Crafting a creative space

For the last 15 years our spare bedroom was briefly a guest room, then it became the storage room. It was full of boxes from our move, tubs with my craft supplies and projects, exercise equipment and things waiting to be given to charity. In December my Wonderful Husband decided it was time to repaint this room and change the flooring, as it was the last room in the house with the old carpet.

First, all of the boxes and other stuff were moved into our lounge area. Then the flooring was removed and replaced. It is only when we moved everything out of the room, we could see just how much had been packed in there. The following photos show all of the things we moved, which had to be placed in four different sections of our house. It has taken a few months to donate and rehome all of the items we no longer needed, but we have our dining area back and nearly have our big lounge room back, too.

Boxes and other contents of the room placed in our lounge.

The elliptical machine, wooden chest and some more boxes.

The wooden chest and some plastic art folios.

My sewing cabinet and yet more boxes.

The empty room with new flooring, paint, my sewing cabinet and new shelving units.

The empty room from a different angle, showing my sewing cabinet and more new shelving and storage.

The room with new flooring, a coat of paint, my sewing cabinet and a few new cabinets.

My “yarn store” that you see from the hallway.

Shelving in the cupboard, my yarn display shelves and my new arm chair.

Shelving with material, my sewing womaniquin and sewing cabinet.

Sewing cabinet and shelving units with drawers and cupboards, to store thread and books out of direct sunlight.

Lots of craft books and projects in progress.

More of my craft books and projects stored on shelves built into the wardrobe.

The natural light is fantastic in this room. It is so bright throughout the day, that I can even work with black thread confidently. It is also a quiet and calm space, and I want to keep it that way, so I am ensuring I put things away and keep on top of any odds and ends.

Having enough places to store all of my supplies and projects is so great. I no longer need to remember which bag or plastic tub contains the project I was working on. It is all visible and accessible. I have also been a bit more spontaneous with some crafting for friends, as I can find the materials I need quickly, and can just sit in my chair and get started. I hope to get some skirts and dresses sewn in the near future too.

The vision that my Husband had for this room to be functional for me, and the tireless work he did to complete the facelift in under two weeks has been a wonderful gift. The joy this room brings me is immeasurable.

Do you have a space to craft in? How could you make this space into a crafting sanctuary?

Until next time, happy crafting!

Fiona T