While I was purging and organizing, I was also cleaning. I always start at the top and work my way down, tackling one section at a time. One by one, I empty each shelf, drawer, and cubby. I vacuum first, dust next, and wash last. Before anything goes back, I commit to some serious purging — only after that do I get to organize.

Even though I deep-clean this room yearly and keep it fairly tidy throughout the rest of the year, I still surprised myself by tossing out three buckets of dirty water.

PURGING SUPPLIES

I threw out anything that was broken or unusable: dried-out glues, pens, and paints. I also let go of anything that was outdated or tied to a craft I’d lost interest in. As for unfinished projects that were over a year old, I had to face the truth — I wasn’t going to finish them.

Senior centers and churches often have craft groups that will happily take these kinds of donations, but if something is ratty, throw it out now. Let go of anything that’s hopelessly outdated. Tastes change over time, and you don’t have to keep or finish something just because you once liked it.

You also don’t need to keep something simply because you spent a lot of money on it. That money is already gone. Holding onto the item won’t bring it back — it will only serve as a reminder of money wasted. Remove that hurt right now.

If you’re on the fence about whether to keep or toss something, ask yourself: If I were shopping today, would I buy this again? If the answer is no, you know what to do. Don’t waste valuable storage real estate on something you don’t like or won’t use.

Don’t forget to donate multiples and duplicates. How on earth did I end up with ten rulers? Box everything up and make a few calls — art teachers, senior centers, and nursery schools are usually happy to accept craft supply donations.

Lastly, think twice before making purchases at the craft, fabric, or yarn store. Don’t buy anything without a specific project in mind — and only if you plan to start it that week. Once your craft space is decluttered, you’ll want to keep it that way.

You’ve seen what my sewing room looks like on the surface, but I’ll bet what’s behind the curtains is what most crafters are really curious about. So I opened the cupboard doors, swept the curtains aside, and snapped a few photos of what’s been squirreled away.

I hope I've given some inspiration to make your creative space as beautiful and practical as it can be. I know many of you have a space you'd like to make into your own sewing/knitting/craft zone. I really encourage you to do so, even if it's as small as a closet. If there is no budget available, it's pretty easy to scrounge around for furniture pieces that can double as storage and work space, then paint it all to create a uniform look. If you have a budget I would head straight to Ikea. I love what they have for craft rooms. As you organize I would encourage you to purge, purge, and purge again, you'll be glad you did. 

I had to break up my big hobby post into two posts to make it more manageable to follow, so I have two posts in a row. Tomorrow we'll visit my knitting room so make sure you pop by.  xo Kristen