Craft Room Advice

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Well, we've had some changes in our family. The older folks moved back to Indiana for better medical insurance and treatment and my brother finally got his own place. It's just us, the kids, and Grandma now (who is 92)-- so we are down to a family of 6! It also means that I am getting a new room! Well not new, but one that now has a vacancy. It will be a craft room. I need some advice. Here is the problem:

It is a very small room (only about 8x10) and very odd. One wall has a closet and a chimney with kind of a VERY narrow (just room to get through) walkway/real short hall which goes into a door going into another bedroom - so much of this wasted space I can't use-- although we don't usually access the bedroom from that door so I could block it. On the other wall (the 10' side) there is a double window and the windows are kind of low and I don't want to block those for air flow in the summer. On the other wall is the doorway. The fourth wall (8' side) is just a regular wall. Sure wish the open wall was on the 10' side..but..hey, just glad I have one full wall!

I need some suggestions on how make this room as efficient as possible. My daughter and I work on crafts together and so we need a big long table (I am guessing on the plain wall????) and want to be able to leave the crafts out until it is completed - rather than hauling it out and putting it all away. We do a variety of crafts, including pergamano and scrapbooking (with a die cutting machine, dies and a laminating/magnet/sticker machine), and so this means we have a tons of paper and both large and very small items and lots of different cutters, templates, stickers, paints, pens, inks, etc. We will also be doing some sewing and quilting projects. I am thinking some kind of bin system for storage???

We are on a very tight budget with this one (We spent all the money on the craft stuff...LOL! Hubby can't seem to get the concept that more craft stuff is a GOOD thing - not a bad thing!) so any inexpensive ideas would be appreciated. I especially am needing ideas on how to arrange the whole thing. Thanks a million!



-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), March 06, 2002

Answers

Response to Craft Room/Homeschool Room Advice

Maybe a hollow-core door (new or one you have hanging around) on either sawhorses or two file cabinets for a table? If you want to gussy it up, you can apply molding to the edges and stain/finish it, otherwise just paint it. Lots of storage space under it.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), March 06, 2002.

Response to Craft Room/Homeschool Room Advice

Can you put the table in front of the window? This will allow lots of natural light, plus you can look out and see what is gong on. I have one of those big library tables in my family room, and it is in front of the window. Then you acn use the big long wall for floor to ceiling shelves of some kind. These can be bought, or cheaply built form 2x4's and plywood. Table could also be built from 2x4's and plywood for a custom fit. I would mount an electric outlet close to the table as well. Sounds like fun, wish I could see it!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 06, 2002.

How would putting your work table in the middle of the room work. That way you can work around all areas and leaving you space to put shelving in areas that have a little more room to walk around or to put shelving higher on the wall as long as you do not hit your head on it.

if you put your table on shelving units (file cabinets, etc) you will be able to fit more storage under the table if it is in the middle of the room.

-- chris in PA (CLMngs@aol.com), March 10, 2002.


I have a tiny room too. I put a hollow core door for a cutting table along one wall. It just fits-its suspended by little brackets and theres just enough room on one side to slide my rotary mat in. Along the othe wall, I have floor to ceiling shelves that my husband made from scrap lumber. on the opposite side, I have a sewing machine table that he made-also from scrap lumber. I have about enough room left over for a stool for the cutting table, a chair for the sewing machine, and Matilda, the dressmakers dummy. Its very small, but well laid out. I use the underneath part of the table to store fabric in (cheapo) plastic tubs-I couldn't get them all at once, I got them a bit at a time. If I do one or two projects-its fine, but I really have to be careful not to get to much stuff going!

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.

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