Get The TechniqueOur move last February was the perfect occasion to go through all of our supplies, and really organize our new work space. Since all eight of us share the craft room, we needed a clear system to know where everything goes. We also have a lot of guests, so we needed to update our labels to look tidy and uniform.
Before: Yellow tape aided in our move, but makes for unsightly labels.
We numbered each closet and vertical shelving unit, and chose a color for all five shelf heights. We labeled each bin with its contents and location, and recorded all 500 bins, their size, and location in a spread sheet for easy label making and searching. So far it seems to be working.
After: This bin belongs in shelving unit twelve, on the yellow shelf.
Next, we have to finish the fabric closets...
From: Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor | 5/18/09 at 11:05 am
Like the labeling system you team has figured out! Gives me ideas for the set-up in my new studio. Thanks!
From: Sarah N.T. | 5/18/09 at 12:36 pm
Oh, I'm in heaven! I recently found this blog and will immediately go searching it for more organization tips. If it's not already out there, is there any chance of seeing some more detail about how everything is categorized? I'm tying with all my naturally-disorganized (yet loves organized spaces) might to make a craft room out of a storage room, but don't want to go buy the wrong things / amount of things.
From: Frances, New Yorker in the OC | 5/18/09 at 5:08 pm
I with Sarah above--I would love more details on you categorized everything. I'm pretty sure I'd kill to see the spreadsheets. I am forever at a loss how to group things, to what degree of detail, by color or size, etc.
BTW--looking at the wall of supplies pretty much makes me drool.
From: Rowaida Flayhan | 5/18/09 at 10:58 pm
WOW!!! So neat and organized!
Thanks for inspiring us always.
God Bless
From: Morgan Levine | 5/19/09 at 9:49 am
Wow, so glad you're interested. I'll post again later with some more specifics...
From: Frances, New Yorker in the OC | 5/19/09 at 1:23 pm
That would be awesome!
From: Mackenzie S | 5/20/09 at 12:06 pm
good job morgan! That is a big job!
From: Mieko | 7/14/09 at 5:19 pm
I'm going out to get a label maker!
From: Michelle | 9/11/09 at 3:18 pm
Thanks for all the tips! Where can i find the bins featured in this blog entry?
Michelle
From: kathy/sharons crafts | 9/2/10 at 11:31 pm
my sister and i are planning on making acraft collation of own,,we are going to crafts from plastic bells to stuffed anamails make homemade quits,cloths babies and womans, all kinds of things. but it willnot be until i get out from this nurseing home sometime soon
From: Linda | 1/11/12 at 9:17 am
I love the organization of your crafts. I need to do this so badly for my art supplies, beads, and especially yarn. Anyone have a really good way to organize a LOT of yarn and keep dust off of it? I dream of having a large home with a room for painting in, one for beading, one for sewing, one for yarn including weaving. I get so little done because I can never find anything!
From: Barbara Beck | 1/29/12 at 10:01 pm
I just closed my yarn shop! While I liquidated most of my inventory, I still have a mountain left for my personal pleasure and for customers who need a fix. I store it in Ikea type egg-crate bookcases. I inserted foam core "X"s into each square which divides each space into 4 triangular spaces. I do not cover them because I love looking at the color, but one could hang a drape, even a sheer one over it to keep the dust out. Many retailers also use a stack of wire cubes similarly.
The yarn can be sorted either by gauge, fiber, or color as you prefer. I settled on gauge as that's the most efficient for matching to a pattern, but have used them all.
The plastic bin approach, ala the reorganized craft space also works, but like fabric, it is better if yarn can "breath".
Hope some of this is helpful.
From: farraday | 6/3/12 at 3:54 pm
I use space bags to hold bulky items like fiberfill,pillow forms,yarn,quilts. They stack easily on high shelves,can be reused.
From: Gabriela | 7/5/12 at 8:57 am
This is the perfect system and I use it in my studio as well.
Gabriela