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This is my first time posting a question. I have been lurking around the site for quite some time now getting great ideas from all of you. I am always amazed and so impressed with the creative ideas you all come up with!! I plan to start a gallery of my own someday when I have more time to stamp, which brings me to my question... I have amassed enough stamping stuff now that I need to seriously look at my own stamping space. I have two possibilities, a large closet that is built under our staircase that goes to our second floor (its a pretty big closet), or to take over part of our guest soom that I carefully decorated when we moved in 5 years ago and in those 5 years has had all of about 6 guests!! The closet is actaully what I would prefer because its on our main floor and I can shut the door on it if I have a mess and walk away, but I am afraid that I will eventually outgrow it and end up in another room anyway.. My guest room is currently housing all the toys and equipment my 18 month old has outgrown but I can deal with those items and clear the space.
My question is to those of you that have had to be creative in finding space to stamp and how you went about it, what you use for storage that is functional and not too expensive and the best tips for the "where do I start" question. I addition I will be making a trip to IKEA in Chicago in August and I know they have some great organizational items. Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thank you all for giving me creative inspiration!!
I'm just finishing up a re-do of my stamping space--half of our office (the smallest bedroom in our house). I had to get creative in how I organized it. One of my favorites are the Bygel baskets and rails from IKEA. They hold all of my ribbon, plus my embossing gun and other supplies. Sorry, no pictures yet. You can go to IKEA's website and search Bygel to see them.
What a great opportunity. I would suggest making a list of what you use most (stamps, punches, ribbons, pens etc) and choose a desk or counter that will let you have areas above or around it to keep the most used items close by. If you can create an "L" shape, you will give yourself more room for supplies on the counter. The problem I have is once your start a project, your desk area becomes so clutteed, you are fighting for real estate to actually stamp. So if you want the SU ink pad caddy and other stuff on the desktop, get an extra deep desk to allow room for those items. I find that bookcases are great, especially if they have doors. The Ikea rails for punches and hanging cups for pens, etc work great and you can always switch out what is in them. Once you list your supplies, you will be able to see what is offered to fit those items. Rolling bins under your desktop are great to keep supplies close, but still hidden.
Just remember, you will always be tweaking and changing things around as your supplies grow. Checking out other stamping spaces in Forum will give you great ideas. Make notes of what you like in each and you will be on your way to creating your stamping space
I would go with the guest room...I have outgrown the room I have and it is 15x20 but with slanted walls...you can check out my gallery for some ideas. It it not what i really want, but it is great all the same. Put the toys in the closet with a roll away bed for guests.
I have just added things as I need them or find them. I would move all of your stuff in and see what you need and where. I love having a very deep work space...built it with 2x4's and plywood so I could have it anyway I wanted it...before this room, I used kitchen cabinets and a counter as my work space. But as time goes on and I get more stuff and interests change, i move things, get rid of some, etc. but sit in the space for awhile and things will come to you (save all your reciepts) you may find something better the next week.
I started out with the smallest bedroom and have now moved the guest bed in it (since I only have my small grandsons to spend the night) and have made the bigger room into my "haven". I made a U shape with my desk and two five foot tables. That way I have my most needed supplies at hand and I keep my SU cs in a plastic tub with file folders for each color. I put shelves in my two closets and another bookshelf by the wall to hold my rubber stamps. I have another extra table in the room so when I have the SU group here I can seat eight people (after cleaning off the tables!). I think you always want more room tho!
I'd definitely choose the bigger guest room. You'll end up acquiring enough supplies that you will need it, then you will have to start over getting organized.
I've taken over my son's bedroom now that he's moved out. It's not completely organized yet, but I'm getting there. If you don't want to spend tons of money, go to yard sales. I've gotten several nice shelving units there. I've also bought a few plastic drawers for holding larger items. Then get creative with storage by recycling things you already have--baskets, see through plastic shoe box containers(.99cents at walmart).
I use a picnic utensil caddy to hold my scissors, hand held circle hole punchers, rulers, extra pencils, etc. On the larger side, I put my stamp pad cleaner, adhesives, tool kit for attaching brad, etc. I have organized my paper into hanging file folders in plastic crates. Use magazine holders-cardboard or plastic to house my crafting books. Then I use those cute photo holder boxes to organize my cards by theme. You can use shoe boxes for that too. Just adhere pretty paper or designed contact paper on the outside.
I also use ziplocs for lots of things--sorting my ribbon by color, brads, small beads, some of my glitter. The inexpensive gladwear containers(I buy the store brand) are great for sorting and organizing too.
Hope some of that helps. My system is anything but fancy, but it works. Just make yours work for you. We are all different.
sam
I began stamping on the kitchen table, found I was too lazy to always want to clean up my mess and then found an empty walk-in closet in our guest room. When I started to feel real claustrophobic and my son moved out of the house, I took over his room, which can also be used as another guest room. It's one of the basement conversions (but nice). I love it because I can just close the door and, BIG BONUS ... an attached kitchen and bathroom, and a TV. Go for the guest room.
Guest room. Utilize as much vertical space as possible too. I got all of my stuff from www.organizemore.com, so you can take a look at my gallery for pictures. As far as the guests go, I don't know what to tell you for that because we utilize every single square foot in our home rather than have a guest room. When we have guests, we wing it and have a great time doing so. You will use the guest room almost every day rather than it just sitting there. Enjoy your real estate!
I vote for the guest room! lol I recently featured my stamping space on my blog. Take a peak if you want some low-budget storage ideas. I got most of my stuff from Target, Big Lots or thrift stores. It isn't the prettiest craft room, but it's functional!
Thank you all for your advice and tips on what to buy and how to organize. I have checked out a few of your blogs and will put the advice to good use. My ultimate goal is to have a place that I can sit down and whip out a card in 10 minutes if I have to! Right now if I have to drag all my stuff out I am out of time before I even begin! I have told myself no more new stuff until I have an organized and functional space, so with the new catalog on its way I need to get busy!
Thank you all again!
I would go with the guest room. I have found that my stash has continued to grow and finding a place for it seems impossible. If you had the room you would not have to worry about relocating when your stash outgrew the closet.
I have one wall in the guest room also. And I go UP! I stacked a number of 12 x 12 paper storage containers on one table. The drawers that are above my head slide out easily to see the contents. The furniture is just a table and a cabinet that we had already. We also have guests so seldom that it would be a shame to just let that room sit unused anyway. And once I get my workspace cleared off, it really isn't too much of an eyesore! I'm sure if you can get "real" furniture, it will be absolutely fine.
It makes a huge difference to have a place set up already - where you can pop in if you have a few minutes to color an image or lay out a design. Or be able to walk away when something needs to be done and not worry about packing it all up!
Besides, you may one day need that closet under the stairs for your surplus of alterable items, stamps to sell, Christmas paper and embellishments, etc. No... a closet under the stairs is not fit for a wizard or a stamp room (Harry Potter reference, just in case).
There's a spot in the gallery where people show photos of their stamp space. And someone recently started a thread about smaller stamp spaces, too.
Stamping Space Advice
organizing space
