Creating an Art and Craft Cabinet

This post is about how I created a small space for arts and crafts and it ends with a few tips for developing a creative space.

When I was working on our Home Purpose Statement, I decided that one of our main home purposes is to be a place for artistic expression. We are blessed to have a room available for this, but it was becoming a bit of a junk storage area. Earlier in 2015 I did a big clear out of the art/music room but for some reason the space still just wasn’t working as planned. Time for a re-evaluation of what was working and not working!

After some reflection I asked my daughter why she didn’t enjoy her crafting cabinet which was in the art room, and she suggested that she would rather have the long counter top which would give her space to work. Her idea inspired me to do a swop – I would put all my scrapbooking supplies and craft materials in the cabinet and she could use the bigger counter top space for her projects instead.

I also decided that one of the reasons I didn’t get to art and craft work was because the light in our art room is not that bright and I have to go and unlock the room to use it. It is also not that well ventilated, so not ideal for keeping archival materials. So we moved the cabinet into the guest room! Initially the guest room was a huge mess and I wondered if I would be able to fit all my crafting goodies into such a small space. But some persistence paid off.

In the last few weeks I have loved using my new crafting space because it is easily accessible now and I have all my supplies at my finger tips. The lovely morning light is ideal, although I have found the inside of the cabinet needs extra lighting. It is easy to put everything back in its place and I can shut the cabinet doors when we have a guest using the room.

If you feel inspired to create your own artistic space, a really worthwhile read is How to make an Art Studio at Home by Amy Johnson Maricle on her blog Mindful Art Studio. Even if it is in the corner of a room, it is really therapeutic to have a space in which to create.

Some take away tips for creating creative space:

• Think about the creative space you need (and want!) – use Pinterest and Houzz for some inspiration and consider what will work for your home.
• No space is too small - all that is required is a surface on which to work and some storage space nearby (even a toolbox or rolling cart can work for storing art supplies).
• Lighting is important – try to take advantage of natural light if possible and supplement with task lighting where necessary.
• Everything must have a home – it makes everything so much easier to find and put away again if you designate a space for each item.

Do you have a creative space at home? What inspires you about that space? If not, what do you think is holding you back?