The part I am most excited about is that you can finally walk into my studio without wading through a sea of exploded fabric scraps. For a girl who just took sewing classes last fall I sure do have a lot of fabric. I have the bins sorted by patches & appliques, embroidered linens, quilting squares & yo-yos, scraps, hankies and more. Not to mention I got all my ribbon and trim rounded up into one container as well as my felt. I am realizing part of my problem was that the containers I was keeping these items in was much too small. Hence the exploding suitcase of fabric and trim in the before picture.
![](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2779/4246064692_c419b67e9c.jpg")
As of yesterday I set up a play pen in the studio so I could clean while Tallulah was awake and playing. For an active baby who likes to roll all over heck and back my guess is she will not like being in the play pen for long stretches at a time so I'm not really sure how much this will help me. I also realized that I had about a million empty boxes in my studio. I tend to hoard certain things and boxes are one of them. This giant pile of boxes (and this was not all of them) is now out in my recycling bin.
I am also working on the area in front of my photography light tent and deep freeze. I might be able to take a picture of a frozen pizza without falling and breaking my neck. Did I mention you have to wear shoes in my studio at all times, preferably ones with hard soles. I also highly recommend being up to date on your tetanus shots.
I just had to show you a close up of my "glue shelf". I am such a glue hoar. Really can you ever have too many adhesives on hand? Nothing irritates me more than not having the right glue for the right job. It's hard to tell from this picture how many bottles of glue are really here. Sure I like glue, but this picture just proves my point that if I were organized I would not need 20 bottles of the same glue. I might actually be able to find the glue I need rather than having to go out and buy more just because I can't find the glue I already own.
So the saga continues. I feel like I made some decent headway in my first week. My goal for week 2 is to clean off my desk and work table. Tune in next Tuesday to see the results, or lack there of.
Remember any advice on keeping your studio clean is welcome. I'm wondering do you clean up after yourself every time you craft? Do you have a once a week clean fest? Do you wait until the mess is at a critical mass like me?
Hahaha. Omgosh! I know how you feel. I have to be so very very strict about putting things away. It's far too easy to let my studio go. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations - great start! I have to put things away - I don't have a studio, so I craft in our family room. It becomes second nature after a few months. Until then - remind yourself - leave notes (stickies work) all over - put it away! You're setting such a great example for Tallulah!
ReplyDeletei clean when i need to find something, or when it is so crazy that i realize i'm staying out of the studio. it's a constant battle!!
ReplyDeletethat is a lot of glue-- what if you a) straightened and pitched what needs to go and then b) made a list of all the glue you have, stored on your computer. at least that way you can check to see if you have the kind of glue you need--and spend your time finding it in there instead of buying more.
Wow! I think you made a pretty great headway. I guess I'm thinking/comparing it to my cleaning of my area (mine is a critical mass as well. I understand what you mean by making sure you wear shoes & being up to date on tetanus shots) so I'm quite impressed!
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals this year is to clean my room so I can actually go into more than just my desk. This is giving me a lot of inspiration to show that it can be done!
It makes me feel better about my mess to see yours. I think we were pretty close to being equal on the mess scale, you are just braver by sharing your photos! Thanks pal!
ReplyDeleteIt's as if I wrote that post myself. I've found a myriad of "lost" items over the past week. It's like shopping in my own studio. Love the shot of the glue bottles...I can so relate. :)
ReplyDeleteYou've made excellent progress. Very impressive.
ReplyDeleteMy boys were all really active but I had play pen time every day to get them used to it in case there was ever an emergency and I needed a safe place to plop them without a big scream-fest.
I don't have designated craft space either. I actually do most of my messy mixed media work on a blotter style desk calendar with a piece of freezer paper over top for the really goopy bits.
Cleaning up after each craft session is a drag but it keeps everything really tidy. I separate unfinished projects into zip-loc bags (recycled numerous times) and stack them in a book shelf. That shelf is a bit of an eyesore, but not horrible.
I have to clean up after I craft. Our place is pretty small, so the only space I have is the kitchen table. It's a pain sometimes because I can't leave things out. But because I can't leave things out it makes me stay organized!! Lol.
ReplyDeleteYou aren't alone. I have my good organized periods and my I can't see the floor periods. Currently I am being threatened by my boyfriend to put me on the show 'Hoarders'. And if it make you feel better I don't have a baby... so there is no excuse for me :(
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for this post! I have been feeling so verklempt about my messy craft space and it's heartening to know that I'm not alone. Good luck with your reorganization -- looks like you're off to a good start so far.
ReplyDeleteYou are an inspiration for us all! Am I moved to go upstairs and clean my art studio yet? Um, no, not yet.
ReplyDeletegreat start, its looking great!
ReplyDeleteYou ROCK! you've made great strides in the first week...just think of how awesome it will be by the last week. Maybe you'll be able to walk barefoot (for a few days) ;-D
ReplyDeleteI SO totally identify with you on the glue thing, although - i have duplicates of a number of materials. oops!
THX for sharing your experience.
Fantastic progress!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for recycling the cardboard boxes! When helping my friends organize, I always recommend clear plastic boxes over cardboard, as cardboard can be more flimsy and/or sustain water damage.
Also, if you have a Dollar Tree or 99 Cent Store nearby, hit them up for all kinds of neat organizing doo-dads.
As for my own crafting space, it's inside a small, shared office, so it all has to be neat/stored or havoc will ensue. Your studio is going to be drool-worthy. :)
This is great inspiration. My space gets picked up the day before someone comes to visit (which isn't very often). When I first moved into the current space (three rooms on the second level of our home) I put like with like and finally bought a labeler. It has made it so much easier to put things away.
ReplyDeleteRealizing the need for more storage is have the battle, you're well on the way to an organized and creative space.
Now I'm off to clean up before a neighbor comes visiting tomorrow.
These are all great ideas, thanks! Also thanks for the words of encouragement. It makes me work that much harder at getting the studio clean knowing I have you guys to hold me accountable. I even got a positive email from my perpetually pessimistic father-in-law about this week's improvement. Supposedly my sister is coming over today to watch the baby so I can get a bunch done, keep your fingers crossed. In other late breaking news I found my label maker. Think I will wait until the very end to do that since items like my trim and ribbon keep getting upgraded to larger and larger storage bins as I clean and find more.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that everyone has different methods of cleaning up. I totally understand having to clean up after yourself pronto when you craft in a family room. For the record I'd like to say the rest of my house is clean and does not look like an episode of Hoarders. With the baby I have too, plus I can only live with visual noise in one room and even that noise was getting too loud hence the cleaning kick.
Linda good idea about the master list. Monica I am totally checking the dollar store, checked the thrift stores yesterday. Lisa I feel your pain, I can't even watch Hoarders with my husband anymore. Digifigi your right realizing you need more storage is a step in the right direction fer sure. I thought I had tons of plastic bins, but apparently I didn't have enough and I needed some bigger models. Damn that stuff is expensive.
Thanks again for the kind words and I'm hoping to have some good pictures for you next week!
I just want to say..LOVE your glue shelf! I've been working on my office for over a year now..really slimming up on what I need close at hand. My favorite part of my room so far..a whole buffet drawer full of tape!
ReplyDeleteIt's the little things..in the midst of chaos! :)
Thanks for sharing!! e
Oh Honey! I SOOOOOO understand! Mine looks very similar to these pics! Rock on... you tackled yours!! Way to go! I'm still hoping! (I do have a torn rotator cuff, but it looked like this even before that happened).
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Sheila
p.s. LOVE the name Tallulah!! She's a cutie.
ha ha...looks like my office and I am an attorney.....I know I left your paperwork here somewhere! organization is the key to motivation...like Mary Poppins used to sing, and a spoonful of sugar doesn't hurt either:)
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that I used to wait until it got really bad before I finally cleaned up my craft space. But I probably still do that to a lesser extent. However, I have 3 children that like to craft with me. So, to enable them to be able to craft whenever inspiration strikes, and with what ever they want, it necessitates cleanliness to some point. I let them use almost any of my supplies, any time. So, that has pushed me to keep things cleaner in my craft room. Though certain times I have to let it go as I am too busy. This would be when a Birthday is coming up, and some holidays. That is the whole point of a craft room anyways, right? Being able to leave a project out so that you can work on it when you have even 10 minutes to spare!? Too bad I jump from project to project without having to finish one first!
ReplyDeleteRebecca of the R&W Gals
Man, I feel your pain. I spent most of last summer redoing EVERYTHING. No easy task. We are talking about three rooms.....ick.
ReplyDeleteYour space is looking good!
It doesn't take long to start the fabric addiction!
Good luck with the rest of the space.
Jenny
I just want to give you props for tackling the project in the first place and double props for posting photos and sharing the journey with us. I'm in the process of moving right now and my craft space has been the hardest room to pack and clean. It's looking so good!
ReplyDeleteWow...you make me feel good about my mess. LOL....
ReplyDeleteTaylor
I just cleaned my area up for jewelry. Now I don't have the heart to mess it up. When I start designing it becomes a disaster in just a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteI'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy that I'm not the only one with an exploding craft room. I cleaned off the table I bought (and promptly cluttered) to work on clay items the last week of December and I have actually made some new stuff! I have also hence been able to keep it dedicated to clay.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the room is still exploded, so there.
You are so brave. I prefer my messes to be hazy memories not photo realism, so hats off to those who can handle the truth, LOL.
My craft room is currently in my bedroom so I dont really have a choice but to keep it sorta clean! I keeps markers in old coffee can, colored pencils in a tin bucket and regular pencils in a glass jar! I need to find a better way to keep my paper organized, and my stickers organized! It's def. a proccess...a long one!
ReplyDeleteSo, one suggestion about repeat bottles of glue(this happened to me as well!)
ReplyDeleteAfter cleaning, I learned that I have FIVE bottles of Aleene's Tacky glue in the small bottles.. so I went to the restaurant store and bought a big squeeze bottle(that they use for sauces) and emptied all of my bottles into the big bottle. Instant consolidation!
Worked for me.. congrats on the big clean!