Help i need Organization

[craftthedayaway]

well the title pretty much explains it all....my craft room is a dis-organized mess and i'm wondering if some organized peoples can help me by giving me some ideas on how they tend to stay organized in the hobby department ... how they sort and declutter there craft rooms. it's so disorganized i can't even close the door lol and will only get worse with the holidays around the corner. i have sew,knitting,clothing alterations,scrap booking, card making and all sorta of stuff strune about i'm not even sure how i'm to group them anymores.

[cobby]

I don't know if anyone does this in Canada; or if your budget will allow for it; but you might want to call a professional organizer. I had to get one in to help me organize my elderly mother's "office" space. Mom paid for it of course, and we had to help but it was worth every penny.

Otherwise; if you go to the gallery and search on "craft rooms" you will get some pictures up of other people's crafting spaces. Might give you some ideas. Also, I think there is an Organization forum out here specifically. Good luck!

[anitabestampin]

Help is near! LOL Just check out the SCS Mission: Organization forum for tons of great tips. I hope this is helpful.

[roxy64]

I think the first thing I would do is get big plastic bins.... one for each type of craft, sewing, knitting, paper etc. Then I would start at the doorway and start putting stuff in the appropriate bin. Work your way around the room. If it starts to feel overwhelming, take a break. Once all the crafts are separated into their respective groups, you have a good place to start for putting things away. Doing this will give you a chance to see how much stuff in each craft group you have. That will help determine how best to store things.

[kphorse]

A place for everything and put it all back in that place every time you use it...

You have to start by having some place or some container to put everything into...You have to find the system that works for you...

You have to take a timer, set it for 15 minutes, and put everything back after you use it...

It has to become a habit that you repeat over and over and becomes something you love to do because you always know where everything is and your room/area looks great!

[demodebi]

I agree with the bins and beginning there....sort it out...one step at a time...

Then make sure you have a place for everything and also that you don't have to move something to get to something....and then it makes it easy to put it back...

good luck i went from a nice craft room to a very small corner in the family room...everything now has a place and I love it!

[Jana Z]

I agree that starting with big bins to generally organize is a great idea!

I use the plastic carts (I like the ones by Gracious Living, and I usually get them at Walmart or Canadian Tire) to organize my various craft supplies - i have crochet, jewellery making and of course scrapbooking and stamping supplies, not to mention all the junk I collect to 'alter' one day - LOL!). Clear shoebox sizes are also great because they stack and you can see what you have, and I love IKEA.

I recently found that even though I was very organized, I was feeling overwhelmed, so I did a purge. I really think that is part of the key to helping control all the stuff we collect. So when you are going through your supplies, really look at what you have, and you might find that you don't really like some (or much!) of it anymore, so pass it along.

The Mission Organization forum is terrific for ideas too. Good luck!