The Great Craft Migration

Organization isn’t about perfection. It’s about efficiency. Reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money, and improving your overall quality of life.
— Christina Scalise

For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.
— Benjamin Franklin

Organizing is something you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.
— A. A. Milne

I am pleased to report that at long last the great craft migration is done!

Many months ago I put my dream of a dedicated craft room on hold. To be clear, I haven’t given up on it, but I’m realistic enough to realize that it’s going to be a couple of years or more until it can be made possible. Instead, I came up with a plan to consolidate my craft supplies in one place.

The bulk of them were in a big closet in the hallway:

It didn’t matter how often I reorganized it, it was still hard to find things in it. I also had craft supplies stashed in various other parts of the house, but this was the main stash. And you can see how I pretty much had to unload the closet to get at stuff.

We have a good-sized guest room, which was formerly the daughter’s bedroom, so it has a massive closet. The problem was, the closet was full of clothes and assorted crap. Many man hours (and loads to the thrift store) later, I had the closet cleaned out.

I had been hoping to organize as I went, but that was pretty time consuming and I wanted it done yesterday. But I’m still able to put my hands on whatever I’m looking for without too much trouble.

The bookcase beside the bed holds my sewing notions and laces/trims on the top shelf, unfinished regular sewing projects and sewing notions on the next shelf down, cross stitch on the shelf under that, and kids craft supplies on the shelf under that. The laundry hamper in front has yarn for a couple of crochet projects.

The left side of the closet holds a dresser full of Christmas craft supplies and miscellaneous crafts, in the middle we have bins of fabric with my quilting stuff in the top bin, and on the right are bins of yarn – the turquoise bin on top holds my pattern books. The top shelf holds my bins of appliqué and beading supplies, and on the right is a bin of sewing patterns.

Not shown is my sewing machine and sewing box (which are still in the hall closet), nor the two bins of unfinished knitting/sewing projects under the bed. All I have left is to get myself one of those fold-up crafting tables and I’ll be in business.

Although . . . looking at the picture of the closet I think my next project should be refinishing that dresser.

What do you think?