Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

Sewing Storage Hack #1 Fold-Up Sewing Desk:Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

I don’t have a lot of room for my sewing space so I use all of the little tricks I can think of to make my space functional and organized so that I can create all of the projects here at So Very Crafty.  As you can see from the photo have a nice compact sewing cabinet that is large enough to fit my sewing machine and my serger and can fold away when I need it to.  I purchased this cabinet through my affiliate Amazon.com.  This cabinet is made by Sauder and it folds up and rolls away when I need the space. There is room for my books and my thread and bobbins; an extra light, a clip board and a magnifier.  I have a bulletin board for my notes and future projects.  I also use some great sewing hacks but this post is all about Sewing Room Organizing Hacks.

 

Sewing Room Storage Hack #2 Straws: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

You can see that I use a great sewing hack for my spools of thread and that is straws. I like using spool racks because they keep my thread available and out in the open.  But because I don’t have a lot of space I need to make the small rack go a little farther so I extend the pins on the spool rack using straws.  That way I can put three or even four spools on one pin.  This is a neat trick that keeps me organized in a small space. If your straws are thin enough you can use them to extend the pins in order to pair your thread with matching bobbins.

Sewing Storage Hack #3 Comic Book Boards:Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

I am the queen of remnants.  I always have a huge stash of remnant fabrics that I purchase at my local fabric store.  Remnants are always 50% off and I always stock up when they have their 75% off remnant sale.  Remnants are the end of the bolt and can be any amount of fabric up to a yard.  I have found that for many of the projects that I create including the bags and hats that I sell on my Etsy shop Sew Me Mine Boutique remnants are just enough fabric to complete the project.  However, storing the remnants in a way that I can easily locate and identify the fabrics became a problem as my stash grew.  I solved this problem by using comic book board.  They can be purchased in bulk at my affiliate Amazon.  Simply wrap the fabric around the board and pin the remnant label on the outside and stack the boards or line them up just like your own little fabric store. You can find the fabric you want simply and easily.

 

Sewing Storage Hack #4 Dowel and Jar: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

On occasion I use ribbon in my projects but storage of the ribbon has always been a problem for me so I decided to create a space-saving ribbon storage solution.  I took an empty pickle jar that I had saved for a future project and painted it in a pattern that I liked.  Then I took a large dowel that I had on hand as well.  I screwed a top plate that is used for attaching legs to furniture to one end of the dowel.  I painted it and the dowel to match.  Then I drilled a hole in the lid of the jar the size of the dowel.  I Placed the lid over the dowel and the dowel into the jar and screwed on the lid.  I then placed my ribbon onto the dowel for very easy storage.  I actually had all of these items on hand but you can get the dowel and top plate at any home improvement or hardware store.  I added a drawer knob to the top of the dowel for a little decoration.  This was a really easy, inexpensive, and fun project to do and it saved a lot of space in my little sewing area.

Sewing Storage Hack #5 Owl Caddy: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

Several years ago I made an owl caddy to keep all of my sewing notions easily and at hand.  I absolutely love it.  I use it everyday. I know that I got the idea from another blogger but honestly can’t remember who but I came across a terrific tutorial for a similar owl done by Jessie over at Dimplicity.com and will post it here.  You can click on the link or the picture above.  The above picture is the one that I made and use everyday.  The reason I like this caddy is that I can keep pins, needles, invisible pens, seam rippers, sewing gauge, and small scissors readily available.  Not only is it functional it is fun too.

Sewing Storage Hack #6 Bobbin Covers: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

I always have problems with my bobbin tails pulling away and making a mess all over my sewing table and getting wound up in a neighboring bobbin so I decided to do something about it.  I went to my local pharmacy and bought the smallest hair ties they had and used those to put around my bobbins while storing them in my bobbin rack.  No more bobbin tails.  It is a terrific hack for a very annoying problem.

 

Sewing Storage Hack #7 Behind the Door: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

I purchased a behind the door craft organizer from my local craft store which really helps me to keep my scissors and rotary cutters, additional trims, interfacing, fat quarters and other miscellaneous items tidy but easily accessible. The specific item I purchased is the Metal Storage Hanger by Recollections but is no longer available.   It can be hung over the door as I have done or can be mounted on the wall.  I don’t have any wall space so putting it over the door was perfect.  I have seen a number of examples on-line where people have created their own but I really needed something right away so didn’t take the time to create something on my own.  Here are a few photos that I found on Pinterest of over the door organizers that others have created on their own.  I hope they give you some inspiration to either go out and purchase one or use your imagination and things you have on hand and create one yourself.

Sewing Storage Hack #8 Magazine Rack: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

I found a small iron magazine rack at Salvation Army that sits perfectly behind my sewing machine and is just large enough for all of my rulers that I use to measure and cut with.  There are some curly cues that I use to hang my tape measure and some smaller quilting squares as well as my swatch buddies.  I also have a press cloth and a small pouch filled with sewing clips.  There are more curly cues to hang things from if I need them.  I just love it.  While I was at Salvation Army I purchased a little metal pot lid holder that is perfect for holding paper instructions and patterns that I am currently working on.  I also found a metal slide out drawer that is divided in the middle. It sits flat on the table and is perfect for storing my current stash of sewing and crafting magazines.  All three items cost less than $10 and solve a myriad of storage problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sewing Storage Hack #9 Bulletin Board: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

I purchased a bulletin board that was on sale in the clearance aisle at my local fabric store.  It is divides into six squares.  The top three are chalk board and the bottom three are burlap for pinning.  I decided to paint over the chalk board part with magnetic paint and then again with chalk board paint so that I could use some month magnets that I made to stick to the top of each section and could write on it with chalk markers.  The month magnets were easy to make.  I purchased some wood words at my local craft store that spelled out each month.  I painted each month in a different color.  I attached a small magnet on the back of each.  I use the sections of the bulletin board to organize my projects three months at a time.  I use the the month magnets to designate each month.  It’s a fun and colorful way to keep me organized.

Sewing Storage Hack #10 Pants Hanger: Sewing Room Organizing Hacks

While I was at Salvation Army I came across a four tiered pants hangar where the ends open.  It is perfect for hanging fabric and additional ribbons and trims.  I use it to store fabrics that I have cut out waiting to be sewn.  Sometimes I get distracted and do not finish a project before moving on to another one.  The four tiered pants hanger is perfect for hanging fabric, clipping pattern pieces, hanging ribbons and trims and then hanging the whole thing up out-of-the-way.  I just love it.

These are just 10 of my favorite sewing room organizing hacks that help me keep my small sewing space organized and my projects easy to complete.  I would love to hear about your organizing tips and tricks especially those that use upcycled items you have at home or have found at a thrift store where your purchase goes to help others in need.  Post them in the comments here so that everyone can share their favorite organizing hacks.  Let me know what you think of mine and together we can craft and sew in a small space with a lot of impact.

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