Design a Craft Room
Most of us dream of a dedicated space to work on our crafts and hobbies. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a large space to make a perfect craft room. Well-planned use of the space you do have and good storage are the only prerequisites of most craft rooms. By spending time planning your design now, you can create a space you can enjoy for years to come. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the room or space you have available to use as your new craft room. Do this by measuring the length of each wall. On your graph paper, decide the ratio you will use. One square equaling one square foot is common. Draw the shape of the room on the paper using the ratio you decide upon. Mark any windows and doors, as well as the location of electrical outlets on your drawing.
2. Add the elements you want your craft room to have, starting with the work surfaces. From a separate sheet of graph paper cut out representations of the furniture you want to use. Keep the representations in scale. If your table is 6-by-3 feet, cut out a 6-by-3 square piece of graph paper to represent the table. You can move these around on your room drawing as you play with design ideas. If you do a craft that requires a lot of detail work, place a work table near the window so you can take advantage of any natural light. If you sew or work with fabric textiles, you will want to avoid having your work table near the window because that can fade your textiles.
Consider the purpose of the room. If you do scrapbooking, two tables arranged in an L shape will be best because you can have a work surface and another surface for arranging your books on. Those who sew will need a cutting table as well as a sewing table. Find a way to place tables that will make the most sense for your crafting needs during this design phase to avoid constant furniture moving later. Play with several different arrangements on your graph paper until you find one that works for you.
3. Place wall mounted or regular shelves near an electrical outlet to store your electrical craft equipment. This will help you avoid blocking the outlets later when you start putting the room together. Many craft tools require electricity and it is difficult if you are constantly moving furniture or climbing under tables to plug them in. You can hire an electrician to install an outlet in the center of the wall or you can purchase a wall mounted power strip to use. Both are easier to do if they are installed near an existing baseboard outlet. If you want to raise the outlet on the wall, draw an up arrow next to the outlet on your graph paper to help you remember.
4. Make cut outs of the different storage solutions from a separate sheet of graph paper and move them to where you think they will work best in the room. For under furniture or combined storage, such as if you will be keeping fabric under your cutting table, make a note on the cutting table cut out such as 'fabric tubs' to remind you.
Plan built in storage when possible, as storage is at a premium in most craft spaces. Paper and fabric need to be stored in opaque containers or shelves with doors to avoid fading. Beads and other small items should be stored in clear containers so it is easy to find what you need when you need it. Keep storage for specific items near the area in which you will work with them so you don't have to constantly be getting up to get what you need in the middle of a project. Experiment with different storage solutions. You can attach jar lids to the underside of a shelf and fill the jars with beads. They will screw to the underside of the shelf, being easy to see and leaving the bottom part available for other storage.
5. Once your perfect craft room is mapped on your graph paper begin brainstorming the materials you will use. You can buy new storage and tables, or you can visit flea markets and thrift stores for gently used furniture. You will be spending a lot of time in your craft room, so choose items you will enjoy being around.
Tags: graph paper, your graph, your graph paper, craft room, cutting table