2024 Craft Space Organization Challenge #1

Why do we come up with cute, self-deprecating names for our crafts and our craft space?  Why do we not take ourselves seriously?

Several years ago I realized the only thing holding me back from taking my art seriously was me. How could anyone else take me seriously when I didn't see my self as a serious craftsperson? 

I’m "only" a scrapbooker. A scrapbooker who has been developing her talent for over 25 years, who has taught others, who has written books . . . so why wasn’t I taking my skill seriously?

And then I did. I started by ordering business cards with my name and title, Paper Artist and Blogger. And my crop room became my studio. I may never become rich or famous but that doesn’t change the fact that I am an artist and what I create is very important to me. 

Organizing your creative space should be taken seriously too. Constant clutter will block your creative energy and keep you from doing your best work.

So it is time to do a little day dreaming. What would your perfect studio look like? How would you improve what you currently work in? Start jotting down ideas and making sketches. Go through some magazines looking for ideas you think would be perfect for you. What do you need in your creative space to make you enthusiastic and and yet content?

I live in a building where we are not supposed to paint the walls. Yep, six rooms of beige. So I hang up art . . . only pieces that make me happy or give me happy memories. I have a Clark McDougall print hung in my studio that bring me joy every time I look at it. 

My solution to the boring walls is art.

Look for your problem areas. Think of ways you can solve the problems. Take notes. Make sketches. Do a bit of research.  Don’t think about costs yet. Don’t buy anything. That may come later. For now, just dream . . .

Welcome to our annual Craft Space Organization Challenge . . . 

The one room that always seems to become a cluttered mess is my studio or craft space.  As the clutter piles up it becomes harder and harder to find what I need.  Is this the same for you?

Today is the day to begin taking back your space so you can accomplish more and get more enjoyment out of your precious crafting time.

These challenges were originally set up for scrapbookers but they work quite well for just about any type of crafter . . . which is a good thing for me.  My studio is set up for my paper crafting, quilting, stamp collection, letterboxing, knitting and crochet, writing, my hubby's leatherworking, genealogy, cross stitch, and tapestry.  I need a system that works for ALL of my crafts. 

The information in these challenges can help both new and veteran scrapbookers and other crafters to get organized.  

It doesn't matter if you are starting a new craft room or space or you need to dig out from one you don’t recognize anymore, you are not alone . . . I don't even recognize my studio right now. It has been a very hectic summer!  

It doesn’t matter if your space is a room, the kitchen table, a designated part of a room, or a closet.  

What I want you to do right NOW is take a photo of your craft space.  No . . . leave the dirty coffee cup where it is. Yes, I know you let your cat sleep on your keyboard.  Do not touch ANYTHING.  Just take a brutally honest photo of your craft space and upload it to our Facebook group.  

Come on!! You can do it!! No shame here . . . just hope and encouragement. If I can get MY MESS fixed, ANYONE can. Just follow the challenges I'll be posting over the next 10 weeks.  You can do this!!! 

Challenge #1 Clean Your Work Space.

The first challenge of our ORGANIZATION CHALLENGE is to clear off your crafting work space. Maybe you have a desk committed as your craft space, maybe you have an entire room of tables, or maybe you have taken over the dining room table. Wherever you craft, completely clear off the entire surface of your work space, dumping everything into a big box. Give your surface a good scrub and polish, removing every speck of paint, adhesive, and uh.... is that chocolate????

Take a photo of your newly scrubbed craft space and upload it to our Facebook group.

Okay, now let's get to work on that big box of stuff.

Now is the time to learn that you need S.P.A.C.E. to craft:

* Sort * Purge * Assign * Containerize * Equalize * 

We're going to use this method for each and every challenge.

SORT: 

Going object by object, divide everything in the big box into categories that make sense to you. You may want to have some baskets laid out and labelled: SELL, DONATE, TRASH, STORAGE (for stuff you want to keep but doesn't belong on or in your desk/work surface) , NOT IN HERE (for items that sneak their way into your craft space but belong elsewhere in the house) and ACTION (for items that you want to keep in or on your desk). Set up these boxes or baskets or whatever near the door of your craft room or, even better, outside of your craft room

Look very seriously at all your stuff and decide if you really need each item. If your answer is yes, you need to ask yourself if it belongs in your craft room. If you answer no to either question you need to PURGE it.

PURGE:

1) Throw out everything in the TRASH pile - all the ripped, broken, dried up, crumpled STUFF.

2) Bag up and assign a price and your initials to everything in the SELL pile, and put in your sale box.

3) Call the person who could use the DONATE pile, and immediately set up a time to drop off, bag it up, and hang on the door knob so it doesn't sneak back into your studio area. 4) Put the NOT IN HERE stuff where it belongs.

ASSIGN: 

You have a couple of options here for your STORAGE pile: put the stuff aside to be organized when we work on other areas, or (and I strongly suggest this alternative) put the items away where they belong using your current organization system.

CONTAINERIZE: 

Sort all of your ACTION items into the appropriate drawer, container, and boxes. Containerizing gives you a chance to make everything pretty and inspirational to you. You may need to make a shopping trip to purchases containers that you love to look at, are sturdy enough to withstand repeated openings and closings, and are the right size. Make a list and take measurements. Label everything.

EQUALIZE: 

Each time you finish a crafting session, return from a crop, or bring home new supplies, spend a few minutes putting everything away where it belongs. By the time you are done this challenge you will have “a space for everything” so put “everything in its place.”