I live in a three bedroom home with my husband and two sons, ages two and ten. There is no room for me to house my treasured finds and upcycles-in-waiting let alone a place to actually create.
This is my craft room:
It looks an awfully lot like a kitchen, no?
What I love though, is this big island. It’s usually got a bunch of junk on it that I have to move to the right so I can work, but it leaves me with a good 3′ X 4′ of workspace. I also love that I don’t have to bend over to work; the height is just right.
This area is also the hub of the house. It’s where my kids eat their snacks. It’s where everyone gathers and it’s also the dumping ground for pretty much every thing that enters the house.
These are NOT ideal working conditions. I needed to carve out a space somewhere, somehow!
I needed more than anything, a place to store my finds and supplies.
This is my problem. I’m pretty sure this is how hoarding starts:
I can’t believe I’m sharing this with the world. But it does get better, I promise!
Enter these huge panels of wood. My dad is an expert woodworker, but he’s slowly been getting rid of his tools and supplies since they’re not in the business anymore. That’s how I inherited this wood:
There were two and this one has already had 3′ taken off of it. It was 4′ x 8′. They gave me an idea. I could build a workstation with storage in the garage!
I’m warning you, this is far from pin-worthy!! It’s function over form folks…
Tada! So. much. better! I used posts leftover from our fence installation and added wheels so I could move it as needed.
I was on my way to do my grocery shopping last week and I took a quick detour to the Good Will. I found these clear plastic bins for 75¢! They were on my list to buy for my work table. I got six of them for less than $5!
They are just the right size to sort all of my junk treasures.
I found this little metal shelf at a yard sale for $1. It’s perfect for holding some of my paint:
I built my workstation the same size as my kitchen island (minus the funky curved part), 3′ x 4′. I also made it the same height, 33″. It’s not pretty, but it’s perfect!
Now I have a place to work and be creative without all the interruptions. I can walk away and leave it set up and just close the door!
We also have a vent in the garage so it’s somewhat temperature controlled as long as the garage door stays closed.
Now my pile is no longer greeting me at the door…
The best part is I only had to purchase the wheels.
Besides the accessories, this work table cost me less than $20! Woohoo.
Thanks for letting me share a not-so-pretty project!
Time for me to get to work 🙂
Have a great week!
XO,
Andi says
Awesome! I’d love to have something like this in our garage, but since there’s no room because of all my husband’s junk….uh….stuff…Never happen!! 🙂
Christy K. James says
This is as close as I’ll ever get to a creative space in this house!
Susan @ SunfowerHugs.blogspot.com says
I think it is great! I think it is beautiful because it is perfect for your needs.
Christy K. James says
At least I won’t worry about messing it up with paint, right? Thanks, Susan:)
Crystelle Boutique says
I must admit: your craft room does look a lot like a kitchen! Great for multi tasking purposes!!!
Keep ‘em coming… 🙂
hugs xx
Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
Traci says
I love your new work area and I am more than a bit envious too. I have a craft room but I would prefer a space in the garage where I can paint etc. My husband and I are already fighting over who gets my sons slot in the garage when he leaves.
Not everything has to be pretty.
Traci
Christy K. James says
I suppose you’re right…I don’t have to worry about paint spills, etc! I’d still love to have a whole room, but honestly, I’d probably clutter it with junk:)
Marie Lavender says
Your treasure pile looks eerily like mine 🙂
I’m working on a similar setup in my garage – as soon as we find a new home for the old lawn mower, the whole space will be mine!! I CANNOT wait to get my spare bedroom back and to have a designated spot to work.
Christy K. James says
Lol…I only have the garage and my youngest is 10, so I have at least 8 years before I can even think about claiming one of the bedrooms(although I probably won’t have the heart to move any of his things anyway!). For now, I’m stuck in the garage:)
Bonnie A. says
I think it’s beautiful !! You not only organized your “hoard” but, got the lumber out of the way!
I like the fact that you don’t have to pick it up and put everything away…just walk away…sounds like music to my ears.
Christy K. James says
This cart has been awesome! I can easily organize all my miscellaneous finds, and you’re right…I was able to put that lumber to good use and get it out of the way! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Jennifer says
Thank you for an interesting blog! My question to you is, how in the world do you find time for your projects with two kids, including one so small? I have a gazillion ideas and lot of interest, but time is always so tight. How do you do it?!
Christy K. James says
That is a great question! As I am typing this I have two kid’s chairs and a kid’s table on my kitchen counters while the paint dries so my youngest doesn’t try to climb all over them. While I am in painting mode, I decided to pull a out a stool I found at an estate sale recently and that is drying on my island. I also pulled in a yard sale chair from the garage and have just done the first coat. Everything has to have time to dry, so I did chores, made lunch, and entertained my four year old in between coats. Most days are not as productive though and I find myself working on projects after the last kiddo is tucked in bed. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting organized and getting started. Making a morning to-do list helps keep me organized, and instead of writing, “Redo chair”, I might write, “Base coat chair”. That helps get me started! 🙂