etc. I promise, I'll take a picture in the near future.

The question is, what do I do with it all? I've got boxes labeled and things fairly organized, but it seems like I'm constantly unstacking, re stacking, putting machines away and taking them out and digging through boxes. I know some of this is inevitable, but really there has got to be a better way. I've decided I need a room solely devoted to my craft (Ha!), but the reality is, that will most likely be years in coming. A solution has got to be found in the meantime. So far, the best idea is to con my 2 girls into turning their playroom into an art studio. They'd have a section for their art creation (easel, paints, paper, student looms, fabric, ukulele) and I'd have a section where I could set up a few tables and leave them up, set up the sewing machine and knitting machine, store my yarn and supplies.

In my next post, I'll post some pictures of the before, but for now, if you have any innovative ways to store lots of stuff in a small area, I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for something more creative than Rubbermaids stacked to the ceiling (my current method).

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