Organize + Energize: Organize Your Craft Room in 7 Easy Steps

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

You love anything crafty, and along with that there is usually an abundance of craft supplies. If you are a crafter, you know all of the different types of materials that are available to you. Every time you visit the craft or art supply store you end up purchasing more materials to bring home to your already overwhelmingly disorganized craft room.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to walk into your craft room without any stress and pull out the exact item you need in a matter of seconds? Being organized would save you time, energy and possibly money if you are purchasing duplicate items. You might even get the creative juices flowing when your room is organized. It’s time to organize this craft room and feel at peace and just focus on crafting when you walk into this room.

If you are an avid reader of this column, you may see a pattern or repetitiveness in the steps I write about. It’s because these steps apply to mostly every organizing project. If you can organize a drawer, you can organize anything! As the projects get larger and more overwhelming, you really have to break them down.

Here are 7 easy steps to follow:

Create your vision. Before you even begin your project, have a vision of how you want to function in the room. Step away from the room and think about how you want to function going forward. Your room can be overwhelming to look at when it’s disorganized and cluttered, which is why I want you to step away and create your vision. Think about where you would like items to be placed in the room. If you are into different types of crafting, think about setting up different areas in the room for certain projects. Ask yourself questions and really think about the layout of the room and how you want to function. Jot down ideas if it helps. Release the mental clutter.
Limit distractions and stay focused. You will see me write this many times. It’s a must if you want to get your project completed in an efficient and productive manner. Limit your project to 3 hours. Turn off the TV, don’t answer your phone or text, and don’t leave the room you are working in.
Everything must be emptied. If you have anything in drawers or closets, everything must be emptied! As you empty, you will proceed with the next step. You won’t be able to maximize space if you just shift items around. You’ll want to start with a clean slate.
Declutter. Just focusing on decluttering at this point. Break the room into sections and work on a section at a time. Make your piles of toss, keep, donate, maybe, and move to another room. I added the last two because sometimes people take a while to decide on one piece. Put that piece in the maybe pile and decide on it later. Most maybes turn into toss or donate. Keep that move to another room pile because I want you to be held hostage by the room and don’t leave it unless you need a bathroom break.
Itemize and categorize. As you are decluttering, categorize the items you are keeping. Make piles in the room of like items. This will make the process a little smoother when it’s time to create your organized systems.
Writing instruments. Gather all of your writing instruments, brushes, etc., and I want you to test every one of them to see if they work. No sense keeping writing instruments around if they don’t work. As you declutter these, separate out your crayons, pens, markers, etc. Follow the same process for paints and anything that has a shelf life.
Organize. This is the last step. If you must, take a break before you begin to organize. You want your mind to be clear when you begin creating working organized systems. Revert back to step one and pull out your plans and visions. Remember, the simpler the systems you create the easier they will be to maintain.

Once you complete this project, you aren’t finished. Now you have to maintain your organization. Work with your systems. When you take things out, put them back. Re-visit your systems in a few months to evaluate what’s working and what’s not. Don’t work with a broken system. Fix the system according to how you functioned these past few months. It’s time to get creative and enjoy your new space!

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on talkstreamradio.com.

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Organize + Energize: Organize Your Craft Room in 7 Easy Steps

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