Here are the skeletons in my craft closet. She was in some major need of plastic surgery. Once upon a time, this was a coat closet, but I booted the coats to make room for my supplies. My offspring usurped my former studio when Moose arrived in 2007.
I guess they needed somewhere to sleep.
Since then, living in a two bedroom home has been an organizational nightmare. This mama needs a space of her own. Even if it’s the front hall closet.
Try not to cry.
And cringe.
I love how kids’ toys infiltrate every nook like dust.
That would be the unfinished baby albums.
Sigh.
Scrapbooks, interrupted.
My pathetic means of organizing this wormhole:
Jotting down contents of what’s in each of my vintage lunch boxes
so I can find my charcoal, paints, etc with some ease.
Clearly, this system’s for the birds. I can’t part with the lunch boxes though.
I made them a part of my new system, because I love them and if not used in a practical manner in our home, the husband will kick them to the curb.
So after pulling a few college all-nighters, this is the end result. I borrowed the bookcase from the boys’ room because they were scaling it like Mount Everest and giving me heart attacks anyway. Removing the pole for the coats was a breeze. I bought all the boxes from Ikea and had the smaller canvas ones from Michael’s on hand.
Now, rather than making you cringe…it will make you smile.
Drum roll, please…
Welcome to my new and improved craft closet!
Don’t you love that original 1938 doorknob?
{They don’t make them like they used to}
Ta-da!
Do you see the angelic glow of happiness around it?
Do you hear the chorus singing?
A place for everything, and everything in its place. Ah.
The closet is still screaming for a paint-job, but it’s not warm enough to open the windows here in Chicago just yet. Maybe stripes? A fun stencil? Some Nate Berkus inspired starched fabric to look like “wallpaper”? Any suggestions? The walls are plaster and beat-up badly.
Soon enough. I promise I will post it!
You may be wondering what happened to all the kid toys from earlier…
Later this week their new toy/book closet will be revealed. I removed our towels and linen closet and did a little conversion. We have way more books and toys than towels, sheets, and tablecloths!
Happy Spring Cleaning!
I’m linking up @ Thrifty Decor Chic‘s Before and After & Centsational Girl
I love, love, love this! It is inspirational. I just started organizing some of my craft stuff — one day I will have a craft room. Right now it’s the teenager’s bedroom. Until the day when the room is once again available, part of a closet will have to do, right?
What a HUGE difference!!!!! =) It looks great! You must feel like a rockstar now that it is all fabulous and organized! =)
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
I was glad to see that mine is not the only craft closet to contain kiddy games and puzzles! You did a great job…I love the choice of boxes and how everything is so neatly stacked.
You’ve inspired me:)
Cheers!
Theres
Great job, sometimes I wish I had closets. But if my stuff looked as great as yours I wouldn’t mind it not being behind closed doors. If I were you I’d accidentally leave the door open to the closet when company comes, to show off!
LOVE it. OMG I so need to do that you have, inspired me!!
Wow, this looks so great! and yes, I know how kid stuff just gets into all the nooks & crannies of the house…sighhh!
Looks lovely but that door knob is to die for!!
This looks great. I so need to do this myself. My craft closet looks very much like your “before”.
Can you come over, pleeease and help me with my ever growing mess!
I love those boxes with cards so you can read what’s in them.
So nice, thank’s for showing me that there is hope for my mess.
xoxo
Angela.
Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor! Wow! When will you be arriving to do mine?
I hope soon. Can you stay a week….or TWO? I need to get organized in a really bad way.
Your door knob is divine. That is what made me click on your linky…so beautiful. You are right, they DON’T make them like they used to.
Kristine
Thanks for linking this up to our Wicked Awesome Wednesday linky party.
Gorgeous! Simply gorgeous! I can’t get enough of those beautiful boxes
Shelley
http://www.westermanfam.blogspot.com
Wow looks great. I’m sure you will be a lot more productive that you can grab everything and go craft.
I love the door knob too!
Terrific job! I am facing the need for a complete rehaul of my closet, too. It is so daunting, but I know it will be worth it in the end!
I DID hear a chorus!
And I covet your doorknob and your neatly labeled boxes in the worst way.
Great job!
what a do over…love the crisp white boxes with everything tidied away in it’s proper place…great job!
alison
stuff and nonsense
First of all, I love the door knob.
Secondly, the chalkboard labels totally make the boxes. I think only “people like us” would add something like a chalkboard label to a box just because it makes it cuter.
Thirdly, how is the closet holding up now? I only ask because I can never seem to make organization like that stick. I spend hours organizing and cleaning and two weeks later it’s back to the same ol’ clutter.