Chez Larsson

Organizing the Craft Room Part II

2010-02-10T07:00:00+01:00

Today I thought I'd address the furnishings in Chrystelle's craft room. Above is a drawing of the way it's laid out today. Since Chrystelle e-mailed the first time she drafted her husband in to make some changes and below I'll give my two cents on the layout and some additions and alterations she might want to consider.

The layout stays mostly the same because we want to to take advantage of the daylight from the window and because those three open shelves which I gave advice on the other day are fine where they are. Also the built in closet (which I will deal with in a separate post) obviously won't go anywhere else and there's just enough space inside of the door for the dresser which not only is pretty but also practical storage space.

The main thing I think would do with some change would be the work space. There's just not enough of it considering all the work Chrystelle does in there.

This is how the computer desk started out. Very cute desk but way too small and unpractical.

This desk will look awesome somewhere else in Chrystelle's house I'm sure. I imagine it in a hallway, a space to sort mail (with a recycling basket underneath) and where Chrystelle and husband William can each use a drawer to empty their pockets into at the end of the day (and find the contents each morning!).

A vase with flowers, a piece of William's art over it (both Chrystelle and her husband are artists) ... you get the picture.

The computer has been moved since and it now sits on a table by the doorway. Much better but I believe it can still be improved on. I'd move the computer away from there and use the table as a cutting table for quilting and sewing. Chrystelle used to use a table like that but because of the low sitting height it wasn't practical because you want to stand when cutting. I was sure I'd seen table raisers somewhere and after googling I found this post which seems to solve the problem at a fraction of the cost of buying a taller table.

I'd probably use the table for paper crafts too because I like to move around when doing them.

Here's a view of the window wall version #1 with sewing machine and serger. It's obviously way to small.

Here's the same desk and what an improvement in terms of sorting and organizing! I still feel there's not adequate workspace though.

I suggest building a simple work top along the length of the window wall using simple materials such as MDF or laminate.The desk top can rest on timber supports along the walls but will also need at least one leg support at the closet end and possibly one more. The corner is rounded so there's easy access to the closet to the right too. If using laminate there are laminate strips you can iron on the raw edges after cutting to make them smooth and pro looking.

I'd use the desk for the TV which now sits on a separate little drawer unit, for the computer and for the sewing machine and serger. The sewing machine and serger can be shoved toward the back of the desk when not in use. I've added soft pads to the bottom of my sewing machine so it glides better.

There may be comments on the computer and sewing machine living in the same space and one getting dusty from the other but I still think this will be a better solution than before. Chrystelle can sew a little cover for the computer if she wants to cover it when doing a lot of sewing. You know like those typewriters used to have. Very Mad Men :)

That's it for part II in organizing Chrystelle's craft room. More to come. Any other suggestions for her?

Custom Mouse Mat

2010-02-09T07:00:00+01:00

Ok, I'll start this with a disclaimer. If you are a tech whiz or super gamer please return another day. Thank you.

My (already to begin with low tech) mouse mat had seen better days and wasn't very fresh looking anymore so I decided to recover it with another fabric. It's simply a matter of spray gluing the top...

... and turning the mouse mat over onto an ironed piece of fabric and pressing down hard to make the two adhere to one-another. Oh, my thumb nail? Banged it with a hammer when putting up the wreaths back in November.

Cut the excess off with scissors following the edge closely. Turn over, smooth out any creases and let dry.

Result; one pretty mouse mat. Like I said if you have top performance requirements for your mouse mat don't do this but if you just need a pretty mouse mat go for it. I have done this before with a linen/cotton blend fabric and that actually worked better than this all cotton one, I recommend a fabric that's slightly glossier than the one I chose but this works well enough for me.

Organizing Open Storage in a Craft Room

2010-02-08T07:00:00+01:00

Chrystelle e-mailed me with some organizing and clutter issues in her craft room. I'm going to try and help her out in a few posts, each dedicated to one area or topic.

Today is about open storage in a craft room. Craft room are notoriously difficult to keep organized becuse there are so many components and supplies especially when you do different types of crafts like Chrystelle, who scraps, sews, crochets, knits, quilts and tends to her Etsy shop in that same space.

What you see here are the three open shelving units and there's a whole lot going on there. There's a lot of stuff but there are some tips and tricks you can use to make it look less busy.

Tip #1: Line shelves up.

When shelves are lined up the overall look will be calmer. It seems silly that those two off shelves above will make any difference but they will, believe me. Click on image to view larger.

Tip #2: Make fronts for clear containers.

See the difference in the blue lidded container to the left and the smaller ones with pretty fronts made out of craft paper? Such an easy and inexpensive way to disguise craft supplies. Great job on those, Chrystelle! Click on image to view larger.

Tip #3: Line books up at the front of shelves.

Instead of shoving your books and albums against the back of the shelving unit bring them forward so they align with the front of the shelves. It will look instantly neater and there won't be any ledge for clutter left in front of the books. Click on image to view larger.

Tip #4: Use the top for storage instead of clutter.

The top of these shelves end up being cluttered simply because there's empty space up there. Down inside the shelving unit space it's cramped. I'd move those pretty boxes (circled in green) up to the top. That way space will be freed up below and some of the stuff I know is covering other areas such as the desk top and floor (Rule #1: Never put anything directly on the floor.) can find a new home.

What to do with the clutter on top? Decide whether it's something you need to hold on to or if it can go. If it's worth keeping, it's worth storing in a better place that up there :) Click on image to view larger.

Tip #5: Loose the shelf clutter!

I know there are things one wants out on display. The thing is though that if it's all out at once it will just be... well, clutter.

I suggest getting a box out (and then stored...) and labeling it "pretty things I love" and then after the open storage unit is organized, using the tips above, you can add three of the things you love on the shelves. They will now pop and tell your story and add whimsy or sophistication or whatever it is you want. Store your box and add to it as you go along and occasionally switch things out. Click on image to view larger.

Haha! Everytime I've added the Click on image to view larger I can feel Chrystelle cringe and go "Oh no, why would anyone want to see my clutter up closer!?" Sorry Chrystelle, but you asked for it :)

Ok, more to come later on on Chrystelle's craft room!

..................................

Did you have a good weekend btw? Over all I did but I was so frustrated yesterday. The Internet was totally against me. No matter what I touched in cyber space it went wrong. I managed to get this post together in the end but I missed out on working out. If you are following me on Twitter you know I've joined a gym and in the Chez Larsson tradition (of going all in) I'm hooked. Well, I'll have to go tonight after work then for sure. Oh, and Martin joined too (he's the one who drafted me) and he's lost 4 kg/8 pounds in a week (but then he's on a diet too and I'm not. I WILL NOT sacrifice chocolate.)

365 Day 29-35

2010-02-05T07:00:00+01:00

Last weekend started with sorting a lot of papers. Tax season. We don't have any complicated stuff going on but it always feels good to get rid of old papers while going through whatever's needed for tax purposes.

Martin likes an egg a day and so does Mini apparently...

... and Bonus too.

One of my favorite magazines at the moment is US Country Living. This issue was too weathered and junky for me though.

Wille and Bonus have this amazing bond. Neither of your kitties is very cuddly and are of the variety that won't let you pick them up much. Bonus loves to plonk down on top of Wille though and then relaxes completely.

There's not been anything green visible outside whatsoever since mid December so I sowed some cat grass. It's a popular and pretty snack on the warm windowsill.

The three of us drink huge amounts of milk. At least three liters/quarts a day. I'm curious, do you drink milk? I know that in some countries people don't. I know all three of us miss Swedish milk the most of all foods and beverages when we travel abroad.

Metal Matchbox

2010-02-04T07:00:00+01:00

I had a couple of left over round metal boxes that were dying to be made over. They used to contain spices but have been sitting empty in the basement pantry for a while.

At the same time I was sick of our matchboxes. I used to recover them with paper but that felt a bit tired. I do love the classic design of our regular matchboxes but am not keen on them lying around. I wanted to have something that could be left out without it feeling too much like clutter. I LOVE this one and it was just about the only thing on my Christmas wish list but I didn't get it so I guess it wasn't meant to be :).

So, I emptied out the matches into the metal boxes, cut off the striking surfaces and cut them in half...

...taped the striking sufaces together at the back and trimmed them so they would fit inside of the metal lid...

... and then used double sided tape to stick them to the inside of the lid.

Hey presto! Two matchboxes. One for the livingroom and one for the kitchen. Oh, and the stickers were from Martha Stewart Crafts at Michaels last year.