Craft Room Organization: Ribbon

The hubby and I decided recently that we're going to take the plunge and carpet our upstairs 1/2 story. This is a decidedly complex task involving packing up and moving roughly 800 million records and also my craft room. My craft room has, in the last few years, also shared quarters with the guest room, making it a little tight. Okay, that's an understatement. I'd have more room if I set up shop in my bathtub. And since roughtly 1.8 people visit every year, we decided that the guest room goes and the craft room expands. Besides, that's what futons are for, and we still have one of those. With that plushy new carpet people can just crash on the floor, right?

I started thinking about how I could expand my little space (which will still be cramped, but will be much better now) and be more organized than ever. Each thing needs a place. That tangled mass of thread thrown in a shoebox (albeit a different shoe box than the one that most of it came in, handed down from my mom) is going to get a nice wall organizer. The fabric in drawers is going to get shelving so I can see what I have. Same for the yarn.

The ribbon that takes up most of my sewing desk was my first deliverable (to use my work-speak). I set out researching how others do it. Martha does it with a fancy neutral box and a dowel rod. This is essentially the idea that I ran with, except since I'm not Martha, mine is much more pedestrian. It's the box my camera came in, covered with paper, decoupaged, with a long knitting needle stuck through the middle of it because I don't have dowel rods just laying around handy (and I do have lots of random knitting needles, but that organizational project is next week!).

If you only have a handful of spools, you can buy one from Pottery Barn that looks pretty sweet and kind of vintage shabby chic. This is a pretty neat handmade one posted by mewpaperarts on Flickr. If you have enough ribbon to fill a ribbon store, try the galvanized gutter method by Skitzo Leezra on Flickr. And, if I had done a little bit more research before delving into this project, I would have made what SewPixie made and hung some dowel rods on a ribbon. Hers is so simple and sophisticated, and she can clearly hang more than I can shove in my tiny box.

Now, much of my ribbon is not neatly wound around a cardboard dealie any more. So, I will next be implementing the glass jar method of organization. Stay tuned for more crafty craft room ideas! And they will all be on the cheap or handmade, because I am doing DIY design on a dime!