Thoughts on giving up my stamp room

[annieworm]

I can't believe I'm even thinking this but...

I'm contemplating moving out of my upstairs, small, no-window stamp room and into our rarely used dining room (complete with doorwall looking into our gorgeous yard). I'd use an old entertainment center for storage and then the dining table for a workspace. I spend very little time in my stamp room and the only time I really "play" is when my girlfriends come over (and then we stamp in the dining room) or when I head to one of their houses.

I'm thinking the room, which is between my kids' rooms, might make a nice other living room (as in for my kids). I've really downsized my stash since buying my cricut and unmounting my stamps so I don't need a ton of space.

Do you think I'll regret giving up my own space? Do those of you who have to stamp in your dining room hate it? Any and all opinions are welcome!

[krisis]

I took over my baby's bedroom .. so I'm probably the wrong person to answer.

But I do agree that it's nice to have an open area where your friends can come over and stamp too. But, I stamp alone more often, so I would need a space that I can concentrate in peace and call my own.

[blank canvas]

I craft in my dining room but haven't got a family so not the same really! I use my dining table but laps are good! Having said that, I think it sounds a really good move for you. I don't know you, but reading your post, your tone is so certain, you have decided already; I just think you're worrying about maybe getting this decision wrong. Who can tell what the future will hold, and I hope I don't sound rude here, but your craft room actually doesn't sound the ideal room anyway. It sounds more suitable as a room for the children-and they'll love it. You say you rarely use it, in one day your children will probably use it more than you did in a week/month even. I do feel it's important for us to have a space to craft, but it doesn't need to be a room dedicated to it. many people don't have the space to devote a whole room to crafting and with no window it must be hard to see colours right and also just doesn't sound very, oh I don't know, inspiring. The St Ives artists flocked to Cornwall for the light-crafting needs light too. :cool:

I think using the dining room will be lovely, you'll be less isolated, better light-and just a nicer space more suited for crafting. I sit by my window looking out onto the garden and watch the birds and my animals sunbathing-it's lovely. It's the sunniest side of the house and I hear the birds, see sunsets etc and feel part of the world and not cut off and crafting can be isolating as it is.

Ultimately this decision need not be forever, if you change your mind, the world won't end. But i think it's a lovely thing to do for your children and your dining room sounds so lovely-you'll be like me, gazing out for hours! Apologies for being so lenthy-no good at being concise I'm afraid!;)

[sluman]

Go for it! I've taken over my dining room and it's the perfect place...we never eat in there anyway (have an eat-in kitchen). It has a window that looks out into the backyard and I can still sorta be with the family while I'm stamping...I sit at the end of the table and can see into the kitchen & family room where everyone else is hanging out.

[StampingShawn]

It sounds like a good move fore you. The only thing that I would suggest that you think about is how often you would have to move your stuff so that you could actually use your dining room. For me that would be the deal breaker. I have a stamping space in the basement which I never liked as I felt isolated from the rest of the family. Recently my inlaws have moved in with me and we moved the "bonus" room stuff (toys, computers) into the basement and all three children are there all the time so I'm loving this move. Even when the in-laws move out in 5 months, I plan on keeping the computers down there so the kids will have a reason to be there.

Good luck with the move!

[stampinhappy]

I moved out of my son's room and into the dining room. MOST days I love it. I wish that sometimes I could leave my "stuff" all over table. The dining room is one of the first rooms you see when you come into the house.

[Blake's Mom]

I had my own stamping room and it was upstairs between my son's and our bedroom. I decided to move it into our finished basement and like that it's down there. Now my hubby can play video games or watch TV after our son is in bed and I can stamp (once I find a new chair with a back instead of a stool!). It works for us and we're actually getting ready to move all of my son's toys to the basement too because his toy room is going to have to be his baby sister's room come January. : ) I think this means we'll use the basement more and maybe I'll get some more stamping done!

[pjw2855]

I vote for not giving up the dedicated room for crafting. You don't need a window to rubber stamp/make cards, etc. Dining Room is too open to everyone messing with your craft tools and projects. There are times you need to leave things in the middle of a project...can't do that in a Dining Room.

I like peace and quiet when I'm crafting, I wouldn't want to be bothered by TV or people chatter. Soft music is ok, at times.

Just my opinion as I have only my dog in our home and she knows not to touch anything in my computer/craft room with her wet nose.

Patti

[Ruby-dooby-doo]

I do have a spare room upstairs but I prefer to craft in our kitchen/dining room as I don't feel so isolated. Some people prefer the peace and quiet but I dont really like to miss anything. Its a bit of a pain having to clear up every time I make a card, but once you get used to putting everying back in its place, its fine!

[momis mama]

i didn't like to have to drag all my stuff out of the closet and then felt bad leaving it if i was in the middle of a project. it just was too messy...

i don't have a whole room but i carved out a space by my craft closet and put a BIG desk there. it seems more expected to see a project in progress THERE.

KWIM?

i am sure i have been of no help... just sharing my experience and opinion.

happy stamping... where ever it may be. (i live in a ranch style home, i wouldn't want to be upstairs either)

[sluman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjw2855

everyone messing with your craft tools and projects. There are times you need to leave things in the middle of a project.

I agree with this if you have younger ones...I only have DH and college-age son at home. Of course, even that isn't fool proof...they have on occasion "borrowed" my heat gun for a project they were doing in the garage. :rolleyes:
My dining room is at the end of the house so I can leave unfinished projects out, you would only see the mess if you actually walked into the room.

[tay0479]

I wish I had a room. I store all of my stuff in the garage and then tote it in. I usually leave my mess for 3 to 5 days and then tote it back out when I am done. Point being that if I had a room I wouldn't give it up.

[RJP111]

I do my stamping on the dining room table and would like to have an entire room. But I think I would feel isolated from my husband. The good part is that I have to clean up my mess when I'm finished - our house is small and the dining room is visible.

It does sound to me like the OP should give up her space. If she's not using it, why not convert it into an area for the kids to enjoy?

[meluvstampin]

I have some things stashed in the bottom of my china cabinet and some in a different cabinet in the dining room. But my stamping corner is right in my living room. That way I can still watch a movie and be with the kids & DH and stamp at the same time. I get so much more done that way. DH offered to make me a nice stamping room in the basement but I know I will not use it much as I would feel really isolated and then of course my family would never see me as I try to stamp every night!
My vote is to move your stamping things and give the kids a great new room.

[dacpam]

Why don't you try it and see if you like it and it suits you? If you decide that it doesn't work as well, is there anything from stopping you from moving back to your room that you currently use? Sometimes it helps if you don't need to make a definitive decision until you try something. If you can "Leave the door open" if you know what I mean!

[glitterdovefairy]

I have been sleeping on the couch for 2 years because I find a craft room more important than a bedroom...

But if I had a dining room I would take that over instead

[okstamper]

I have the problem with my room upstairs. Yes, I like it. But like one of the other posts, I feel so isolated when I am up there whereas, everyone else is downstairs.

Bonnie

[melissaink]

So funny that you posted this.

I'm about to get my own craft room (the boys are moving into the larger bedroom, and I'll take over the smaller bedroom ... husband is moving his office-type stuff into a roll-top in the living room), and I was thinking maybe I'd be better off with an armoire and using the dining room table (it's in our great room where we always hang out, but we usually eat at the kitchen table).

My only hesitation ... I'm messy. I like to leave my stuff out (or, I don't like picking up after myself), and I have two small kiddos ... and a husband who HATES clutter (how do I survive?).

In my case, I think I'll be better with my own room.

In your case, taking over the dining room sounds fabulous.

[mrs_hawkins]

I vote that you move only if you don't have to clean up if you're pulled away in the middle of a project. I used to have my sewing and stamping in the same space, using the same table and it was such a pain to have to move from one to the other. Now I have two dedicated areas and it's so much nicer.

[klhbenson]

since you don't currently go to your scrap room...I don't think you'll regret the move. If you do...then your kids loose their living room space! If you make yourself a scrap space where you're comfortable...then you'll go there more. My scrap space has been evolving....all I need now is a sink and refrig in there!

[newmomat39]

Wow, trade ya. I have a 1000 sq ft house with 3 bedrooms all in use. My livingroom / dinningroom is one long room. And not really that long. My craft table is on a wall right in between. There is a little "L" shape in the wall perfect for my table. My stuff sets out for all to see. I have a five year old that has a small craft table I set up right beside mine when I stamp and she does her thing. I even leave it all out when I entertain (up to 20 people during Christmas). Anyway my point is......I used to have everything neatly tucked away. Everything looked nice, but it was too much trouble to get it all out and clean it back up. You need to do whatever it takes for you to "GET STAMPIN!" Spread it out everwhere if that's what it takes. Use what you have and make the best of the space you have. If the space you currently use doesn't work move on to something else.

[vdoyle8]

I vote for the move to the dining room. I scrap in my dining room and I leave my mess out on the table when I'm in the middle of a "scrap frenzy". I do have a studio in our finished basement also but that is where I stamp and paint. It just doesn't work for scrapping because I need a bigger table for that. I have thought about taking over the spare bedroom upstairs for scrapping but, truthfully, I know I'd never go up there. I, too, would feel too far removed from my family.
Remember, nothing is forever -- you can always try the dining room out and see how you like it - you're not married to it! You can always move back!

[jennik]

I have my own craft room, and sometimes feel like I'm left out of whatever else is going on. I don't have kids, so that is not the issue, but feel like I should be spending more time with DH. On the other hand, the dinning table is not a option either. Keep your options open, and then pick the best one!! Lucky girl, you get to choose!!
jennik

[Cook22]

For me, a room with a window would beat one without any day, unless there were enormous downsides which it doesn't sound like. I used the dining table till we moved about a year and a half ago, and since I only really had to tidy when we had guests, it worked fine.

[Happy Heart]

I had an upstairs bedroom as my stamp room, but due to knee problems had to give it up and move all my stash to half of a large closet in my downstairs bedroom.
I love my new closet stamping space! I feel that I'm more a part of things being downstairs. I've also been forced to be really organized, which I never was before. Now everything I need is right at hand. Before, I had to move around the room to get things.

[binx]

Is your floor plan very open? If so, you may want to consider how messy you get/leave the room. One of the things my husband likes about my having my own room is that I can close the door on the mess. I like not having to put everything up all the time (yes, I'm messy).

On the other hand, how nice a view of your backyard would be.

You've received some good input from others. Of course, what works for you and your family is what really matters.

[annieworm]

Wow! What great input. I knew I could count on you all!

My kids are 10 and 14 so I don't have little hands to worry about but I do have a puppy who likes to steal pens, pencils and stuff like that from the table. i hadn't thought about keeping her paws off my stuff.

My house is an old farmhouse that's been added onto repeatedly so the rooms are pretty closed in. But then again, my dh and kids don't seem to notice when the house is trashed so I'm thinking my mess would go unnoticed.

I honestly don't know why I'm making such a big deal about this. Normally I'd just move my stuff and see how it worked out. Guess I feel a little guilty that my dh went through the trouble of installing real cabinets and counter tops just so I could move downstairs. I think the kids would love all that storage though. My son is already mapping out where his tv and ps2 are going.

I think I'll be rearranging some furniture this weekend if I can get the dh out of the house. Every time I move stuff he freaks a little. He hates change, I thrive on it.