Yesterday, I wrote about how you can Organize Your Inspiration by cleaning up your craft area and creating an ideas book or board. Today, I would like to share some bloggers with great ideas for organizing their crafts.

1. First off, we have to give a shout-out to Crafty Storage, the blog dedicated entirely to storage ideas for crafters. Although the blog has not updated recently, you should scroll through all the submissions for inspiration. I love this idea for using empty CD cases/Jewel cases to store clear stamps.

   

2. Unexpected craft storage ideas from oneofakindgiftideas.blogspot.com including turning a Shoe Cubby into a cutting station or portable file into scraps storage.

   

3. Mandi Ehman of www.organizingyourway.net talks about creating organized Arts and Crafts boxes for kids. These boxes can be pulled out anytime and have a variety of activities with just the right supplies. Can I have one?

   

4. Make these adorable bobbin cards from thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com to store scrap ribbons and fabric. Hang from a large key-ring.

   

5. Archiver’s has a great list of ideas and products for organizing your craft space, including this nifty desktop organizer.

   

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Link Love: Organizing Your Crafts

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1. Guest Blog: Organizing Your Crafts
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3. How to: Organize your Inspiration

A popular New Year’s resolution is to get organized, whether that means finances, appointments or a cluttered storage space. As an avid crafter, you may benefit from some organizational tips to keep your crafting area neat and tidy, especially if your crafting area is also your kitchen table. With good organization, you will have a better grasp of what craft materials you have and will not buy things unnecessarily. By organizing your tool, supplies and even your inspiration, you are sure to have a better crafting experience!

Organize Your Materials

• Find and Sort: First, make a list of all the crafting materials you currently own. Sort your materials into piles by type once you have accounted for everything. You will then have a good idea of the size of storage bin you will need for each type of material. You might be surprised by what you find buried in a drawer!
• Store: For larger materials, such as paper punches, you can purchase storage bins or use shoe-boxes. For a set of matching boxes, paint or cover with scrapbook paper. Many stores sell sturdy, plain cardboard storage bins, which offer many possibilities for embellishment and look a bit better overall than plastic. Here are some other ideas for cheap storage:
  • Clear mason jars work beautifully for storing items like beads and buttons. For something that fits in a drawer, try circular metal tins with clear tops. These shallow tins are often used to store spices. Can you imagine an array of beads sorted by type?
  • Empty prescription bottles work perfectly for storing needles. Cover with scrapbook paper, fabric or felt, and a touch of ric-rac of course.
  • To organize ribbon spools, find a wire hanger. Jeanie Cheeseman of Columbus. OH  says, “I take a regular wire hanger, untwist the top, string each spool (grouped by color) through the hole on the wire and re-twist the wire top. Ribbon ends should roll off the spools in the same direction and be attached to the spools with a straight pin or tape. It is convenient to use and can easily be stored by the hook top of the hanger.”
  • Empty oatmeal containers can store yarn. Check out this project for embellishing an oatmeal container for this purpose.
• Label: Make sure you label the outside of each storage bin for easy access. For inexpensive labels, simply cut up a plain brown paper bag (cut into various shapes for a bit of fun) and write your label with black permanent marker. Affix to your storage bin with double-sided tape.
  • You can create the label with the help of the item stored inside for a cute touch. For example, group scrapbook paper colors together and use a scrap to create the lablel. Affix a few beads to the outside of the storage container.

Organize Your Inspiration

Print your favorite craft projects from online and cut them out from magazines. Punch with a three-hole punch and arrange in a binder for your “Inspiration Book.”  You can even use dividers to sort by category, such as “Holiday” and “Knitting Patterns.”  For extra inspiration, hang a bulletin board or homemade Inspiration Board from above your craft area. Hang beautiful scraps of fabric, favorite pictures you want to use for a craft projects, ideas from different publications and other items to inspire.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

How to: Organize your Inspiration

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One of the biggest problems we face as creative people is keeping our work area clutter free. It’s a constant battle! Most of us need lots of supplies close by to create and that can lead to our stuff going everywhere. There are ways to keep clutter to a minimum!

1. Work in a circle. As you sit at your work table keep the items you need within arm’s reach. Less needed items can be placed to the side and back of you.

2. Never place supplies on the floor. It’s a safety hazard and an accident looking to happen.

3. Take the time to put everything up when you are done creating. It may seem like a bother, but it will save you time when you sit down to create again.

4. Invest in organizers and take your time to really think which organizers are right for you. And think outside the box. It may say it’s a bead organizer, but it could be perfect for your pom-poms and wiggly eyes!

5. Have a place for everything and everything in its’ place. You can save hours of your time (otherwise wasted time when you have to search for the item) just by building the habit of having a place you put everything.
Clutter is a part of creativity. We are inspired as we look at all our supplies and tools, but in the long run clutter can lead to frustration and distraction. Keep your work area clean and useable. It’s worth the effort and will encourage your creativity.

If you think you can get overwhelmed organizing your traditional film photos you’ll be doubly overwhelmed with how quickly digital images can add up! It’s important to keep current and keep your digital images organized.

Organizing Your Digital Photos

1. Immediately delete any images you don’t want while taking your photos. This is the first step in organizing digital images. If you aren’t happy with a photo, delete it, and re-shoot on the spot.

2. Don’t leave images in your digital camera. Download the images into a folder that includes the event and date in the folder name. This is also a good time to delete any images that you don’t want.

3. Once images are downloaded into a folder on your computer, make an index file. Create a word document and use it to describe the event, people in the photos, location, date, and journaling. This is a must!

4. If you have time, rename the images to include name, date, location or other reminder of what the photo is about. This can be done later, but it is important. This is also another opportunity to delete any unwanted images or to send images to others via e-mail. The longer you wait to organize digital images the more likely you are to forget the details like location, date, and even people in the photos.

5. t’s a good idea to back-up your photo inventory on a timely basis so you don’t lose any images if your computer has problems. It’s a good idea to keep different categories of CD or DVD copies too.

6. There are several excellent software programs that help keep your digital photos organized. Programs like Greenstreet Digital Photo Album Deluxe, OnTheGoSoft Photo Backup and Preclick Photo Organizer. These programs organize, backup, and even allow for digital albums.

7. Use subfolders for key events like birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and other annual events that you know you will take photos. The main folder should have the event name and all subfolders will have the year. For example: Main Folder is Maria’s Birthday; Subfolders are 2003, 2004, 2005, and so on. Vacation folders should include location and year with an index that includes specific dates and people.

8. If photo editing, make sure you keep the original image intact. Make a copy of the image you want to photo edit and work with that. The more you photo edit, the more the image loses some quality so it’s important that key original images be kept as backup.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

A Guide to Keeping Your Craft Area Clutter-Free

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Well, there’s only one week left until June, which means now is the perfect time to start your garden if you haven’t already. The sun is shining bright and the rain keeps feeding those plants and veggies. Your kids want to help you in the garden but you just don’t want them ruining anything, well now they can help. I came across this really cute garden marker your kids can make. You might be wondering what a garden marker is. Well, it’s a little sign that can help you organize your garden and label what vegetable is what and the same for plants and flowers if you’d like. Your kids will love making them. All you need are some popsicle sticks, foam and a few other items. They can be made in two to three easy steps.

I think this is a great idea to get your kids involved, show their crafty side and keep your garden clean and organized. If you like this craft for your kids you should also look at farm veggies. It’s another cute craft for your kids to partake in gardening. Give them something to do this Spring and start gardening! What other fun crafts can you think of for your kids this Spring?

For more great garden craft ideas, check out our FREE garden crafts eBook.

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Garden Fun For Kids

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Now that the sun is renewing our energy, many of us are engaged in the those spring cleaning projects to make our spaces a little neater and easier to navigate for the rest of the year. I actually really enjoy getting organized, but perhaps more the end result than the actual process of organizing. I just love having things tucked away. These craft projects are a great way to help you get organized in your craft space, home office, kitchen and more.

Memo/Inspiration Boards- These are so handy to jot down items for the next supermarket run in the kitchen, hang up recipes or lay out inspiring magazine pages.

1. Colorful Message Board
   

   Colorful Message Board

2. Ribbon and Fabric Inspiration Board
   

   Ribbon and Fabric Inspiration Board

3. Wine Cork Board
   

   Wine Cork Board

Storage Boxes

1. Seed Storage Box- Just in time for spring planting!
   

   Seed Storage Box

2. Keepsake Storage Box- Also a great place to store crafting supplies
   

   Keepsake Storage Box

3. Striped Storage Box- Doubles as a stool!
   

   Striped Storage Stool

Home Office

1. Seashore Sorter- A desk accessory to keep you organized and remind you of the beach
   

   Seashore Shorter

2. Custom Notebooks- Sew up some fun embellishments on plain notebooks to spruce up your space.
   

   Custom Notebooks

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

8 Ways to Make Organization Fun

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If you like to craft, somewhere in your home (or many places in your home) is likely awash with yarn, patterns, paints, magazine clippings and various machine manuals. To keep from drowning in buttons and be able to see all the available craft supplies for projects,  crafters need to give a little extra attention on organization. Of course, you can craft solutions for your organizational needs and keep it fun! Here are our favorite ideas:


Mindy’s Picks

1. The Bookbinding Etsy Street Team (AKA Best) has put together a list of box making tutorials. From origami and book boxes to clamshell and drop spine, you are bound to find something that can help you organize.
2. A quick and easy tutorial on how to jazz up a boring corkboard with old t-shirts. I love that they used a Super Mario one.
   

   T-Shirt Covered Corkboard from Crafting a Green World

3. There are a million great ideas out there for how to decorate a corkboard, but I love especially love this vintage frame by Lisa Tutman-Oglesby. Check out her blog for lots of great organizing ideas. You’ll envy her amazing craft workspace.
   

   Vintage Frame Corkboard from Lisa Tutman-Oglesby

Kelly’s Picks

1. Country Living offers some great ideas for organizing your craft room.  I especially like the simple board that could translate well into an “Inspiration board.”
2. Are you the kind of person that has to make three trips back into the house because you forgot your car keys/cell phone/wallet?  This great little door hanger will be your new best friend! Never forget anything again!
   

   Door Hanger Organizer at Design Sponge

3. These fabric boxes are great for storing all types of craft supplies.  Use leftover scrap fabric from other projects or make a  bunch that coordinate for a cohesive look – perfect, easy solution to your organizing needs.
   

   Fabric Organization Boxes from Flighty Girl

Caley’s Picks

For my picks, I’ve picked three Guest Contributors at FaveCrafts, who have shared great ideas for getting organized.

1. Allison of Petit Elefant shared a project for creating a ribbon and fabric inspiration board. She definitely makes it easy to display your ideas, photos and more.
   

   DIY Inspiration Board from Petit Elefant

2. Lisa of A Spoonful of Sugar shared a  fantastic tutorial for customizing notebooks with fabric. I’d love jotting down ideas in these.
   

   Custom Notebooks from A Spoonful of Sugar

3. Elise Bond of Betani’s Bureau shared a tip for how she organizes all the manuls for her crafting equipment. Instead of hunting all over the house when you have to change something, she puts everything at your fingertips. Great idea!
   

   Organize Your Craft Manuals from Betani's Bureau

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Favorites Friday: Get Organized!

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Lifestyles make up our trends, but lifestyles always change is subtle ways. How do you keep up with the changes? Here’s a basic list of ways to keep up to date. These basic tips are helpful to all of us in the creative world. It’s good to keep in mind that many creative people are the trend makers.

For example less than eight months ago I saw a magazine photo of an actress on a surfboard with a paddle in her hands.  I was intrigued.  I searched all over the web using keywords like surfboard paddling and paddling surfboards.  I finally found stand up paddling or SUP.  Still there was not much information.  I kept that photo on my refrigerator just to remind me I wanted to know what sport was happening! Less than a month later I saw another photo of an actor standing up on a surfboard with a paddle in his hands, but this time the location was given, Hawaii.  Now I began to find more information.

Within 3 months of these photos appearing in a celebrity magazine, there were dozens of websites, a SUP magazine, and five places in Florida where you could go take lessons.  Celebrities can help build trends (and also fads), so keep an eye on what popular celebrities are showing interest in.  Many times top design companies send celebrities free items just because they are so powerful in the public eye.  Thank you Jennifer Aniston and Matthew McConaughey for bringing a cool new sport into my life with your celebrity trend making! Another example of celebrity influence is the burst of energy knitting (a classic technique in crafting) enjoyed when Vanna White from the Wheel of Fortune joined with Lion Brand Yarns in promoting the hobby.
Spot Those Trends

So you want to be a trend spotter?  There are ways to keep up to date on what’s happening in the world of trending.

* Visit www.FaveCrafts.com and its blog often
* Read scrapbooking and craft consumer magazines
* Watch the gift market
* Read home decor magazines
* Visit a local art and craft shows for inspiration
* Observe the displays in furniture and home accessory shops
* Keep color, fabric, ribbon, lace, yarn, and other swatches handy
* Keep a notebook and pen handy for quick notes
* Find the common themes and threads of what appeals to you … these are the trends or soon to be trends
* Create an index box of ideas to develop … one idea per card.
* Sit in a mall or visit stores and people watch. Look for common bonds or common themes.
* Cut out appealing displays and designs from magazines and catalogs. Keep these clippings in a folder for when you need inspiration.
* Visit model homes in your community. Most are decorated by top interior designers who stay on top of trends in color, motif, and textures.

Hot Motifs for 2009 next Wednesday!

This is a post from: FaveCraftsBlog

Spotting Trends, Making Trends

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