Taming the Craft Supplies

I am a craft lover. I try about anything that does not cost a lot to try out. I also sew clothing and other things. As a result I have all kinds of items for all kinds of crafts.

There is all the skeins of embroidery thread for my counted cross stitching, threads of all colors for the sewing, bobbins galore, ribbon, flowers, glue sticks and fake hair. Doilies, binding, appliqués and paint. Stenciling brushes, paint brushes, embroidery hoops and buttons. zippers, seam rippers, fabric scissors, thread scissors and paper scissors. I have wonder under, interfacing, fiberfill and batting. Then there is fabric, baby fabric, heavy fabric, cotton calico and stretch T-shirt type. Scraps of fur, felt, brocade and denim.

It is all there, in "The Room". I began to get some clear, stackable, plastic boxes with lids, like Rubbermaid or one of the other brands (usually whatever I could find for a good price) If they are clear you can see from the outside what is in them and grab the right one. In one I put the things I use for sewing. Machine needles, pins, a tape measure, my sewing machine parts, seam ripper etc. In another I put all the flowers. I have ones for putting on clothing as well as the small ones for decorating.

Another one got the hair and another the zippers.

I put all the ribbon together in one, standing the rolls up on end and lining them up. This allows you to see the color and size without digging through them all.

I did this with as much of the craft supplies as I could. I have a large, under the bed type one for all my cross stitching supplies. The rolls of cloth did not fit in any of the smaller, so this way they can all stay together and be readily available.

I used to keep all the thread in a box, when I needed a color I had to dig till I found it, by then it was all unwinding and I was tied in the thread and the spools were all stuck together. I found two of the three drawer storage that can set on a desk. The drawers are thread height and I could put the thread in the drawers and not have to dig. My cones lay down in the drawers. I put my elastic in another drawer and the bindings in yet another.

These plastic boxes then sit on a shelf neatly and is easily grabbed for your project.

My fabric is another story! I have drawers full, boxes of scraps etc. Patterns are in another cardboard box. I still need to get this back room cleaned out and organized so it will be usable, but for a number of years now I have had the clear boxes and it sure makes a difference for me, even with the room a cluttered mess!

For more ideas see Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in my Dryer.