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!

Fabric Covered Flower Pots

When you start a garden, you may be shocked at how expensive decorative pots for your flowers can be. This is a quick and easy way to jazz up your flower pots with scraps of fabric. You could also use paper, just make sure you seal your pot well before planting.

To make these decorative pots you will need:

Plain Terra Cotta flower pots (I got a 3 pack of tiny ones from the Dollar store!)
Fabric scraps large enough to cover the surface area of your pot
Mod Podge glue
Scissors
A paint brush or sponge to apply glue
Spray on clear coat(br> Paint and Ribbon to decorate pot rim (optional)

To start, I used a piece of plain copy paper to make a template for my fabric. I wrapped it around one of my pots, and pressed against the edge between the pot and the rim, and along the bottom edge of my pot. You will end up with an arc shaped piece of paper, kind of like a rainbow. Then, I used my template to cut out fabric for each pot.

Once the fabric is cut, apply some glue to your pot in a thin coat. Lay your fabric over the glue (I start in the center of my fabric to avoid spreading it out crooked or getting puckers and gaps in the fabric) and smooth the fabric over the glue. Make sure to get glue under all of your fabric so it sticks evenly.

Once all of my fabric was glued down, I applied another coat of Mod Podge over the top of my fabric. Allow this to dry completely. I found it very helpful that I only had fabric going up to the lower rim of the pot so I could rest the pots upside down to dry. I left mine overnight to make sure all the glue was dried completely.

Next, add ribbon, paint or anything else you might like around the rim of your flower pot. You could use chalkboard paint if you want to be able to label your pot year after year. Apply a clear coat to the final pot to seal it and you are ready to plant!

To create the arrangement I have here, I placed one of my pots on top of an old thread spool. :) Don't these look extra bright and cheery? I'm also a sucker for anything teeny tiny, these certainly fit the bill :)

Candy Colored Binder Clips

First off, I'd like to apologize for not having a food craft this Friday. I think my cooking skills got all used up on my special Valentine's Breakfast posts, but fear not I will be back with more yummy food for you next Friday.

In the meantime, I'd like to address my borderline unhealthy addiction to cute office supplies. In particular, binder clips. They are absolutely my favorite office supply. Regular paper clips, even in fancy shapes, just can't hold a candle to binder clips. So I decided to break out the Mod Podge and some paper and fabric scraps to pretty up some of my favorite office supply!

All you need to do is make sure you have clean binder clips, and then brush a think coat of Mod Podge onto your binder clip, place on your paper or fabric then seal with more Mod Podge. I'm thinking or painting my binder clip edges (the parts still in black) with some nail polish to make them even more awesome!

What do you think, should I keep these in a dish instead of candy? Do you have any serious obsessions with office supplies (I'm also a fan of colored staples and tiny notebooks)? Have you ever tried to make an office supply extra pretty? I'd love to hear all about it!