Saturday Spaces - twelve2

Hi Polka Dotted Fans!  You are in for a treat today as we show off the big reveal of my EtsyMom friend, Dana's, craft room makeover.  Dana is the creative genius behind twelve2, a delightful shop with custom clothes & accessories benefiting missions & adoption.  I am so excited to get a peek at how she's added lots of organization to her space.  Here we go :)

Welcome to my craft room!  I share this room with my husband's office, and there's one tiny window in the corner; so it's not ideal, but I'm so thankful that I have my own little space to create.  I love being organized, but my craft space was put on hold while we focused on catching up on sleep after having 2 kids in 2 years. :)  Just this past month, the overhaul was completed with the help of my husband and out-of-town family members (thank you!!). Come on in!

1. I didn't go into this project with a budget, but I'm pretty frugal, so I knew we would either re-purpose items or create something cheaper by doing it ourselves rather than buying something already made. Most of the furniture I already owned, and I recently received the white bookshelf and lamp as a gift. My husband created the shelf with the hanging rod that holds my t-shirts out of wood that we had from another project.  We did purchase wood for the shelves above my tables, cork boards, and a peg board.

Total: $96
4 Shelves: $60
Hanging rod: $7
Peg board: $8
Cork boards: $21

 

2. My favorite space is my custom hanging rack for all my onesies, tanks, and t-shirts ready for their iHeart applique.  My husband custom designed this to fit in the space and created the entire shelf from scratch. I love that he made it, but also love its practicality. I can see what colors and sizes I have in stock and can easily respond to customers' requests.

Another favorite of mine is the cutting station! It came as a fluke really. I used that fold up table for my sewing machine and serger, but lent it out to a neighbor having a garage sale.  When I got it back I thought I had originally used it at the highest setting so I put the legs in the tallest position and realized it was counter height and too tall for my sewing machines.  But it was perfect for my cutting table! And since then my whole work space changed and improved greatly. I love that I can look up and see all my lovely fabric and be able to select the one I want, cut it, and fold it up nicely and keep everything organized.

3. I'm constantly wanting to make spaces better, more efficient, and more aesthetic. Growing up I moved my bedroom around at least twice a year and I still enjoy changing furniture and decor around. In the near future I plan to get another white bookshelf to hold items that I don't use that much, such as leftover jeans and shirts that I use for upcycling projects. Beyond that I would love a more efficient way to store my thread and bobbins and perhaps a space just for packaging and shipping my items. I don't like to spend too much on organizing though as I'm just too frugal.

Thanks for featuring my craft space!

Isn't it amazing what you can do to maximize your productivity with an organized space?  Dana and her handy husband did a great job with the shelving and she is so right about storing your materials, fabric or paper, where you can actually see them!  I know it helps me use of more of my stash, AND keeps me from buying duplicate supplies. 

 

To get to know more about Dana and her work, visit her on FB: facebook.com/twelve2etsy.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by! 

 

 

{{Hugs}}

 

Kimberly

 

Saturday Spaces ~ Handmade Whimzy

Hi Polka Dot Fans!  Today you are in for a treat as we take a peek at the wonderfully organized space of my seamstress friend Tricia Harvey, from Handmade Whimzy.  She has some fab storage ideas that will work for any crafter!

 

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I moved into my current sewing room about 1 1/2 years ago.  It was an empty bedroom in our house that we were using as a game room - or at least that was our intention. We did have all our games neatly organized in there along with a game table but unfortunately you couldn't see it because of all the junk we were "storing" on top of it.

 

My husband kept saying we should move my sewing room into that room from the little bitty room that it was currently occupying. I kept saying no because I had just painted it a lovely light aqua.  But finally, I agreed because the new room was twice as big as the old room and I would no longer have to keep the ironing board out in the hallway.

1. What was your budget for your sewing room? We really didn't have a budget while we were setting it up. We knew before hand that we would have to change out the lighting. We reused the track lighting from the old room and put it over my sewing tables. We did buy a new light fixture for the center of the room.

We didn't repaint because I had repainted the room a couple of years before and it was still in really good shape. But it is not my lovely light aqua - it is super bright lime green which I thought was great for a game room.  My two favorite colors though are lime green and turquoise so having a sewing room that's lime green doesn't really bother me. The only other thing I bought for this room was the cube storage shelving that I got at Target on sale. It holds my smaller cuts of fabrics like fat quarters, charm packs, jelly rolls, etc.

 

Oh, I did spend about $100 on 8 art prints from jellybeans on etsy that I had coveted for a long while.  But I used the money I had made from Christmas sales to buy them.  And I LOVE them.

 

 

2.What is your favorite thing about your room?  My art prints from jellybeans on etsy. :)  Also, I love that my hubby made some wooden risers for my cutting table to make it counter height so that I wouldn't have to bend over.

But the main thing I love is that I have a space all to myself where I can go to get away from all the boys in my house.  It smells nice - like lavender (not like smelly boy).  I am so thankful everyday that I have such a nice space.  Sometimes I just sit in it and do nothing.

 

3. Will you be making any more changes to your space?  Yes!  I have fabric that I bought a year ago to make skirts for all my tables so that you wouldn't be able to see the storage I have under them. 

And one day I'm actually going to make those table skirts.  Also, I'm thinking about making some kind of board that I could cover in flannel and use for my design wall.  Maybe one that will hang over the door.  Right now I use my floor for my design wall.

 

 

 I hope you've enjoyed visiting my little space.  Come back anytime.

 

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Thank you Tricia for sharing your gorgeous green space!  After seeing this post, I know I have got to have more shelving in my crafty little life!  And she also inspired me to create my own dedicated shipping area, what a time-saver!  Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for stopping by!

 

{{Hugs}}

 

Kimberly

Saturday Spaces - Scrap Your World

Hi Polka Dot fans!! This is Paula from Scrap Your World I’m so glad you came by today. My special friend Kimberly asked me to come by and show you my Scrap Cove. I hope I don’t scare you with my Hoarding problem…

4 years ago I was taking over my husbands office in the house. He was so kind to give me a little space off to the side, but as you know, us women that create can never have enough space. So my little space became a big problem for him. He wanted me to clean up after my night of crafting. I did not want to do that every time, because I was never “finished” with what I was working on. I hated to put all my stuff away, just to have to drag it back out when I got a chance to craft again. So for my birthday he surprised me with a card saying that he was going to build me a Scrap cove. ALL MINE, to have all the room I wanted to create. That was the best day ever!!! So he started working on it right away that summer and within no time, I was ready to move in.

 

This is the picture of my Scrap cove ( my little piece of Heaven) that he built me.

I loved it so much, he bought me a desk and cabinet set to put in there, and I immediately  started putting stuff in.

                                             My mother in law made me curtains to go inside.

                                                  I love my little window to look outside.

But wait.... as time went on. Remember it has been four years. I have acumalated more and more, because I had so much space to put things. So I started my obsession with scrapbooking and as my husband says when he walks in, This looks like you have bought out a scrapbook store that went bankrupt... eeeksss.

So here is the view when you walk in now.

Yes I have bought too much!! I admit it, but I have so much fun creating in this space. Its' my space, and I love to go out here and have my ME time ALONE and just be FREE.

It might look like a chaotic mess, but I know were everything is. He installed me racks on top to hold my baskets and boxes. Every box and basket is catagorized with specific items I need. I have them seperated by holiday or theme. I know what box to pull when I'm working on something.

I got this at Hobby Lobby one year as a present for Mothers day. It holds ribbon, brads, and other embellishments inside the drawers.

I bought this when Kimberly posted it on Facebook that there was a major sale on a website. So I had to purchase it. I love it even though it does not hold all the ribbon I own.

Here is some more ribbon that I color cordinate in cute jars on top of the cabinet. Easy to get to.

This is my special orginzational tip to give you today. It is a shoe holder, but I put my stamps inside. The clear pockets lets me see what I need to get quickly!

This was another gift years ago that my hubby bought me. I have it labeled as to what drawer holds what.

I love the cabinets that are in the desk set. They hold so much, and out of site.

I bought this Card stand and peg board from Mrs. Donna K from  Created by DonnaK last year.
She was selling some items that she didn't want anymore. So her sweet husband was going to a bike race that weekend, and he brought it to me. I love the card stand. It keeps my cards organized and ready to pluck when I need to send one off in the mail. The peg board houses some of my embellishments that are still in packages, and I put my florals on top so its easy to see them when I need to use them on my projects. The little desk I picked up at a yard sale for $1. I have all my lose glitters and mist in the drawers.

                                      This little kitchen basket holds my stickles and paints.

I even have a little chair that sits in the corner for my hubby to sit in when he comes out to hang with me. He has his guitar amp out here and plays and sings to me. Gives me some MOJO to keep crafting sometimes.

Well I believe that is all to show you in my little Scrap Cove. I will leave you with a view from my french doors. All the little birdies like to sit in that tree and talk to me!! I hope I did not scare you to much with my mess, but its a beautiful mess to me!!!! Have a great weekend. And Thank you again Kimberly for letting me come on over to your blog!!! BIG HUGS to you.

I loved Paula's Scrap Cove the first time I saw it and knew I had to share with all of you!  And her hubby built it, how sweet is that ?!?  Thanks for all the great tips you shared with us, like the shoe holder for stamps...so smart!  I am hoping I will make it down to scrap with my girl in this amazing space!  Thanks for stopping by.

 

{{Hugs}}

 

Kimberly

Saturday Spaces ~ Created by DonnaK

Hi Polka Dot Fans!  You are in for a treat on today's Saturday Spaces.  We get to take a peek behind the scenes of where the uber-talented card-making diva, Donna K, makes her magic happen. 

 

Hello friends!  Donna K here and I just wanted to say thanks for stopping by today and allowing me to share my studio space with you.  I'd like to give a great big THANK YOU to my sweet and talented friend Kimberly for inviting me to bring you into the teeny corner of my creative world.  

 

My studio doubles as our guest room.  As we set up our home I didn't really have a budget for my space. We just kind of went with it and tried to make the most of the furniture and storage items I had on hand.  I occupy this room the majority of the time, but this spring it has been BUSY! We've had lots of guests.  This is a good thing because it forces me to get organized and actually put things away!

 

I enjoy being in this room because it's in the front of the house.  There are lots of windows and it allows me to daydream  .... errr ahhh .... create with the view of the birdies and squirrels.   I have a table that was once our kitchen table.  We didn't have space for it in the actual kitchen so YAY me... it became all mine!  It's sturdy and big and I love it.   On the wall beside that table is the wall shelf that matches the table.  Yes, it's another kitchen/dining room piece, but it works perfectly for holding my baskets of stickers, tags and my stamps. Yes... I hoard  collect stamps. No favorite brand... I love them all.  

 

In the closet you will find 12X12 papers, embellishments, and all sorts of tools. It is slam packed full and no matter how hard I try to keep it organized, things tend to end up spread out on the floor.  
 

As many times as I say I'm going to put everything away when I start a new project, I get on a roll and before I know it BOOM... it looks like a windstorm struck.  

 

This white cabinet is one of my favorite pieces. It has 6 large drawers for tons of storage. I keep my wooden stamps in here and all of my metal embellishments as well. It's an IKEA piece and was fairly inexpensive. The top is great for holding my Big Shot and my paperwork.

Another piece of kitchen gear is the "microwave" cart.  It's perfect for my Cricut that doesn't get used nearly enough.  I'm thinking of switching it out for something that gets used more often.

 

 

As you can see I have to make the best of my "space"  I use the dresser for storing my mailing supplies, alterables and other tin items.  If we have extended visitors I can just put all of that stuff neatly in a bin so the dresser is available to guests. 

Check out this disaster zone after a day of working on orders!!

Below you can see the "before" photos as I was preparing to set up my new space. 

              

 

Right now I'm not planning on anything new in my studio space.  I'd LOVE hard wood floors and to have the entire room to myself eventually.  I feel so fortunate that I have a pretty place to work and spend my time.  

 

Thank you for letting me bring you into my world for a bit.  

Please leave a comment about your creative work space.  

Have a happy day today!

~Donna K

 

 

I love how Donna carved out the perfect spot in her guest room for her studio...I know I picked up some neat ideas from her, how about you? To check out Donna K's lovelies, head over to her sweet little blog here.