Having a space for your hobby is a game changer – but it’s so easy to let your craft room get overwhelmed with impulse purchases and unfinished projects. Here are some ideas to get your space back under control.

The key steps are:

• declutter
• plan your workspace
• storage for your craft room

Declutter your craft supplies

One of life’s great pleasures is shopping for projects that you are excited about. But if items are coming into your space, then things will have to come out of it, or it will start to fill up.

Getting rid of supplies that no longer appeal is a wrench, particularly if they were a splurge – but it’s an easy win in terms of getting your space back under control. We’ve got some tips in our article on streamlining your craft stash.

And what about unfinished projects? These are a really common class of clutter.

Take a moment to work out if you’re actually going to finish them. What’s stopping you? Are you missing a supply, or perhaps a skill that you could work on by taking a course? Sometimes a bit of encouragement and coaching or some company while you get over the difficult bit can help. Or have you just fallen out of love with the project?

If you aren’t going to finish a project, and you don’t enjoy owning it and it’s stopping you from enjoying your hobby, it’s time to let it go.

Storage for your craft space

You’ll notice that the first item in the article was not storage – that’s because without a decluttering habit, you’ll be back to square one as your space fills up again. Unfortunately, there is no magic storage solution that can help you if you aren’t willing or able to keep your craft stash under control.

Once you’ve got only the tools and supplies that you really want, it’s time to organise them. Choose a space for working, and put your favourite tools and supplies within reach of this area. Then make sure that it’s comfortable to use and appropriately lit. Some people find it helpful to commit to keeping this space neat by tidying it at the end of every craft session.

Once you’ve established your working space, it’s time to consider storage solutions such as drawers, cupboards, shelves, baskets and crates etc so that you can organise your supplies.

Labelling your containers will help you to keep your space neat. You may want to consider an inventory that lists everything you have and where it is. This will help you to locate specific items when you need them. And it will help you when shopping as it will remind you of what you own.

There may be supplies or projects that you don’t need to have to hand. These could be stored away from your craft space to prioritise access to things you use frequently. You could even store them away from home in a self-storage unit.

Protecting stored craft materials

Some craft materials are fairly resilient – but others, like wool and fibres, need a bit more looking after. A storage unit should offer more protection from pests and temperature fluctuations than a domestic attic or an outbuilding. You will have to organise insurance for your stored craft materials – get a quote from Store and Insure to check that you’re not overpaying.