Sunday, June 2, 2013

Craft Room Tour

Yesterday I shared all of my Dish storage and just showed a bit of my Craft Room - but I wanted to share more details of my Craft Room. 

This is a corner of our Basement.  My husband built a wall sectioning off approximately a third of our basement for storage and the other two thirds is additional family living space with a pool table, poker table and big screen TV -our boys used it quite a bit with their friends when they were younger. 

 So my room is on the storage side of the wall.  I took the front part of the storage area and sectioned it off as my space with a wall of white book shelves.  And since my husband had put in two doors to the storage side of the basement - my "room" has its own door.

This room has been evolving over a number of years.  I keep adding and tweaking things.  The book shelves and the sewing counter are the two original things I started with when making my creative space.  
The counter is two remnant pieces we picked up cheap at one of the big box home improvement places.  We used some short book shelves underneath the counter - he anchored the back of the counter and drilled some holes in the top to make way for the electrical cords for my sewing machines.


We never drywalled this side of the basement - so I had to find a way to work with the cinder block walls and the unfinished back side of the dividing wall.   I painted the back wall a bright green hoping no one would notice it was just cinder block.  I don't really want to pound a nail into the cinder block -so I have tried to find creative ways to hang things up on the walls.  I found those two green chairs on clearance at Walmart - they were supposed to be for Back to School/College decor - apparently no one wanted the bright green because I got them dirt cheap and they are very comfortable.  
A couple years ago we painted the cement floor with a dark charcoal color and put down an area rug.  The best thing was when my husband installed some track lighting - it replaced an ugly old fluorescent light - this gave it much more of a studio type look.  I suddenly didn't mind the rafters and air ducts so much - that lead me to using more galvanized storage items, including this old metal tackle box I filled with some of my favorite embellishments.



I painted the back side of the unfinished walls and studs white and attached some metal grid panels.  I used to use these wire grid panels as my craft show display years ago - so I was happy to find a new use for them since I haven't done any craft shows in about 10 years!  I found some scrap paper racks that would fit on my metal grids in a store supply catalog - this paper rack cost me less than $100.  The shelf underneath it was a left over from one of the kids rooms.  It works great to store punches, ink pads, envelopes, and pads of paper.  

Last year I went out and bought a new work table from Ikea.  I have to say that this was not the table I had planned on buying.  When my daughter and I had taken a day off work and drove all the way to Pittsburgh to get the table I had been dreaming about - Ikea was out of stock on the one I wanted.  My daughter can attest to the fact that I was just about in tears when I found out I wasn't coming home with the table I had been drooling over in the catalog for the last six months!  My daughter convinced me that the narrower table would work - and of course she was right!  
  The newest addition is my wrapping station. 
  I bought the ribbon racks from Michaels with a gift card my husband gave me for my birthday.  They were buy one get one free - so of course I got two!  But  I was bummed when  I got home they did not fit between the studs.  So I hauled down two more of the wire grids I had in my garage and figured out a way to rig the ribbon holders to the wire grids - and they worked beautifully!!  I was able to use the hooks from the system to hang some old tension rods I had left over from a room redo to hang up my rolls of paper.  I recycled a few tin cans and some buckets I used from a tables cape - and never spent a penny putting this all together!!!  
I recently moved some of my Tablescaping items down to my room, but I wanted to keep them organized.  I decided to cover some cardboard boxes I picked up at the store and covered them with scrapbook paper and made some nice big labels so I can easily find what I need.  
The Embroidery Floss Cabinet is a favorite of mine - I bought it almost 20 years ago from a fellow crafter who owned a smocking business.  I keep my little embellishments in it  - now all organized by color.
My neighbors think I am crazy because I am always out spray painting something! I painted my spool racks, the frame of my bulletin board, some quirky cut outs a friend made for me, and even the legs to my ironing board! 
All these little things some how make me love the space even more.
If you can't find me - I am probably in my Craft Room with my music playing!

Thanks for stopping by I will be linking up to the following parties:
Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper
Busy Monday @A Pinch of Joy
It's Party Time @ Three Mango Seeds
The Sunday Showcase @Under the Table and
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
Ann @ Corner of Plaid and Paisley
Ann @ Corner of Plaid and Paisley

In the past few years my interests have grown from fabric to paper and now to dishes too! I just love prints, polkadots, plaids and paisleys- hence the blog name.

15 comments:

  1. I live in California where basements are rare. I had a lovely sewing/craft room in our former home, but when we downsized, that was the only thing I missed. I have carved a great space out of the garage, but I wish I had more space. I debate on creating something in the attic, but on summer days, it is boiling hot. I guess I just have to drool over spaces like yours.

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  2. I love love love your craft room. How I wish I had one that is as organized as you. I also live in CA and no basement, you are so lucky.
    Mary

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  3. Oh, this is wonderful. Martha Stewart would be jealous.

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  4. The colors are so bright and cheery. You have such great ideas for organization. My poor craftroom has been neglected and it's spilling out to the kitchen! Oh no!

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  5. hi Ann, I am entirely envious of your meticulously organized craft room! How much fun you must have in there! I loved the visual of your neighbors wondering what you are up to next because I know I get that alot, you know, "what is that crazy Jenna doing now?" type stuff but they just smile and wave! Ha! My favortie is that you painted your ironing board legs, you go girl!
    Jenna

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  6. Hi Ann
    New here. So glad to have found your blog and what very amazing and organized craft room you've got. *Super envious* Mine is non-existence, I work from my dinner table. ;x

    ;Dianaruth @ ChubbyAnecdotes.net

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  7. Oh I love your craft room. You have a place for everything:)

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  8. Great room! I've used the same counter idea in the past few houses I've lived in (I'm and Army wife and so we move often.) I even use some of the same cubes underneath for the supports! This last time, I saved a ton of money by getting my counter top at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. It was used, but it was only $8! We also drill the holes for cords, too. I also really like the shade of green--it helps brighten and warm the basement feel.

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  9. OMG, what an amazing room!!! I want one!

    Do come visit as you won the giveaway.

    - The Tablescaper

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  10. I LOVE the organization! I sure wish I had a room like that :) Life to the full! Melissa @ DaisyMaeBelle

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  11. I adore your crafting-sewing space! I think it is wonderful that you've painted things a fun, bright color and made your space so lively since basements can be drab. I have my own dedicated space for my hobbies, too, and it's my favorite room in our home! I don't think the "tweaking" ever stops with creative spaces like this -- it's all part of the creative fun!

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  12. Ann Wow! Very well organized and you didn't even watch the organization videos. Congrats again for the win..

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  13. So you really like light green colour, and it's unbelievable that this is the corner of your basement. You and your husband are really resourceful in utilising the space. Good organisation of your items too and this can serve as inspiration for those who want to keep their items at home organised. Thanks.

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  14. Thank you so much for the great ideas! I am currently in the process of moving my "space" to the basement and this gave me Alot of great ideas!! I am trying to figure out a way to enclose/cammo the crawl space with is open and goes all around my basement. Not sure how or what the best way to do this:/ Love your space!

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