My New Craft Room

My new craft room is complete! It isn't as fancy as some other craft rooms that I have seen but it is functional and has everything that I need. As you have seen over the last few days, I have also added a couple of cute and colorful touches.

It was a little difficult to get good pictures since it is a long and narrow 8 x 14' room. We also divided the room in half so it is my craft room / library and the bookcases got in the way of my picture taking. 

The room is only partially finished although I am probably the only one who notices. The outlets and switches need covers, the door needs to be cut down to allow for the thicker carpet and then painted, and the closets need doors. It may be awhile before those little things get taken care of though and I don't feel like waiting around to share my new space.

I designed the closet shelves and Shelby built them for me. The inside of the closet wasn't finished so I had him hang a piece of drywall on the back because the nails from the living room wainscoting on the other side of the wall poked through. Then he screwed 10" x 1" x 8' boards onto the sides so the whole system is completely removable if we want to change things around.

I kept my old shoebox and snack size ziploc bag storage for the little odds and ends. My folded fabric has been wrapped around pieces of cardboard so they can stand up straight like little bolts from the fabric store. Previously the only ironing board I had was a tiny tabletop version which was kind of a pain. I have now upgraded to an over the door version and I love it! I don't have to clear off table space for it and it stores itself. It even has a hook to store my iron.

Then there is my crafting surface / bill paying desk / blogging command center. Now that Shelby is working from the corporate office instead of a home office, I got his old desk! It is an old, heavy duty desk that we found on craigslist for $50 and spray painted it dark grey. The desk top is large and one of the drawers is a hanging filing cabinet so I can organize all of my shop invoices as well as our personal bills. The desk even came with all of the original drawer dividers which is rare. 

I also inherited Shelby's old external computer screen, keyboard, mouse, and sound system. The dual screens make it really nice when I have multiple programs open. Or for when I want to work on one screen and watch a movie on the other.

I also have to point out my lovely red Swingline stapler like Milton's from Office Space. :)

Above the desk is my extra large dry erase board. I cut super thin strips of black vinyl for the calendar grids. I use those to keep track of upcoming posts that I want to write. I color code all of them so that I can see at a glance which projects haven't been made yet, which ones have been created but the photos need to be edited and the post written, and which ones have been written and are all scheduled to post.

I used my silhouette to cut out black vinyl lettering to designate spaces for my to-do list and items that need to be re-stocked in the shop. I also mounted a clip for new orders. As soon as I receive an order, I print out the invoice and put it in the clip. Then as soon as I have a minute I either create the custom order or package the stock orders. This way I know that no order will be forgotten.

Proudly displayed on my desk is my Grandma's sewing machine that I use for all of my sewing projects. Even though it is the most basic machine that only does a straight stitch, it has actually been way harder to figure out than a new machine that does all sorts of tricks. It took me thirty minutes just to figure out how to thread the dang thing and that was with a manual! It is worth it though. I absolutely love the retro look and the color is perfect. Plus there is just something special about working on my Grandma's sewing machine.

Next to the desk is my photography light box setup. Under the table is storage for all of my shipping supplies. One of these days I will probably make some kind of skirt for it so I can hide all of that stuff.

Above the light box is my whimsical pinwheel garland. The retro red clock is a hand-me-down from Jer. We got it for his old room but it ticks too loudly and he couldn't sleep. 

My new colorful, messy string art hangs above my dry erase board. 

I can't end a big reveal post without a before and after:

Unfortunately the only "before" pics we have are crappy iPhone photos. I forgot to take more with the good camera before getting to work. It was a newbie mistake but the house was so bad that I just dug right in without thinking. I might see what kind of before photos our landlord has and ask if he will let me have a copy of those.

I think that's all I have to show you for now! I hope you like my new space as much as I do.

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