I’ve said in more than one post and video that I will probably never get a DreamBox because my craft studio is just not set up well for one. I have so many windows and doors that no matter where I put it, it would be in the way. In the photo above you can see I have a window and a closet to the right and to the left is the door to my studio. There’s not much walking space at the front of the desk either—I’ve actually moved furniture away so I could take these photos! Whether open or closed, the DreamBox 3 would just not fit in this space.

So up until now, I’ve used smaller Create Room storage solutions, like the DreamCart and the Cubbies (which have been unfortunately discontinued!).

But when Create Room reached out to me about reviewing their newest product, the DreamBox Center, I knew I could make some of my DreamBox dreams come true!

The DreamBox Center is basically the core of the new DreamBox 3 without the big storage doors. This is perfect for smaller or awkward spaces like mine that won’t allow for the larger storage doors. And it’s also a great option for people with a smaller budget.

Even better, you can start with the DreamBox Center and upgrade to the full DreamBox 3 later as your crafting business grows. It’s more affordable and adaptable!

Save $150 on a DreamBox Center with promo code HEYLETSMAKESTUFFDBC or
Save $250 on a DreamBox 3 with promo code HEYLETSMAKESTUFF!

I’ve turned my DreamBox Center into a shipping station for my Etsy shop Chapter & Craft. Before I was using a small desk next to my computer. There was not enough room to work and I was constantly struggling with connecting my computer to my thermal printer since they weren’t in the same space.

But now I have everything set up so nicely! I have all my packing supplies readily accessible, I have a lot of my larger stickers stored in the drawers, and I can easily get to my mug press since it’s the machine I use most often to make product that I sell. And I still have some empty drawers in the bottom for when my business continues to grow.

I can also add my DreamCart to this setup whenever I need extra workspace. This has been a lifesaver on days when I have larger orders.

I’ve been using this setup for about two weeks now and I can’t tell you how much better it is than my old setup! And because it’s separate from my main work area, it makes it easy for my husband to come and ship orders when I’m busy (which has happened a few times!). I love having all of my shipping supplies right in front of me—it makes packing orders a breeze.

DreamBox Center Set Up

My DreamBox Center came unassembled, but assembly really wasn’t bad at all. I did probably 80% of it myself with my husband helping when we needed to lift it up or add the heavier pieces. It only took me a long afternoon to set up the entire thing.

DreamBox Center Storage

If you don’t get any of the upgrades, your DreamBox Center will have:

• 16 medium drawers
• 5 small drawers
• A large fold down table
• Several shelves

To customize mine, I’ve only used one shelf between the top two sets of drawers (it comes with two shelves for that area) as well as a tension rod for my labeling stickers.

DreamBox Center Review

So overall I am thrilled to have a DreamBox in my craft room. It’s not the big one, but it offers a ton of storage and it’s working so well as a shipping station for me. Even though I’m not storing “normal” craft supplies in mine, I think you can be confident that it will also work for crafters as well.

The post Create Room DreamBox Center Review + Coupon Code! appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

This post was written in partnership with Create Room, but all opinions are my own!

I love talking craft room organization so when Create Room reached out to me to review their newly redesigned DreamCart 2, it was a quick yes!

I’ve talked a lot about how as much as I’d like a Dreambox, it’s just not the right solution for my storage needs in my studio. I need more storage for BIG stuff, like bins of blanks and heavy heat presses. I really like how my smaller supplies are currently stored and I didn’t want to re-do my entire studio just so I could have a Dreambox, even if it is amazing!

But I did have one area of my studio that would be perfect for a DreamCart 2, and it would help free up other space for the larger items I’m struggling to store. Because I need to take a lot of photos for my blog and YouTube channel, I have a dedicated photography space in my craft room.

Save $50 on a DreamCart 2 with promo code HEYLETSMAKESTUFF50!

Before I got the DreamCart 2, my photography space was just an old IKEA table on rolling legs. It was the first table I ever got for my business and the work surface was really scratched and marred and bowed in the center. It was also too big for almost everything I photograph and the sides of it ended up becoming a drop zone for random stuff. The table housed two big bins underneath full of stuff I’ve made (yeah, I did clean it up a bit…that stuff was everywhere under the table!).

It felt like wasted space. Too much table, not enough storage. So I decided the Dream Cart 2 would be perfect here!

I disassembled the old table and assembled the DreamCart 2 (see below for my thoughts on assembly). I moved all of my staging supplies from a closet on the other side of the room (very inconvenient for photography) and filled the drawers. Already, this space makes so much more sense as a photography area in my studio. It takes up less room and my staging items are close at hand so I’m not walking all over my studio!

I also used my Cricut machine to cut colorful drawer fronts that match my Create Room Cubby. They aren’t right next to each other, but I can get them both in a single shot!

(Sorry, friends, the wire paper rack has been out of stock for years! If someone would like to get on inventing something similar, the entire craft community would probably come out in droves to buy it.)

Let me mention a few other things I really like about the DreamCart 2.

First it comes with five drawer inserts for organizing small things. These are super helpful for sorting smaller things and I’m glad that five of them are included with your purchase!

I also like that it’s on locking wheels. Sometimes I need to move my photography table so I can take shots against the full wall, and moving the big table was a huge pain! Having the DreamCart 2 on wheels makes it so easy to roll it out of the way if I need to and to move it right back when I’m done.

If you’d like, you could also use it without the totes. The bottom and top dividers are removable, so you could easily store a Cricut and a printer on the cart, for example.

The only thing I don’t love about the cart is that I find the collapsible leg to be a bit tough to close. It makes me feel like it might pinch my fingers. I’ve done it a bunch of times now and I haven’t pinched myself, but I wish there was an easier release mechanism.

Now let’s dive in and learn more about the DreamCart 2!

Frequently Asked Questions about the DreamCart 2

Who Is the DreamCart 2 For?

There are lots of types of crafters who might want a DreamCart 2 in their craft space.

The first would be a crafter who doesn’t really have a dedicated craft space! This smaller piece of furniture can tuck out of the way and holds a lot of supplies. Put the table up when you want to craft, and lower it back down when you need things out of the way.

The second would be someone like me, who needs more storage and/or workspace in their craft room but can’t fit or afford a larger Dreambox.

The third would be Dreambox users themselves! If you have a Dreambox, you can attach the DreamCart 2 to get even more space to work and store supplies.

How Big is the DreamCart 2?

The DreamCart 2 is 16.75″ deep, 29″ high, and just a hair over 34″ wide when the table is collapsed. It’s 61″ wide when the table is up. It has 12 large tote drawers.

Is the DreamCart 2 Easy to Assemble?

The DreamCart 2 comes flat-packed, meaning you do have to assemble it yourself. My amazing husband actually did most of the assembly for me (if you’ve been around here any length of time you’ll know I have chronic pain issues in my hands). We both thought the assembly went easily, with specialized cams and bolts that made it simple to put things together. In particular, I love how easy the drawer tracks were to install. So much better than messing with other drawer and shelf systems.

How is the DreamCart 2 Different than the Original DreamCart?

I don’t have the original DreamCart to compare this new DreamCart 2, but looking online there are some clear differences.

The first is that the original DreamCart had two tables, one on each side of a storage section in the middle. Depending on your needs and set up, one may be more practical than the other for you. I really like the storage one the one side and table to the other. For some, tables on both sides may be ideal. It truly depends on your space and needs.

The second is that there is more storage in the DreamCart 2 compared to its predecessor. The original DreamCart had 16 medium drawers, but I think the overall storage is greater with 12 large drawers. You can also access the drawers from either side of the DreamCart 2, making it possible to put the cart facing either left or right against a wall, or to have it in the middle of a space.

The third is the price! The original DreamCart is $599, but the DreamCart 2 is just $499, or $399 if you buy it along with a DreamBox!

Can You Attach the DreamCart 2 to a DreamBox?

Yes! In fact, I think the new design makes it even easier to attach it to a Dreambox, based on what I’ve read about the original DreamCart. There are specific instructions and hardware in the DreamCart 2 box for installing with a Dreambox.

How Much can the DreamCart 2 Hold?

Quite a bit. Not quite as much as my CreateRoom Cubby, but close. The drawers hold a lot more than you might imagine and you can store smaller things using the inserts. Each drawer is designed to hold 15lbs worth of supplies and the drawers on the actual shelves can hold even more.

The table extension is designed to hold up to 40lbs of whatever craft you’re working on!

I hope you found this review of the Create Room DreamCart 2 helpful in making a purchase! Also check out my review of the Create Room Cubby, which is similar but doesn’t have the table extension. I also love how that storage solution has worked for me in my studio!

The post Create Room DreamCart 2 Review + Coupon Code! appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

If you’re a crafter struggling with a messy and disorganized craft room, today we’re clearing out the clutter by spring cleaning your craft room! And if it’s not spring when you’re reading this, well, then it’s back to school cleaning or it’s cleaning for the holidays. We can all use a little decluttering no matter what time of year it is!

I really love to clean and organize (I know, but what can I say…I’m Type A!) but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And people have a myriad of challenges when it comes to cleaning their craft rooms, including space considerations, storage solutions, energy or health levels, and more. And I think it’s harder to get organized the longer you’ve gone without doing a good deep clean, which can stop crafters from cleaning before they even start.

But having a clean(ish) and tidy(ish) space can help you unleash your creativity and be more productive. Let’s walk through 10 tips to organize your craft room. Some of these take more energy than others, so set aside different time blocks to work on this project. It may take you a while and it may (okay, it will) get messy in the middle. But in the end, you’ll have a space you love where you can actually enjoy crafting!

You can check out my full Craft Room Tour to see more details about my studio, including more details about all of the storage solutions I talk about below.

Watch the Video

Want to hear all of my tips and tricks in an easy-to-watch video? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written set of tips!

1. Set Clear Goals

Before I embark on any big project, I like to think about my goals. Whether it’s learning how to use a new crafting machine, writing a book, or organizing my craft room, having a clear goal in mind gives me something to visualize when I’m stuck in the dreary middle of a big project.

For my own craft room organization, I made three primary goals that I wanted to work toward:

• Create a space that makes it easy for me to craft whenever I’d like
• Make my craft supplies easily accessible so I wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time digging through bins or baskets
• Foster a creative environment through color and bright light

Your goals may be different! Perhaps you need to downsize because you’re moving houses, or you want to be more efficient so you need a craft room layout that works well for you. Maybe you’re starting a small business and you need to clear out the clutter to make room for inventory and shipping supplies or perhaps you just want to walk into your craft room and feel at peace. And all of those thing will look different for each person, depending on your needs, your budget, and your space.

So take some time to visualize how you want your craft room to feel in the end. How do you want to feel once everything is tidied up and organized? Then write out a few goals that you can come back to as you complete the other steps in this post!

2. Figure Out What You Love to Make

This is one of my best tips but it’s going to require you to actually dig deep and figure out what you actually love to craft.

Let me put on my High School Economics Teacher Hat for a minute and talk about the sunk cost fallacy. This is where a person is reluctant to abandon something because they’ve invested so heavily in it, even when it’s clear that abandoning it would be more beneficial.

Craft supplies and organizational furniture is not inexpensive. And sometimes we hold on to things because we’ve spent so much money on them or time invested in them. This makes it very hard to get rid of things that are no longer serving us.

For a long time, most of my craft space was sewing supplies, because I was doing mostly sewing. But over time, as I got my first Cricut and then different crafting printers and laser cutters and heat presses….my sewing took a back seat. Okay, who am I kidding, sewing isn’t even in the car anymore for me. So at some point, I had to make the choice to donate so much beautiful fabric and supplies to someone who would actually use them vs. having them take up space in my craft room where I badly needed storage for crafts I was actually doing.

So take a look at what you currently have and ask yourself if you actually love to craft with it. Why are you holding onto things that you don’t need? Is it because they cost a lot or because you used to love them? Maybe it’s time to pass them along to someone who would really enjoy them instead of having them take up space in your craft room.

If you need permission to move on, I am happy to give you that permission. *sings Let it Go from Frozen*

Don’t worry about donating things you don’t want yet, just keep in mind what you are willing to part with while you get through these next few steps.

3. Designate Zones

Next, make a list of all the things you DO like to craft. For me, that’s Cricut crafting, sublimation and DTF crafting (they have similar supplies), and laser crafting. I still do have a small stash of sewing supplies and my sewing machine for projects for my boys (mostly Halloween costumes), but pretty much everything else in my craft room is related to those crafts.

What does your list look like? Divide the list into zones and we’re going to work to organize things within the zones. Again, we’re not actually organizing yet, we’re just planning what the future space might be. Keep those goals you created in the first step at the front of your mind.

If you’d like, you can map out the zones on a piece of paper. You don’t have to decide where everything goes right now, but maybe you know that your sewing stuff is best suited to the darker back corner of your craft room where your fabric won’t be damaged by sunlight, and your Cricut machine is underneath the window where you love to sit and look at the trees. Maybe you have a really great piece of storage furniture and you know that it’s great for vinyl and iron on rolls. Just loosely decide the zones in your craft room based on what you love to do.

One zone I think you MUST have is an empty table for actually crafting. Make it a good sized table if possible. And then don’t put anything else on it. Mine is in the middle of my studio and all it has on is a Cricut lamp for when I need more light. Having a space designated specifically for making whatever I’m working on in the moment makes it so much easier to get crafty. Which is, coincidentally, one of my three goals!

4. Throw Away Expired or “Dead” Supplies

Now we’re going to start decluttering. You can do this step and the next step concurrently.

The easiest things we can declutter are things that are obviously (or not as obviously) trash. Start with one drawer or other space and start to go through it. Maybe you have acrylic paints that are dried up or pens that no longer work. Maybe you kept a bunch of scraps that are too small for anything really useful. Maybe you thought you’d fix your old heat press that stopped working but, who are you kidding, you’re never going to fix it.

Also note that some supplies have expiration dates. Did you know that HTV doesn’t work as well after the expiration date (if you’ve ever had trouble getting older HTV to stick, that’s why!). So look to see if there are expiration dates on your packages as well.

Then grab a trash bag and start to throw away anything that is just not good for the donation bin. Again, this can be hard if you’ve spent money on things or if maybe they were given to you by someone special. But at some point, some things are just not useful anymore and all they are doing is taking up space in your craft room and your mind.

Toss it all!

5. Donate to a Neighbor (or Local Donation Spot)

Now you will have to go through what’s left and choose between what you want to keep (remember this is only stuff you will actually use) and what you want to donate (stuff that’s still useable but don’t fit with your current vision for your crafting life).

There may be some things that you want to try and sell. For example, I had a Silhouette Cameo 4 that I never used (I was going to make comparison content with Cricut). And I did sell that because it was brand new and in the box and I thought it was worth it. But unless you’re going to get a decent amount of money for something, I would suggest skipping trying to sell everything and donate instead.

The problem with trying to sell small stuff is that it ends up sitting in your craft room or house until it sells. And if it doesn’t sell right away, it’s just more clutter that gets in the way of getting to those goals we talked about in the beginning of this post.

So instead, I highly recommend a few donation options. The first is to local schools or other organizations who actually need the supplies. I donated a ton of Crayola stuff to my boys’ school for example, as well as two Cricut machines I’m not using anymore.

The second is to put out a bin on your driveway labeled FREE! and fill it with things you don’t want anymore. If you have a neighborhood Facebook group, you could put something like “Free craft supplies at 123 Marigold Way!” or whatever your address is. I am always shocked to find my bin empty, usually within a single day.

And third is to use your neighborhood Facebook Buy Nothing group. Most neighborhoods have one and you can snap a quick photo with your phone and say “free ___ and ___” and people can chime in if they want something.

I’ve found that I’ve been able to get rid of 95% of things I don’t need anymore using one of these three options. My final option is to drop things at my local donation center, but it only happens once or twice a year these days.

6. Research Storage Solutions

By now, you should be left with just the things you want and use. They may be in complete disarray on the floor or they may be stuffed out of sight in drawers and cabinets. Now is when you can take stock of what types of storage solutions you may want to add to your space.

If your budget is zero dollars, that’s totally fine (and understandable in today’s economic climate!). Take a look at what you have and go back to the zones we talked about earlier. Move all your sewing stuff to one side of the room, make a pile of Cricut stuff, or put all your resin supplies in a box. Get it in the general area of where you want it to go and then you can start playing around with where everything goes.

If you do have some budget for storage solutions, don’t just go out and buy a bunch of boxes. Really consider your needs before spending the money so you can really get what will work for you.

For example, every other craft blogger I know is has a gorgeous Dreambox. That’s awesome! But I have tried and tried to make the vision of a Dreambox work for my needs and I just can’t do it. I need storage for BIG things, not tiny things. I have enough tiny things storage. I need places to put bins of t-shirts and shelves for dozens of blank mugs and tumblers, and if someone could create some sort of printer carousel to house all of my printers, that would be great.

A Dreambox, even if it’s in your budget, isn’t going to solve all of your crafting needs if your needs are different than what a Dreambox can give you. For me, plastic bins on shelves in a big IKEA cabinet is a much better solution. I have a smaller set of two Create Room Cubbies that work well for my sublimation blanks. I’ve got huge Husky work benches for my laser materials. It really is about what works best for YOU, not what the crowd is doing.

7. Maximize Vertical Space

One thing that I think a lot of people struggle with is maximizing vertical space. Your walls can offer so much storage! You may be limited on what you can hang on the walls if you are renting, but always remember that space goes all the way to the ceiling.

I’ve maximized some of my vertical space in a few ways. The first is with the biggest pegboard I could fit on the wall. If you can’t make holes in your walls, you may not be able to do this, but I LOVE my pegboard. While in my videos it may look decorative, I actually use almost everything on the peg board pretty regularly. Yes it is a nice backdrop but it’s a TON of tool and supply storage. Scissors, Cricut tools, pens, ribbon, paint, and more. And it’s all easily accessible which is one of my three goals!

Another way to maximize that vertical space is with storage furniture. I have several that I love. The first are the two Create Room Cubbies stacked on top of each other that I mentioned before (with a shelf above for even more storage). Then I have that big IKEA cabinet that allows me to sore tons of blanks in bins. And then I also have a baker’s rack which is really great for most of my heat presses.

So think about going up higher on the wall than a desk or cabinet. There may be more space in your craft room than you think!

8. Make it Pretty (to You!)

I know this may seem silly, but I really do believe that you can be more creative in a space you find beautiful and inspiring. You may not have the money for a full makeover, but if possible, try for a coat of paint in your favorite color. Organize your supplies in a rainbow. Choose furniture that matches your vibe.

My new studio is often photographed and on camera but even when I was just working out of a bedroom, I still wanted it to be pretty. And that means pretty TO ME. It doesn’t need to match everyone’s style. My craft room has been bright and colorful even when Jo Gaines was reining supreme with her neutral Texas chic style. It’s what I actually love so that’s why it’s light and bright and colorful in here. This is my third goal—to foster a creative environment.

So whether it’s a new coat of paint, some pretty baskets, or new curtains, find ways to make your space prettier in your own eyes. If it’s a space you love being in, you’ll spend more time there!

9. Label Everything

Once you’re starting to get an idea of where everything goes, you’ll want to label it. Whether it’s with a small little label maker or with labels made on your cutting machine or even just masking tape with Sharpie, you’ll want to know what’s in every bin and basket and drawer.

I have almost all of my bins labeled and it’s so helpful in finding what I’m looking for. I don’t need to spend time sorting through bins because I know exactly what bin I need to start with.

Don’t make the mistake of getting all organized and thinking you’ll remember where everything is. I can’t even remember where I put my keys—do you think I’ll remember where I keep the sublimation aprons or wooden dowels? Not a chance. Labeling will save you so much time!

10. Keep It Organized

There are a lot of ways you can choose to keep things organized. Maybe once a month you pick a day for a craft room refresh, where you do a good clean and make sure everything you have is still serving you (and trash or donate anything that isn’t!). Maybe you tidy up every Friday afternoon while listening to your Taylor Swift playlist.

I have found that tidying up very regularly has helped me finally keep on top of the mess. I am constantly working on at least five craft blog posts at a time (right now my Glowforge is cutting some samples and I have a book-related project that has caused me to have out way more supplies related to spray paint than I normally use) so I really do need to keep on top of things to keep both my business running and my sanity in check.

I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but I bought a flip timer and I use it to keep me both focused on my work as well as organized in my space. I set the timer for 30 minutes. For that 30 minutes, I craft what I need to craft or I do whatever I need to do on my computer. Then when the timer goes off, I flip it to the five minute timer and I tidy up until it goes off again. It’s amazing how much I can get done in just five minutes, especially since I have worked really hard to get my craft studio to a place where everything has a home.

With this method, I am spending almost an hour a day cleaning and tidying up. Sometimes I can’t even find things to clean in here so I end up going inside our house and watering the plants or doing the dishes. And some days, like today, I just make a dent in the disaster but I know that on a slower day, I’ll make some good progress.

I hope you found this post to organize your craft room helpful! If you have any thoughts or questions about organizing your own craft space, let me know in the comments!

The post 10 Tips to Organize Your Craft Room appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

I’m not sure there’s anyone out there who doesn’t want to be more organized in their craft space! Being organized in my studio is the only way to keep myself sane while running my little crafty business, and over the years I’ve come up with so many ways to keep me more organized.

In today’s post, I’m going to share 10 things I actually own and have used for a long time in my craft room that you can buy on Amazon. That was I can tell you with honesty that all of these storage solutions work well for me, instead of just providing you a list and saying “good luck, hope they work!”

I will also be honest and say that many of the storage solutions I have in my studio can’t be found on Amazon and a few of them were somewhat expensive. I love my CreateRoom Cubbies, for instance, as well as my two Husky toolchests where I keep my lasers. I also have two Gladiator worktables and a fair amount of IKEA furniture. If there’s anything you see in the photos below that you want to know more about that isn’t on my Amazon list, just let me know in the comments!

But for this post, I wanted to focus on less expensive storage solutions from an easily accessible source that might make it easier for you to get organized in your craft space. Whether you have a lot of workspace or just a small corner of a room, hopefully some of these Amazon storage solutions will make sense in your space!

Watch the Video

Want a video of all of the Amazon storage solutions I mention in this video? Click play below! Or keep on reading for more information about each item.

Before We Get Organized

Before you go off and buy anything for storage, I am a huge proponent of purging and culling your things. The longer you have a hobby, the more…stuff you end up with. Let’s be real. We all have tons of stuff that we never use in our craft spaces. I was going through a cabinet the other day and found three blank phone cases for an iPhone 6.

How long have those been sitting in my cabinet?! 

The more stuff you have, the harder it is to work, since you’re constantly having to dig through things to find what you actually need. So go through your workspace occasionally and purge things you don’t need. If they are usable items, donate them. If not, recycle or trash. 

You KNOW what you’re going to need in the future. Keeping items that are old, outdated, expired, or that you’re never going to use only serves to make your craft space more cramped and less inspiring. Get rid of it. You’ll feel so much lighter.

Amazon Craft Room Organization Ideas

Let’s take a look at all of these Amazon craft room organization ideas in the real world—my studio! We’re going to work from bigger to smaller, so if you’re just looking for some small ideas, head to the bottom of this post. Also, as a giant caveat, my craft room is never as neat and tidy as it appears in these photos, taken by my professional photographer. I am organized, but I also know how to create a MESS. The difference is that pretty much everything has a home in my craft studio—so when it does come time to clean up, it’s actually not too difficult.

You can view all the items in one place on my Craft Room Organization Amazon Idea List!

Flexispot Standing Desk

While this doesn’t have a ton of organization built into it, I have found my Flexispot Standing Desk to be one of my favorite things in my craft room. I can go from sitting to standing so easily and it really helps with my back and joint pain (shout out to all my fellow chronic pain warriors!).

There is a drawer at the front of the desk where I mostly keep charging cables of all things. And that’s because this desk has some USB ports on the front. This is SO handy for me for charging my phone, my iPad, my microphone, my earbuds, my mouse, and I’m sure half a dozen other things I’m forgetting about right now. Having these ports right where I work has been a game changer for me—no more crawling down on the floor to plug stuff in to charge it.

You can buy this desk on Amazon, but also check out the Flexispot website. They often have sales!

Baker’s Rack

Another larger piece of furniture I have is a baker’s rack! I actually keep most of my heat presses on the baker’s rack (my WALApress and my Cricut Autopress are on another table), which feels like a nice bit of symmetry to me. I love that I can store so much on this piece of furniture and access everything really easily. I actually have added even more heat presses on my rack since this photo, including a tumbler press, a hat press, and a mini mug press.

Not sure which heat press is for you? Check out our e-course Heat Press Roadmap! This extensive course is designed to guide you on your journey to deciding on the best heat press for your needs, space, and budget. Check out all the details about Heat Press Roadmap here!

The exact baker’s rack I have is no longer available on Amazon, but that’s fine—I found you one that’s even better because it has a built in plug with a long extension cord!! That means you can plug in whatever you’d like more conveniently (clearly I am a huge fan of convenient plugs!), including heat presses, printers, cutting machines, or a coffee maker for your workspace.

Speaking of coffee maker…I definitely need to get one out here.

Rolling Cart with Drawers

Next up is my favorite way to store all of my vinyl scraps, but you could use this rolling cart in so many other ways too. I like this cart because it’s light and easy to move around my craft room—and it holds a ton!

I go through a ton of vinyl and having my scraps organized in these drawers makes it so easy for me to just pop over and pull out scraps for projects. But you could also store pens, rolls of vinyl (yes the drawers are deep enough), blanks, adhesives, paper scraps, and more in this rolling cart.

Three-Tier Rolling Cart

Next up is another rolling cart! I swear, this teal rolling cart is ubiquitous in craft rooms, but for good reason. It can hold so much stuff! I use mine to store pens, pencils, and paint brushes in the top and middle tray, and all my Cricut cords in the bottom tray. I’ve seen people store fabric, vinyl, ribbon, notebooks, stamping supplies, and more.

Blueprint Storage Cart

The most recent addition to my craft organization from Amazon is this rolling blueprint cart! I needed a way to store some of my large materials I got with my Cricut Venture. But it could also be used for big rolls of paper, backdrops for photography, wrapping paper, and more.

Plastic Bins

Y’all, I am a huge fan of plastic bins. I think they probably get a bad rap from influencers that care more than I do about what their spaces look like (and clearly I care—my craft room is so cute!). But nothing really beats a good plastic bin for storage, especially for larger items. I have an IKEA cabinet full of plastic bins for most of my crafting blanks, all nicely labeled with vinyl I cut on my Cricut.

Having these bins makes it so easy for me to know exactly what I have. I do go through these bins regularly and clean them out so I have enough storage for the things I’ll actually use.

Not pictured, I also have plastic bins stuffed under a couple of my work tables and in my craft room’s bathroom shower. There is absolutely no shame to plastic bins if that’s what works for your space and budget. Don’t let my photos or anyone else’s photos make you feel bad about using plastic boxes!

Scrapbook Paper Totes

Another type of plastic bin I like are scrapbook paper boxes! I have a wire paper rack for most of my paper (which is, sadly, not available anywhere at a reasonable price anymore), but I store patterned paper and all my cardstock and paper scraps in these scrapbook paper bins. They just stack up right next to the rolling cart I mentioned earlier in this post.

This is not only a good solution for paper and paper scraps, but vinyl and iron-on rolls, vinyl scraps, fabric scraps (that’s what was in there to start for me, actually!), and other supplies.

The biggest drawback to these bins is that they are a little cumbersome to pull in and out to get what you want. Drawers are easier, but these are significantly less expensive than any drawers that fit 12″ x 12″ cardstock.

Pen Storage

Got a lot of pens? I love these pen organizers! I actually have so many more since this photo was taken because I’ve gotten a ton of paint pens and other markers. I like these pen holders because they store pens on their sides, keeping the ink flowing toward the front of the pen, vs. storing them upright. And you can stack them as high as you want!

White Plastic Bins

More plastic bins for the win! I have SO MANY of these smaller white plastic bins in my craft room. They hold everything from glue and tape to a ton of my Cricut supplies to thread and twine and trim in my sewing cabinet. I have labeled all mine in the same way I did the other plastic bins above, with some vinyl cut on my Cricut. Having my bins labeled helps me keep things way more organized than I would keep them without the labels.

I think these bins work best inside a cabinet or even a deep drawer.

Cricut Mat Holders

Finally, one of my favorite finds have been these Cricut mat holders! I have most of my mats at the end of my long table where I film and work most often, making them easily accessible.

I love that they have a triangular hook—designed specifically for Cricut mats. This means they always hang evenly and are easy to access!

I hope you found these Amazon craft room organization ideas helpful! Getting organized (and staying organized!) in your craft room can be easier than you think!

And once all the hard work is done and your craft room is all organized, it’s time for a game! Check out my blog for a Free Printable Crafty Word Search!

The post 10 Must-Have Amazon Craft Room Organization Ideas appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

This post was written in partnership with Create Room, but all opinions are my own!

Note: The Create Room Cubby has been discontinued (for now) as of September 2024. You can still save $100 on a Dream Box 2 with my code HEYLETSMAKESTUFF or $50 on the DreamCart with HEYLETSMAKESTUFF50.

So many of my friends have an amazing Create Room DreamBox 2 and let me tell you, I am jealous. But while I have a very large studio, I don’t actually have enough space for one to open fully. There are just too many windows and doors in my space to fit a DreamBox 2 properly, and I didn’t want to cover my windows since we get so little light here in the PNW as it is. Windows are life!

But of course, I still dreamed of a DreamBox 2 for a long time. So when Create Room reached out to me about trying one of their smaller storage solutions, I was all in. I may not have room for huge piece of organizational furniture, but I definitely have room for some smaller storage furniture pieces that don’t take up as much space.

Enter the Create Room Cubby! The Cubby comes with a variety of shelves and drawers that can be arranged in different configurations to create the perfect storage solution for all of your craft supplies in a smaller, compact storage unit. Maybe you also don’t have room (or the budget) for a DreamBox 2, but you still want to get your scattered craft supplies organized! Add a Cubby (or two!) to your wishlist! It’s perfect for small spaces.

Save $100 on a Dream Box 2 with code HEYLETSMAKESTUFF or
Save $50 on a DreamCart with code HEYLETSMAKESTUFF50!

Taming the Craft Room Clutter

For me, I needed a way to get my sublimation supplies and blanks organized. So many DreamBox 2 posts feature gorgeous rainbows of vinyl, ribbon, washi tape, paper and more. But for me, my two Cubby units are going to help me tame my sublimation blanks, tools, supplies, and materials. Which are mostly white or brown—not quite as cute as a rainbow. So later in this post I’ll show you how I created custom drawer inserts to hide away my supplies while giving me the chance to personalize things to match my craft room.

(And I know I’ll get questions about my paper rack. I got mine for a screamin’ deal back in 2018, but it’s really expensive whenever you can find it, like here. Sorry there’s no inexpensive way to buy it anymore!)

Frequently Asked Questions about the Create Room Cubby

Before we get into my Cubby units and how I’m using them, here are some details about the Cubby itself.

How Big is the Create Room Cubby?

The dimensions for the Cubby are 28″ wide x 15″ deep x 28.5″ tall. I’ve stacked two Cubbies to create a unit that is 28″ wide, 15″ deep, and 57″ tall. I like this height—I can still see into the top drawer (I’m 5’6″) without having to get a step stool. You can also put two or more Create Room cubbies side by side to create a wider storage unit.

It comes with five large wide drawers and 10 medium taller drawers.

What Colors does the Create Room Cubby Come In?

There are two color choices—white and a farmhouse gray. All the furniture in my craft room is white, so I went with the white option.

Is the Cubby Easy to Assemble?

The Cubby comes flat-packed, meaning you do have to assemble it yourself. My lovely husband actually did most of the assembly for me (if you’ve been around here any length of time you’ll know I have chronic pain issues in my hands). We both thought the assembly went really easily, with specialized cams and bolts that made it particularly simple to put things together. The top piece was just a bit fussy—you sort of have to hold it all together with the sides and the two backing pieces, but it wasn’t difficult.

We both agreed that the quality felt much higher than a lot of the IKEA furniture in my studio and these were easier to put together. I also love how easy the tracks were to install, and I ended up easily swapping them around to get a layout I liked more, as you’ll see below.

What’s the Difference between InView Totes and Divi Drawers?

There are two options for drawers with the Create Room Cubby: the InView Totes and the new Create Room DiviDrawers. The Cubby includes drawers—there’s no additional cost. You can see a full comparison on Create Room’s website. There are a few key differences:

• The InView totes are one piece, with drawer dividers for the medium drawers (you can divide them into thirds, but that’s the extent of customization), while the DiviDrawers need to be assembled and they all come with dividers for partitioning your drawers in a number of ways.
• The InView totes have slanted sides while the DiviDrawers have straight sides.
• The DiviDrawers are stackable while the InView Totes are not.
• There’s a slot in the DiviDrawers for adding a cover to your drawers. The InView Totes do not have this slot but you can add a piece of colorful paper to the front if you’d like. See below for how I did this!

I went with the InView Totes because I preferred the easier one-piece setup of the InView Totes.

How Much can the Create Room Cubby Hold?

Um, a lot. Like way more than I expected. My sublimation supplies and blanks were overflowing from a badly organized TV console that holds my printers and I thought all of those things would neatly fit in the two Cubbies, but I have a ton of room left over (see the empty drawers toward the bottom in some of my photos below!), which is great because I am constantly expanding my sublimation supply collection!

In particular, I really love that the large InView totes are just over 12″x12″ at the bottom. This means I can sort scrapbook-sized papers and other things in these drawers easily. I wouldn’t necessarily fill them completely full of paper since the drawers are plastic, as are the drawer tracks, but having that full 12″x12″ space is really helpful for a lot of my crafting supplies. They’ll also hold standard rolls of vinyl and iron-on. You can also get inserts for these large drawers to organize small supplies like washi tape, pens, ribbon, crochet supplies, pom poms, scraps, paints, and other small supplies.

What Can I Store in a Create Room Cubby?

Cubbies are not just for craft room storage! I have a dream of getting three and placing them side by side in our boys’ loft to create the most amazing LEGO brick pit ever. They’d make great storage in a home office or for classroom cubbies or storage. If you sew, you’ll love how the medium drawers hold fat quarters! Collectors might love them as well, if you need to organize a bunch of small things in your collection. If you don’t stack them, you also have a nice work area on the top of the cabinets.

Sublimation Supply Storage: Before

Okay, let’s take a look at what my supplies looked like before. No matter what I did, these sublimation supplies were a hot mess in these drawers and cabinets. I spent so much time digging through the drawers and shelves to find what I needed and nothing had a proper place. There was way more than this but you get the idea:

Sublimation Supply Storage: After

My stacked Cubby units make my sublimation storage so much better! This is such an easy way to have all of my supplies and blanks right at my fingertips.

Because I had two units, I ended up putting all of the large drawers at the top and all of the medium drawers at the bottom. I preferred this layout visually and it made it easier to create the rainbow effect.

This is such a better storage solution than my cabinet and it holds most of my sublimation blanks except for my drinkware blanks, which are re-organized and in much better shape in that older cabinet. I organized my Cubby drawers by type, so, for example, I have a drawer full of neoprene blanks, one for ornament blanks, and one for sequin blanks (yes, that’s my favorite drawer!).

Cardstock Drawer Covers

I decided not to reinvent the wheel with the covers for my drawers. Lela Burris over at Organized-ish did such a great job with her SVGs that I just used hers. She mentioned in her post how the covers don’t like to stay put at the front of the drawers, so I decided to use small pieces of scotch tape on the inside of the cover and it worked really well. It was hard to photograph as clear tape, so I create a graphic of where I put the tape in pink (yes, they aren’t that tidy but you can’t see them at all!)!

This kept my covers from falling backward into the drawer.

Overall I am so happy with my Create Room Cubbies! This has always been an awkward spot in my craft room, between a corner in the wall and a closet. For a long time I had a cafeteria cart with a heat press on it in this space. But that heat press bit the dust a while back and it was just mostly wasted space in my craft room. Now it’s some of the most useable space in this entire studio!

Have questions about the Cubby or any other Create Room storage furniture? I’m happy to answer them in the comments! Happy organizing!

The post Create Room Cubby Review + Coupon Code! appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

It’s finally time! I’ve been planning to do a craft room tour since the day we moved into our new house here in Washington in 2020. When we were looking to move to Washington from California, we knew we wanted a separate craft space in our home so I could run my blog and business away from our day-to-day lives. Having that separation between work and home was really important to our family—it allows me to be at work when I’m working and present with our family when I’m not.

So when my friend Crystal from Hello Creative Family said her parents wanted to sell their house in the area we were looking to move—and that it had a 600+ sq ft space above the garage for a craft studio—we jumped on it! We now live in her childhood home (how fun is that?!) and before we moved in, we hired her dad, who originally built the house, to finish the space above the garage for me to use as my studio. Before we bought this house, the room was all studs and was used as a wood shop.

Now it’s completely finished and I’m done putting everything in and decorating! What a difference! It truly is my happy place. I am very lucky to have this craft room. I’ve been blogging full time for nearly 10 years and through a combination of hard work and sheer luck and a lot of privilege, it’s been a success. My business has allowed our family to live in our beautiful house with this wonderful space.

I know this is not a similar situation for most folks. I don’t want this craft room tour to make you feel inadequate—I truly believe that crafting can be done in pretty much any space! I had a 10×10 room for several years, and before that I crafted at my dining room table. Hopefully you’ll find ideas and inspiration here that can help you organize whatever craft space you have more efficiently, no matter the size.

Also, photos also show my craft room at its tidiest! Normally it’s a hot mess with stuff everywhere. I try and tidy on Fridays, but it’s hard to keep the mess under control when creativity is unleashed, as I’m sure you know! So don’t think it always looks like this. It’s looked like this once. For these photos. And that’s it. Speaking of the photos, I have my amazing photographer Katy from Katherine Moran Photography to thank for all of these pics!

My craft room is broken out into sections—here’s a tour through them all! I’ll share different links throughout the post, but if you see something that’s not linked that you want to know more about, leave me a comment! If you have ideas for your own craft room organization, I’d love to hear them!

Computer Workspace

Let’s start with my computer workstation because that’s where I’m sitting right now! You’d think I’d spend most of my time crafting, but I actually spend more time at my computer—editing photos, writing posts, answering emails, and designing files.

This part of my craft room overlooks the street in front of our house, but because it’s set so high above the garage, my view is mostly our beautiful Pacific Northwest trees. Usually there are half a dozen discarded coffee cups and La Croix cans scattered about as well.

I have my MacBook Pro and a larger display screen connected to it, which I find much easier to work on. I have my Yeti microphone next to my computer (for recording voiceovers), plus a bunch of notebooks and other books I reference often. I made my logo sign using my Glowforge, which you’ll see later in this post! My chair is from Branch Furniture and it’s much more comfortable that the cheaper options I was using for years. They have lots of great “work from home” furniture.

I have an adjustable standing desk from Flexispot that I absolutely love. Earlier this year, my back was starting to bother me after sitting so much, and the standing desk has helped alleviate a lot of that pain. I usually try and stand for about two hours out of every full work day. It has programmable adjustments so I can set different heights, plus charging ports for my devices.

I also got a Flexispot desk bike to go with it! I don’t use it for “fitness” as much as I use it to just keep my body moving during the long days of computer work. You’d think it might be hard to pedal and work at the same time, but I’ve found that my body knows what to do and often I’ll slowly “ride” seven or eight miles in a sitting. Check out my Deals and Steals page—I try and keep all the current Flexispot deals listed there.

Cricut Workspace

I actually have two places in my craft room where I use a Cricut. I’ve been working with Cricut since 2014, so I have several Cricut machines and a lot of supplies, accessories, and materials. To the left of my computer, I have my Cricut Maker 3. I like having this Cricut right next to my computer—I don’t have to get up to use it—I just roll my chair over a bit.

This is the machine I use most often for my personal Cricut crafting and for testing cut files. Basically, it’s where I make stuff that doesn’t have accompanying video or photographs (I do all that on the other side of my craft room in my “filming workspace”).

You’ll notice that all the plugs in my craft room are above desk height. I wanted to be able to switch things around and plug things in easily without having to crawl under desks and tables. This was a small design decision that makes working in my craft room a whole lot easier!

Above my machine I have a small IKEA pegboard with all the essential tools, and to the left I have mats hanging on the wall using 3D printed Cricut mat hangers. I also have a cutting mat, ruler, and my Uniquely Why Not Cricut blade holder.

This desk is made from two IKEA Alex drawer units and a Linnmon tabletop. In these drawers I keep a lot of craft supplies (like glitter, wood beads, pom poms) and other notebooks and sticker books.

My little girl squad of Funko Pops live on the sill—they make me so happy. Bonus points if you can name them all in the comments!

Heat Press Workspace

I have way more heat presses than the average crafter. Many years of working with Cricut and then getting into sublimation means that I have A LOT of options for apply heat to a blank. This area was the actually the last piece of this craft room puzzle I figured out. I had two rolling carts in this corner for the longest time, but it was messy.

Then I got the brilliant idea to use a white baker’s rack for all of my heat presses! This is great solution for me because it fits not only my big convection oven, but also all of my heat presses except for two others (which I’ll share in a moment), including all four EasyPresses, my mug press, and my hat press. I like the hooks for hanging tools and supplies. It really was a great solution for me.

I also have my amazing Cricut AutoPress, right near the baker’s rack. Learn more about the AutoPress in my Ultimate Guide to Cricut AutoPress! This is to the left of my computer (the Cricut above is to the right). It also has a pegboard above it, which has heat press tools, tape, and butcher paper. To the left of the AutoPress is a pressing mat where I can use all of my EasyPress machines.

The Alex IKEA drawers below the AutoPress hold even more materials, plus things like office supplies and vendor samples.

I also still have a standard heat press that’s across the room from this, on an antique cafeteria cart (love!). I really want to donate it because my AutoPress does 90% of what I do with this press, but I think my 5-in-1 better at projects that really need heavy pressure. I need to do some more testing with my AutoPress to see if increasing the time/temp might offset the heavy pressure needed for some blanks.

Below the heat press I keep all of my wood blanks, and above is storage for pens and a rack for my Montana spray paint.

Central Workspace “Island”

In the middle of my craft space, I have a second 72″ Gladiator workbench that backs up to a 72″ IKEA entertainment center that I use as a printer station.

This is basically my worktable for all in-progress projects or for me to use any time I need a big flat space. I have a cutting mat and my Cricut Bright 360 table lamp. I use this space for weeding vinyl, assembling projects, unboxing materials, cooling projects that come out of the heat press, organizing future materials for posts, and, let’s be real, as a catchall for everything else. This is sort of the “kitchen counter” of my craft room—everything ends up here and it’s often a disaster. But it’s a huge flat workspace that comes in really hand.

Underneath I have a rolling cart with drawers that has all of my vinyl scraps, as well as a fruit basket that worked in our old house but not in this one—so it’s been repurposed for yarn. To the right of the rolling cart are stacked boxes of scrapbook paper, acetate, and printable materials (like Cricut Printable Vinyl).

On the other side of this table is my printer station. This is actually an IKEA “media console” but it worked perfectly for my needs. I have three printers—an HP Envy for everyday printing, an Epson EcoTank 2760 that I converted for sublimation, and a Canon TS9521C, which prints a full 12×12—perfect for making my own scrapbook paper.

Below, I have printer and sublimation supplies. In the cabinets and drawers are all my sublimation blanks.

When we were designing this room, I put plugs in the center of the room in the floor—that way I can plug in all my printers and I’m not tripping over cords. If you’re building your own space from scratch, I highly recommend this!

At the end of this island, I have yet another rolling cart that holds all of my shipping supplies and my small tool bag, which gives me easy access to hammers and screwdrivers, etc.

Glowforge Workspace

Next up in the craft room tour is my Glowforge workspace. This is less than a full workspace and more just a place where my Glowforge lives. I do most of my painting and assembling my Glowforge crafts on one of the two big worktables. I vent my Glowforge out the window to the left. Want to know more about the Glowforge. Check out my post Glowforge Overview: What to Know Before You Buy and save up to $500 on a machine!

(I realized I don’t have photos for those two closets you see above—the left one is the water heater and the other holds a mishmash of all my photography background rolls, my ironing board, and other…long and tall stuff. Hot mess in there. Don’t open it.)

If you have a Glowforge, I couldn’t recommend this Husky workbench more! It’s incredibly sturdy and holds a ton of of flat materials in the standard Glowforge cutting size of 12″ x 20″ in all of the drawers.

Next to my Glowforge I have a wire paper rack. Honestly, this isn’t my favorite place for it (I’d rather it was closer to my actual Cricut crafting space), but it’s the only place it fits right now! So I get a few extra steps in grabbing solid paper colors.

Storage

I have storage throughout my craft room, but the two biggest areas are a set of IKEA Pax cabinets, and a smaller built-in closet.

The Pax Cabinet is huge and holds a TON of stuff. On the right side of the cabinet, I have all my blanks on the top three shelves in labeled bins.

Then below there are mesh drawers for all of my rolled materials. I love this solution and it holds a ton! I don’t actually have a lot of space for the hanging vinyl storage solutions that are so popular, so this is a great option.

There’s a smaller Pax cabinet to the right, and that is almost entirely sewing supplies. I used to do a lot more sewing than I do now, but I still break out my machine every once in a while for various projects. I usually move my single Cricut machine (see earlier in this post) and put my sewing machine there when using it. In this cabinet is fabric, sewing supplies, batting, felt, and more. Again, I try and label almost everything so I know where stuff lives!

Then I also have a closet that was built into this room. It’s not very deep and the shelves are built-in, so it took me a while to find some multi-purpose bins that made the most of this space. Thankfully they were on the less-expensive end of the spectrum, despite being from the Container Store!

This is basically my prop closet. I keep all sorts of knick knacks and doodads in here that I use when taking photos. Yes, I’ve got a fake cake way up there. Doesn’t everyone have a fake cake? And a styrofoam head?

I’ve got everything labeled in the Container Store bins using a simple label maker. Yes, I could’ve labeled with my Cricut, but the label maker worked perfectly in this instance.

Filming Workspace (Pretty Version)

The next big space in my craft room tour is my filming workspace. This is where all of the rest of my Cricut machines and tools live. Here, I do all of my video filming as well as my “top down” process photography for blog posts.

I have a huge IKEA peg board that serves as both the backdrop to my videos as well as a TON of storage for scissors, craft paint, pens, markers, washi tape, Cricut tools, ribbon, and more. It’s actually six smaller pegboards installed right next to each other. I feel like a lot of pegboards are “decorative” but mine really does hold just about everything I need. I don’t have my “real” scissors or ribbon or pens somewhere else—I use all of the stuff you see here.

All of my supply colors coordinate because I niched down to just what I use so I could run a more profitable business. You can learn more about this in my books How to Make Money with Your Cricut and How to Make Money with Sublimation Crafting.

Below the pegboard I have a IKEA Eket cabinets, which store a ton of supplies, like glue, adhesives, tape, paper, spray paint, Xyron, and more. These white Amazon bins fit perfectly inside the cabinets.

On top of the Eket cabinets, I have my other four Cricut machines. This means I can grab any one of them I need for a post or video, quickly and easily.

My actual worktable is the other 72″ Gladiator and I LOVE it. I. It’s so solid so when I am recording video, I don’t have to worry about the table shaking as I craft. The height is adjustable, making it good for folks of any height.

On the wall, I have Felt Right sound panels that help dampen the echo in this big square room. Below that, I have more Cricut mats. And at the end of my table I have a teal rolling cart with all sorts of pens, pencils, brushes, and more that doesn’t fit on my pegboard. It took me a while to find big pencil holders, but I like how these big white cups fit in my cart. The rug is from IKEA and helps dampen the sound as well. The wood hangers for my artwork are from Amazon.

ACTUAL Filming Workspace

Okay, so that’s what it looks like without any of my filming equipment—it never actually looks like this because it’s covered in cameras and lights! This next section is more for bloggers or other folks who want to know how I set up everything for video and photography.

Here is my setup. From the ceiling, we hung a cheap curtain rod to make a DIY mounting rod. From the rod, I have my Sony A6000 camera (now sold out—the Sony A7 III is a great option!) hanging from an easily adjustable “magic arm.” The camera has a cord running to the monitor so I can see what I’m filming, as well as a cord running to an outlet, so I don’t have to worry about battery life. My monitor sits on another cart (carts are amazing in a craft room) with all my lenses and other camera accessories below.

I have three lights I use for filming (I turn off all of the other regular can lights in the office because they make weird shadows). Two continuous LED lights—one that shines on me from the left, and one that is lit from the back. That back one helps create depth and helps decrease the shadow I create standing between the bigger light and the pegboard.

The big umbrella light is an Aperture LightStorm. This was not an inexpensive purchase, but it’s basically like having the sun inside my office, which is great since we live in the land of no sun. It’s fully adjustable and I love it more than someone should probably love a light.

I have a second camera facing me—a Sony ZV-1, which is meant for vlogging. It’s a much cheaper option than the A7, but I’ve been really happy with it! It sits on a tripod facing directly at me. I have it on a Manfrotto “fluid ball” mount. You just grip the handle and squeeze and you can tilt the camera all around. This allows me to make adjustments more easily than trying to adjust the entire tripod.

I have a Rode wireless on-camera microphone with a “dead cat” to dampen echos. I used to use a lapel mic (often called a “lavalier”), but I have found the camera mic much easier to work with because it doesn’t require charging batteries (it runs off the camera’s battery) and my hair doesn’t hit the mic when I’m moving around.

From this camera, you can’t see any of the lights or the other hanging camera. (I’m such a nerd, ha!)

It took me a long time to get a video set up I’m happy with. Don’t be afraid to move things around and try different options. I gave that lapel mic a shot for a long while before I realized I just could not make it work for my setup. I used to use my old big Nikon DSLR on the tripod until I got frustrated that I couldn’t tell if it was filming or not, so I got the Sony ZV-1, which is awesome. Next on my list is a second AC charger for my camera on my tripod so I don’t have to worry about batteries there, either. It’s all an evolution to find what works best for you!

Photography Space

Next to my filming area, I have a small table that I use for photography under a long window (you can see where it is in the photo of my entire filming area above). This is where I take most of my “final” photos for my blog (as opposed to the top-down process photos I take on the workbench in the previous section).

I’ve got two more lights set up here (the kind I use are a bit old—the same continuous LED lights from above would work too!) and rolls of paper and pieces of foam core that I use for backdrops. Tip: the closer you can get your lights to your subject, the fewer harsh shadows you’ll have. I’ll often have the two lights practically touching my shoulders while I take photos! For these photos, I use my older Nikon DSLR with a Sigma Art Series lens. The camera is nearly 10 years old but it still takes fabulous photos and it’s all muscle memory so it’s easy to use.

And then I lighten and brighten in Lightroom A LOT. You can see here a before and after photo within Lightroom (using a pink background).

Chill Area

I wanted to have a place in my craft room that was comfortable for chilling out. So I got a couch from Inside Weather, an IKEA wire basket as a coffee table, an IKEA rug from the kids’ department, and a shelf above. I recently added my Cricut Bright 360 standing light to this area.

I wanted a place where I could work if I wanted to step away from my desk, a more comfortable spot to attend a Zoom meeting, or a place to read if inside the house got too crazy (I’ve got twin boys, after all). I also wanted a place where I could take photographs of “home” stuff I make—basically a place for staging.

This area looks lovely but I’m still not 100% set on it. The couch is adorable but not as comfortable as I was hoping, so I don’t find myself sitting there as much as I thought I would. I’ve photographed a few things with the couch, but not many. I do Zoom here quite a bit and I do use the shelf over the couch for photography.

I have ideas of replacing this area with a faux mantel, which I think I would use more often for photography. This couch could easily go in our loft inside—my boys can probably wear it in faster than I can with all their bouncing! We’ll see what happens in this space as it evolves in the next few years! I’m sure I’ll do another craft room tour at some point.

Bathroom

Finally, I’ve got to give a little shout out to the world’s cutest little bathroom in my craft room! Love having a bathroom out here so I don’t need to go into the house during my work day, where I get distracted with laundry and dishes and the TV. I made the art on the walls, and the shower curtain is artwork from Morgan Harper Nichols. Behind that shower curtain is a DISASTER. Basically everything I don’t know what to do with in my craft room. Pull back the curtain at your own risk!

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my craft room! I think I’ve covered everything, but if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them!

For more craft room storage ideas, check out my blog for Create Room Cubby Review!

The post 2022 Craft Room Tour + Organizing Ideas! appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.