Every crafter dreams of having the perfect craft room. A room filled from floor to ceiling with their well-loved supplies, where they can explore their creativity in their own peaceful space.
Whether you’re putting together arts and craft room ideas for the future or you’re ready to create your ideal craft room right now, Spacer has a plan to help you bring your craft room to life. We’ve thought of everything, from design to equipment to storage, and with these helpful steps, you’ll be crafting in your very own arts and craft room in no time!
Step One: Create space
Maybe you have a spare room being used as a guest bedroom or storage space, and you’re thinking of how to convert it into a craft room. You might be thinking about how it can continue to serve multiple purposes, so that you can house those boxes of off-season clothes or holiday decorations.
We’re going to suggest something radical: clear out the space completely! You’re going to love the feeling of walking into a craft room that is dedicated to your arts and craft practice. Without the extra clutter, you’ll be able to feel that this room is completely yours so that you can unleash your creativity and innovative ideas.
Sure, you might use the attached closet for non-craft storage or incorporate a futon or folding bed for the occasional guest. But the majority of the time, you’ll want your arts and craft room to look like an arts and craft room.
An easy way to clear out the clutter from your future creative zone is to rent out a storage space from Spacer. In Sydney, Melbourne and many other cities across Australia, you can find people in your own community renting out their garage, spare room, or other storage space for cheap. That way, you’ll know that your items are well-cared for and always within reach!
Even if you have a few furniture pieces that you’d like to incorporate into your final arts and craft room, we suggest that you move everything to another room for the time being. This will allow you to start with a blank slate. Plus, you’ll want plenty of space in case you decide to paint, add wallpaper, or redo the floors.
Step Two: Craft a plan
Every craft room should be unique because every crafter has a unique set of skills and interests. In this stage, you’re going to develop a plan that will allow you to create a personalised space for all current hobbies and future endeavours. This is the moment to envision and make space for all of those possibilities.
Here are a few practical questions that will help you put together a personalised plan for your future craft room:
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What kinds of crafts do you see yourself doing in this space? Is there a main craft that you should dedicate more space to? Are there other hobbies that you’d like to try in the future?
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What kind of work area do you need? Does it include a desk, table, or easel? Fiber artists like knitters and weavers, may prefer more comfortable seating, such as a sofa or reading chair.
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How many supplies do you need to store and how? Are there special considerations for your supplies, such as light exposure damage?
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Do you need a specific clean-up area for brushes, rollers, stamps, or clothing? Would a laundry basket be helpful?
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What is the protocol for unfinished work and finished work? Do you need to hang anything to dry? Would a drying rack be appropriate?
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Will you be monetising your craft by sending out orders? If so, do you want to include a packaging area in your craft room?
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Will you be sharing your area with children? If your kids are very young, how can you make the space safe for them? Do you want to include them in crafts? How can you adapt the space for them as they get older?
The more you question what your crafts will require, the better you can plan for your fully-fitted craft room. This process is inspiring and fun, and it also saves you the hassle of trying to fit forgotten elements into your craft room later on.
Step Three: Furniture and storage
The right furniture and storage is vital to a functional and organised craft room. And since you’ve already thought out exactly what elements your craft room will need, from the work surface to the supply containers to laundry baskets and more, you’re ready to start purchasing furniture and storage tools. Here are a few tips to buying craft-friendly items:
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Look for versatility in your desk. Desks that can be raised and lowered or tilted to different angles are great for inviting more movement into your crafting. Switching up your posture can lower the risk for discomfort and injuries from the repetitive motions of many crafts. Standing has even been shown to boost creativity, so standing desks are always a great idea.
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Show off what inspires you with shelves. Open shelving is a wonderful way to remind you why you love your craft. There’s just something magical about a bookshelf full of colour-coordinated yarn, fabric rolls, or photography equipment that will make you want to spend hours in your craft room.
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Hide the clutter in cabinets. While you want to display your beautiful supplies out in the open, you don’t want the view to be crowded out with clutter. Necessary but less-than-inspiring items, such as washrags, packaging supplies, crafting scraps, and other bits and bobs, can be organised and stored in cabinets.
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Invest in craft-specific storage. Binders, small boxes, and other organisation tools are a good way to keep small items tidy, and you can find a good variety of storage tools at your local craft store.
Step Four: Equipment and electronics
For some crafts, the right equipment or electronics are obvious. Examples that come to mind include sewing machines, DSLR cameras, 3D printers or pottery wheels. But really, every crafter should be thinking about whether their craft room can benefit from some craft-specific equipment or electronics. Here are a few examples that might work in your space:
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A tablet where you can search or create your own designs, tutorials, patterns and more. This is a great way to stay connected to the online crafting community.
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A stand for your tablet to pull up reference photos or host video recordings or meetings with other crafters or clients
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At-home studio lighting systems to take amazing pictures or video of your finished projects
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Sound system to play music
If you like to disconnect from electronics while you work, we don’t blame you! But if you’re ready to incorporate some techy tools to your craft room, the examples above are a great starting point.
Step Five: Decor and finishing touches
Decorations, colour palettes, floor rugs and upholstery are the final touches to make your craft room shine. You can pull inspiration from your favourite crafting magazines or just stick with patterns and textures that inspire and excite you!
Step Seven: Get crafting!
In just seven steps, you’ve transformed your spare room into a space to explore your creativity and build your skills! Here at Spacer, we’d love to hear about your plans for an arts and craft room and see your progress. If you’re building the craft room of your dreams, we’re excited to see it!
