Remember this? This is what my studio looked like three weeks ago. Horrible isn't it? I should be mortified to even be posting this picture, not once, but twice! I'm doing it so the HUGE improvements that have been made will be blatantly obvious! But I'm not going to show you everything at once. First, here is a close-up shot of the cabinet where I kept some craft supplies, the top of which also serves as a small ironing station. This is the before shot:
And here is after!
Tons better, don't you agree? I broke down and bought myself a travel ironing pad which was just the perfect size for the top of that cabinet so there's no more sloppy ends hanging down. That one was also terribly stained from all the times I used the iron to heat-set paint or dye and forgot to put down a silicone protective sheet. I'll be more careful with this one! We actually have the door to the cabinet too, but my husband removed it several years ago when the girls used it to store their Barbie toys and now I can't find the hinges he took off! The piece is from Ikea and I know I can get replacement hinges. They only cost a couple of bucks but the shipping charges were ridiculous so I haven't ordered them yet. Maybe next time we're in Jersey or on LI we'll stop at the stores there. Then everything on those shelves will be kept out of sight.
Next, here's a close-up shot of the storage cubbies on the other wall. As I said before, these used to hold the girls toys and games and I've slowly been taking them over one by one. In order to get maximum use of each cubby, I sometimes stacked storage boxes and piled things up.
I went through all those bins and cubbies, condensed all the items or got rid of them, and moved my fabric storage here in white cardboard boxes from Staples. This is what the shelf looks like now:
HUGE improvement, right? I plan on neatening it up even more by adding some more recycled cans (like the one holding the paint brushes) to store markers, pens, and pencils. Some of the girls' things are still on the shelf to the far right, and when I figure out what to do with them, they will be gone too! I'm also still trying to come up with a way of covering up the chart on the front of those boxes. At first, I thought maybe white contact paper, but I think the lines will still show through. I could paint them, but that would also probably require several layers. Anyone got any suggestions? Paint them first, then use contact paper? Hmmm.
Below is the view of my sewing table. It still has the remnants of some projects I'm finishing up, but it looks a whole lot better than it did. I reorganized the little drawers on the right and decluttered the ledge near the window and the shelf next to it. That window is at ground level and tends to get splashed with dirt when it rains, as well as getting covered in cobwebs in the summer. I usually just try to ignore the dirt, knowing that soon after I clean it, it will only get dirty again. But this time I swept off all the dirt and thoroughly cleaned it so the light coming through is clean and clear. It makes such a difference! I'll have to make a point of taking the time to do that several times a year. It really only took a few minutes!
Finally, here is a shot of the whole space so far. I still have some odds & ends I need to deal with. It's tempting to try to keep and store even the smallest scraps because sometimes when I'm making these little postcards, ATCs, or charms, a tiny scrap is all you need! But I keep telling myself that a neat and organized area is more valuable to me than a messy pile of little scraps, which helps me toss things out. I'm not completely finished with the reorganization, but I'm 90% there, and it's such a relief! Over the summer, I hope to tackle the rest of the house! (I'll let you know how that goes!).
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