7 Inexpensive Craft Room Storage Solutions

7 inexpensive (or free) craft room storage solutions mypoppet.com.au

I had such a great response to my sewing room reveal recently, thank you! Many of you commented how refreshing it was to see a real craft space that wasn’t overly styled or used expensive storage items for organisation. Here are just some of your comments:

“I very much like the fact that your space isn’t perfect, not everything matches and that you’ve used “normal” things and adjusted everyday items to meet your needs.” – Thais

“…I also love that your space is pretty and real, love that you have repurposed things for storage!” – Mamie

“Oooooh, this makes me feel half normal again. Thank you. The amount of times I see absolutely PERFECT rooms on Pinterest (in theory) but I just wonder how they would go actually being used… your room looks tidy and normal to me and approachable. Practical.” – Brigitte

I loved this post – sewing room done in just my style. Not completely new and IKEA based! Thanks for sharing.” – Pia via Facebook

I consider myself pretty thrifty, why buy something new when I can reuse something else that is laying around? There are so many benefits to creative reuse of secondhand items, it keeps junk out of landfill, it reduces the need to use virgin resources to make new products, but mainly it’s inexpensive and I’d rather spend my hard earned dollars on travelling, enjoying a nice meal, or buying craft supplies.

You don’t need to spend lots of money for storage items, most of my containers are re-purposed and recycled.

Sewing room tour and Craft Room Organising tips Mypoppet.com.au

Here are some practical items that you can find around the house or inexpensively in thrift stores.

  • Large Glass Jars – Ideal for storing buttons, threads, ribbons, beads.
  • Shoe Boxes – Perfect for filing ribbons on cards, patterns, small tools.
  • Shoe Box Lids – Make perfect trays to keep small items like bobbins, pins and clippers corralled.
  • Baskets – Ideal for storing fabric and yarn in. Ask around before buying, you’ll find friends and family may have some they don’t use tucked away.
  • Strong cardboard File Boxes – These make great improvised drawers for fabric scrap storage in bookshelves. Ask someone that works in an office if they are getting rid of any.
  • Wire Baskets – Great for fabric storage because you can see exactly what you have. You can sometimes find the wire drawers from broken draw units on the side of the road. Make sure they are rust free.
  • Free shelves – Before buying an expensive shelving system, ask around to see if anyone has one to get rid of. You’ll be surprised at how many people are happy to let go of something as long as you are happy to take it away.

Sewing room tour and Craft Room Organising tips Mypoppet.com.au

I’ve found plenty of pretty good stuff on the side of the road, including my ironing board. It was actually left on the curb across the road from my house so I just had to walk it home, but I’m not too proud to stop the car and load up items that I think will be useful. Finding a free ironing board saved me around $100.

Sure, sometimes mismatched shoe boxes or donated shelves don’t look super stylish, it doesn’t really bother me, but if you like things to look co-ordinated or share your craft space, it’s a great opportunity to use your creativity. Have a go at covering boxes with fabric, paint your shelves or line them with wallpaper.

I’m glad I’ve inspired many of you to organise your own craft spaces, I’d love to hear more suggestions for inexpensive storage solutions. Go on, leave some more comments, so everyone can benefit from your ideas.

7 Comments

  • Brigitte says:

    Yep, I couldn’t have agreed more with so many of those posts that went along with mine. And I’m a big believer in saving our planet and using what’s already around us … I am also one to use IKEA if I want something exact though. Sometimes I just get so over “making do”. I LOVE it when something fits “just right” and then being able to then add all my recycled bits and pieces to. One of the things I think I noticed in your photos is old boxes that were possibly once used for bouquets that you’ve received as well. Am I right? I have a lot of those kind of colourful boxes / ceramic containers that once housed bunches of flowers or baby gifts that were given to me. They are THE best boxes! Thank you for sharing.

    • Can totally relate re making do and IKEA, I’m constantly switching out boxes and baskets as I find something that is more suitable. It’s a constantly evolving space – storage needs change over time too.

      • Brigitte says:

        And isn’t it great to be ever evolving. Yep, that seems to be what happens here too Cintia. Although at the moment I’m WAY overdue for another readjustment. Things have been piled up for a while now.

  • Thais says:

    Shelving idea: I found some old rustic wooden boxes along the side of the road while my studio was being built. They were 12″ x 12″ x 48″ with one of the long sides on each box being open. I was determined that I could use them in the studio somehow! There were four of them. One I eventually put up on my wall (on brackets) and it became two shelves over my sewing machine. The other three I have stacked on top of one another on a re-purposed chest of drawers (no hardware needed), creating a kind of dividing wall in the room, accessible from both sides. One of the “shelves” is accessible from the craft table and the other two face away and are purposed for something else.

  • Anita says:

    I found that empty glass jars are amazing storage for everything. My boring threads look so good in them, I don’t know why 😀 And I can easily leave those jar on open shelves even in living room, wonderful detail.
    The idea with filing boxes is really good, haven’t thought of it before!

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