Funky Fabric Storage Ideas

I have been on a real craft supply organizing kick lately. My craft space is small. REALLY small. It's just one teensy corner of our living room area. I have an old desk I salvaged from the trash room of our old apartment that serves as my main craft space. I'm still debating painting it or something as it could sure look a lot nicer. Having such a small space for crafting when you write a blog filled with different types of projects is a real challenge, and is one of the reasons that since moving into this apartment I seem to be struggling with where to put things so they are really accessible.

In addition to being ready to use, it's also hard to find a way to store your supplies that also inspires you to use them. If you have everything hidden away, it's easy to just leave it hidden and forget about it (especially if things are just stuffed randomly into a bin). So, I thought I'd gather up some ideas for storing fabric to inspire all of you to join me in getting organized without losing all of my crafty inspiration!

One way I like to store smaller pieces of fabric is to roll them up and store them in a basket. The basket above is filled with some of my fat eighths. To keep it looking neat it's important to use fabrics that are similar in size (it looks messy if your fabrics stick out of the basket at several different heights). I make sure I pre-wash my fabrics before I store them so that if I'm feeling inspired I don't have to stall my progress by waiting to wash the fabrics later. Keeping some small bits of fabric in bright colors like this in a place where I can still see them makes me want to use them without leaving them lying on my workspace in a pile. Keep in mind that fabrics can fade and gather dust, so this storage solution is best for fabrics you are planning on using in the near future (I rotate out fat eights and fat quarters pretty quickly, so this is my ideal storage solution for them). You can check out this post for some ideas of projects that use smaller fabric scraps.


What about fabric storage for larger yardage? Yardage you may have purchased without even necessarily knowing what you are going to do with it (not that any of us would EVER do that, right?). It is important to find a way to store this in a way that it is still easy to see what you have, but find a way to protect it from dust, dirt and fading. Below are some of my favorite ideas:

I love the idea of using an old filing cabinet to file your fabric! I originally saw this idea on Sew Many Ways, but have since seen it several more times on Pinterest. The idea is simple: Fold your yardage and lay it over filing folders inside the cabinet. This method keeps your fabric protected from dust, etc. while still making it very easy to see exactly what you have and be able to take it out to use (no stacking huge piles to dig through later!).

It would also be easy to color code your fabrics with this method, as each fabric can be pulled out like a file!. You should check out the Sew Many Ways blog for more great craft room ideas--I am Super Jealous of her craft space!

If you are lucky enough to have a craft room with some closet space, then this idea from Bobi Law Designs might be right up your alley. Skirt hangers are used to clip fabric to be hung without ruining the ironing job! If your closet has doors, it will also protect your fabrics from excessive dust or fading.


For some of us with limited space and resources, there is always the old standby: Neatly fold your fabrics and stack them into a cubby/drawer/basket etc. My desk has a drop down door that used to have some pretty unpractical filing contraption attached to it. I removed that and cleaned out the cubby and now I keep my larger yardage stacked neatly down there where it won't get faded and gross.

For more great ideas on organizing your fabric stash, check out Pinterest!