The modern-day craft room is a place to let the creativity flow, as well as giving you a quiet space to focus on your creation. These days a lot of craft rooms are converted bedroom space after a child has moved out or a disused home office. Though there are a few people who pick up a new hobby and decide to tastefully make better use out of the basement or garage.
Of course, not all craft rooms are created the same. A quilter will likely have very different needs than someone who takes up watercolor painting, or a sculptor who needs space for a potters wheel and a small kiln. Still, one thing that nearly all hobbyists need in their craft rooms is a place to store supplies. Most would also say they want a place to display some of their proudest works.
The following are some thoughtful ways to help keep your craft room neat and organized.
Drawers With Separators
A lot of crafting hobbies call for the use of small tools and delicate materials. While they might tuck away in a drawer quite easily, organization is still important. After all, when inspiration strikes, the last thing you want to do is sift frustratingly through a junk drawer!
Drawer separators are a great way to give everything its own space and keep key items right at your fingertips. Most are adjustable, so if you find yourself needing to expand one area to hold more materials, or contract another to keep a small tool from bouncing around, you can make the change in a matter of seconds.
A lot of drawer separator systems also benefit from some type of liner. Whether it is felt or soft rubber, putting a liner on the bottom and perhaps the sides of the separator will help keep sensitive items from banging around every time you open the drawer.
Adjustable Shelves & Shelf Separators
Shelves and cabinets are the next most likely place to benefit from separators. Not only does it help you assign everything its own spot, but you can also use the various partitions to keep sensitive tolls and materials from touching.
Adjustable shelves let you alter the height between one shelf and the next. Some can be as simple as pegs or dowels that seat into predrilled holes. Though an adjustable track system allows you to fine-tune the height of each shelf to maximize the available storage space.
While you’re at it, you might want to also think about doors and lighting. Glass or plexiglass door fronts are particularly handy for crafts where you need to switch between tools or different materials. The transparent space lets you see where everything is without having to open the door to search for something.
Lighting can also help find small tools and craft items. Overhead recessed lighting or track lighting can be used directionally to shine into cabinets or shelves. Another low-cost alternative is to install battery-powered LED lights under the shelves. The low wattage requirements of LEDs means the batteries will last for a very long time. Most of these fixtures are touch activated.
Under Cabinet Lighting
Under-cabinet lighting is a great way to highlight a countertop workspace. It can also give you an area to display past projects. You can also turn certain fixtures on and off to control the ambient light in your craft room.
In the past fluorescent bulbs were used to light the spaces under cabinets and on countertops. Today more energy-efficient LED light fixtures can be installed under cabinets without the heat concerns and annoying buzzing that fluorescent light fixtures are prone to. LED lights can also be colored to enhance the ambiance in the room.
A Dedicated Work Bench Or Desk
Some hobbies require a specific type of workbench or some type of desk space. The tabletop itself can hold tool organizers and writing instruments, as well as offering a place to attach clamps or possibly a bench vice. Some workbenches and light tables will also come with an assortment of adjustable drawers. This gives you the space you need to store key items that you use a lot, without necessarily letting them get in the way.
While you’re choosing the workbench or desk that’s best for you, also take some time to think about seating. If your particular hobby calls for you to sit in one place for several hours at a time, then you want your chair or stool to be ergonomically comfortable.
Peg Hook Systems For Convenient Wall Storage
Some people hear the term “Peg Hook” and they instantly think of the old pegboard systems their grandpa had in the garage. While these systems are indeed alive and well in the 21st Century, peg hook systems have continued to evolve.
Today they can be made from more than just cheap brown plywood with predrilled hole patterns. Plastics, polymers, and higher quality wood have allowed peg-hole backgrounds to truly become tasteful. The hooks themselves have also enjoyed enhanced engineering. To the point that they can now be set up to hold just about any tool or material bin, you can imagine. They can even hold clips for brooms and mops. The use of multiple peg hooks also translates into greater weight capacity for material bins and heavier tools.
Stackable Labeled Tote Bins
Most hobbyists have a knack for store housing materials, components, and specialty tools that may not get frequent use. Sometimes you simply find something that’s for sale at a great price and you stash it away for that “I’ll Get To It Someday” project.
A system of heavy-duty, stackable tote bins keeps these tools and bulk items up out of your way, without necessarily storing them in the basement or garage where they’ll be forgotten. Simple labels or an inventory sheet will tell you what’s inside, so you don’t have to try to remember which of the tote bins you put something in.
Lighted Display Areas
Most crafters and hobbyists want to display their proudest creations. Whether it’s hanging a painting on a wall, setting out a vase to catch the light, or simply adding to the ambiance of the room. Recessed lights and LED fixtures tend to be the most common way to light display areas. They can be directional or cast light in a broad area. LED lights can also be shaded to just about any color in the rainbow for enhanced visual effects.
