Craft storage ideas & hacks

When you’re a creative person who loves crafts, it can be difficult to keep everything organised all the time. But, whether you want to give your entire crafting space an uphaul or you’re just looking for craft storage boxes that’ll neatly hold your yarn stash, knitting needles and sewing thread, we’ve got a craft storage hack for it. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best craft storage ideas to help you to keep your crafting space neat and tidy, no matter how often you use it. We’ll cover:

• Craft room setup ideas
• Craft room décor ideas
• Craft supplies storage ideas

Setting up your craft room can require a lot of work, but it’ll be worth it. Before you get started on the décor you’ll need to give the space you plan to use a good clean and declutter.

A craft area is a place to let your creative side out, and this tends to bring plenty of mess and untidiness along with it. And, as clutter has been proven to have negative effects on both your mental and physical health, including lower mood and higher stress levels, taking the time to tidy out your craft room might just be the solution to your problems.

Different people will benefit from different decluttering methods, whether that means you do things bit by bit or you deal with the whole lot at once. But, no matter which you use, you should always start by giving your craft room a good clean. When it’s time to put everything back, you’ll benefit from having a sorting system. Take three plastic storage boxes and sort items into boxes of things to stay, those to be recycled and those which can be donated elsewhere.

Decluttering is a great way to organise your craft room and using a storage system will make it easier to keep tidy. But, make sure that you’re being ruthless with your current stash and making decisions about the excess quickly. This will ensure you don’t waste time mulling over things that you don’t need to keep. If you’re stuck with where to start, check out our guide to decluttering and destressing.

What to consider for your craft room

Once you’ve gutted and cleaned your craft room of all the excess, you should be thinking about how to work with the space you’ve got. The way you do this can differ depending on the size and layout of your craft area, but there are a few general tips that you should consider for all spaces:

1. Measure it up: Before you start adding furniture to your craft space, it’ll be a good idea to measure up the area so you will know what you can deck it out with. Measuring the width, height and length of your space in cm will be useful before you go furniture shopping, so you know what you can fit in the room and where. This’ll also help you to establish how much craft storage you’ll need to have. If you want some privacy and are thinking about adding blinds or curtains, you’ll also need the window measurements, so the retailer can pick you out the most suitable size — or in some cases these will be custom made.
2. Think about the desk size: All craft spaces will need a desk you can sit and get creative at, but the size of this will vary depending on the area available to you. For a smaller area, a foldable desk will be great at saving space, while a larger room could accommodate a permanent feature desk. Just make sure that whatever you choose is sturdy enough to cater for the crafting activities you’ll be doing.
3. Have space to move around: Although you might not be able to control the size of your crafting space, you’ll need to ensure you have sufficient space to move around in. This isn’t just important for comfort reasons, but it’ll also make sure you can reach around you for things nearby. Plus, feeling boxed in might hinder or restrict your creativity, so it’s a good idea to put your crafting desk in a position that can be accessed easily from both sides and isn’t surrounded by heaps of craft storage boxes.
4. Install good lighting: Crafting requires a lot of concentration, and lighting that’s too dim can inhibit these levels. Additionally, lights that are too bright will cause eye strain, so getting it right is key. Using desk lamps is a good way to illuminate your desk when it starts to get dark and can also help when you’re doing things that require good light levels, like threading a needle.
5. Choose easy-clean flooring: While carpet might fit in with the theme of your home, giving your craft room some easy-clean flooring, like wooden laminate, will mean you don’t have to worry about getting messy.
6. Use washable paints: If you’ll be working with paint, glue or any other messy crafting supplies that are likely to splatter, it’ll be worth investing in some washable wall paints. This means you can spend more time getting creative and less time and money repainting your walls. And, as they come in a range of colours, you won’t be limited for choice.

Don’t be afraid to make your crafting space as creative as you. In fact, the more creative your surroundings, the more likely you are to be inspired. So, experimenting with plenty of colours, textures and patterns is bound to fit right in with the purpose of your crafting space. If you’re struggling for décor inspiration, we’ve got a couple of ideas you’re sure to love:

Paint it a positive colour

The colour you paint your craft room can help to drive your imagination but can also make it more of a serene environment for you to unwind in and enjoy.

• Green is the best colour for boosting creativity while reducing anxiety and lessening the chance of eye strain.
• Blue is said to have a calming effect that drives brainstorming sessions, so you can be sure to come up with some genius ideas in an ocean-coloured room.
• Yellow will help you to get over any mental blocks you might have and is claimed to be stimulating and promote optimism, so you can happily enjoy your hobby.
• Orange creates a high-energy environment due to its vibrancy and will make you enthusiastic for the crafting task that lies ahead.

Display your own creations

Nothing will be more inspiring than seeing your own hard work being showcased, even if it’s only in your own craft room. Seeing what you can achieve and watching your skills progress will be a great motivator, so why not display some of your own creations? This could involve:

• Making your own prints to be hung up. Whether they’re images or quotes, seeing what you’re capable of is sure to inspire you in the future.
• Crafting your own frames to put the previously mentioned prints in will show off the range of skills you have. Plus, you can make them bespoke to fit in with your craft room theme.
• Knit your own soft furnishings for unique touches. Having a cosy cushion to support your back as you’re crafting or having a cosy knitted blanket to cosy up in on colder nights will feel much better if they were made by your own hands.
• Create your own curtains to match the theme of your room. These can be as colourful and intricate as you like, and as they’re a one-off they’re sure to be a talking point for anybody who visits.
• Hand-paint your crafting desk to nod to the room’s purpose and show off your creativity.

Use craft materials for decoration

Your craft materials don’t just have to be there for your hobby: they can also be great décor additions. So, instead of bundling your unused art materials into hidden baskets and trays, why not display them with some quirky craft storage hacks? Here are some ideas:

• Display your spare balls of yarn in a transparent pocket canister to give your crafting room an unique touch.
• Put up railings to hold your rolls of wrapping and tissue paper on to make for some attractive decoration that will ensure practicality and tidiness in your crafting room.
• Create a feature wall by installing transparent shelving that you can store your coloured pencils and pens in. Not only will this look great but will ensure ease of access to your stationery.
• Fill your shelves with folded fabrics and materials that you’ll use for crafting. By keeping them on show you’ll know what you have available — plus it’ll bring some colour and personality to the space.

Once you’ve identified the best place for your crafting area, you’ll need to think about craft storage. And, as there will be plenty of materials and accessories to deal with, we’ve broken it down to make this easier for you.

How to store your stationery

• Pens and pencils: Keep pencils in a pot like this one as they’re easy to grab and won’t get blunt — a sink tidy works well for larger collections. Pens should be stored horizontally in pen boxes so they don't dry out.
• Rulers: Rulers might tip pen pots over, so store them in pull-out shallow storage tray. And, as they can be laid flat, this will reduce the chance of them snapping. You could also fill these with protractors, compasses and any other stationery items that will help you with your designs.
• Glue sticks: Add your glue sticks into a tray or a mini storage box for safe keeping, and to reduce the risk of them drying out.
• Paper clips and elastic bands: Keep your handy bits and bobs in a small clip box, like this lidded one. Transparent boxes will make sure you know where to find everything quickly.

How to store your crafting materials

• Thread: Store your loose pieces of thread in craft storage compartment boxes to keep everything together. A transparent box will ensure you can see your stash as well.
• Fabric: These can be packed into handy tidy baskets or placed on shelves for a display element. However, be sure to roll these rather than folding to avoid creasing, so you can spend less time around the iron and more time getting creative.
• Yarn: Your yarn stash can take up quite a lot of space, so keep them neatly stored in a caddy basket, like this one, for a great organisation option. Plus, you’ll be able to see what you have to use up.
• Beads, buttons and sequins: These are notorious for spilling out into the nooks and crannies of your home, so keep them secured in mini clippy boxes or in small parts storage cabinets.

How to store your crafting tools and equipment

• Sewing needles and pins: Keep small sewing tools safe and secure in a removable compartment box or an organiser box.
• Knitting needles: You’ll need taller/longer boxes to accommodate the length of these tools. So, opting for some larger plastic storage drawers will cater for these.
• Scissors, hammers and drills: Having a pegboard will give you a place to hang your important equipment off. This is a really good way for smaller rooms to make use of the wall space and it’ll give you a chance to show what the space is about.
• Paintbrushes: Keep paintbrushes upright in a studio basket to ensure they dry back to their original shape properly.
• Screws and nails: Use a topstore assortment case to keep your nails and screws safely stowed away. As well as preventing spillages, the clips will also make it harder for any little ones to get into your stash. Or, for easier access, use semi-open-fronted containers.

How to store your paperwork and magazines

• Paper: Use paper storage boxes to stop card and paper getting creased. Drawers are ideal for organising larger craft collections. We offer A3, A4, A5 and A6 sizes.
• Magazines: Keep your inspirational craft magazine stash organised with a magazine tidy or a rack.

Organising your crafting space is a great way to keep your home clean and tidy and your stress levels at bay. With so many craft storage ideas and hacks for your stash, there’s something to suit any space, big or small.

So, if you’re looking for a way to keep your crafting area orderly, take a look at our range of craft storage boxes. With lidded storage boxes, non-lidded storage boxes and compartment boxes to choose from, there are options for all of your crafting supplies and needs. We even have craft storage solutions for paperwork and stationery with our archiving and filing boxes and desk organisers. And, with free delivery on orders over £60, you needn’t wait to get started with your quest for a tidier crafting space.