Today I want to share with you a mini-project that we tackled in the last month. By now you know that I love to do things with my hands. I dabble with quilting, painting, sewing, photography, bread making and cake decorating. I just need to be using my creativity.
Since we moved into our home about 11 months ago, I have had to move tubs from the utility room to the living room and back every time I want to make something and take over the living room for days on end. (Sorry, I know this is a very 1st world problem for my friends who are concerned about if you will get water and/or electricity in your homes today.)
I started researching storage solutions and went into sticker shock when I saw the average prices for craft/sewing storage organizers ranged from between $1,000 and up. What??? Not this chick.
So Pinterest to the rescue. I pinned all kind of ideas to get cheaper storage solutions, then I went to Facebook Marketplace and began the hunt for an old entertainment center. We found one in Hinesville and brought it home for the tune of $200. My kind of shopping. It has 3 individual pieces that total about 9 ft. of storage.
I got my hubby to cut some peg board to fit the spot where the tv would go and sprayed it with a pretty red 3 times because the peg board absorbed the paint. Next, he cut 2 different sizes of pvc pipe to fit my acrylic paints. I glued the pvc pipes together and gave it a quick spray paint with lime green paint I had on hand. We got the peg board, pvc pipe and glue from Lowe’s. I bought 50 peg board hangers from Amazon and a variety of hanging storage from Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree. It was very important to me to be able to separate my fabric by colors and patterns, so a quick trip to Walmart brought me 20 clear shoe box size storage containers.
Materials and Cost (as best I remember):
- peg board: $16.00
- pvc pipe 2 different sizes: $15.00
- contractor gorilla glue: $6.00
- spray paint: free
- 50 hanger’s for peg board: $10.00
- additional hanger’s from Walmart $10.00
- hanging basket storage: $16.00
- 20 clear storage bins:$18.00
- Paper stacker: $9.00 on sale at Hobby Lobby
- Letters from Hobby Lobby for Dream & Create: $25 – $30 They were on sale.
- Paper for letters: I had most and spent about $3.00 on the rest. It was 50% off at Hobby Lobby.
I always enjoy an organization challenge. Especially when I get the same value for a lot less money. I feel this way about my clothes also. Why spend so much for full price? I love to thrift store shop and consignment shop. My girls help me out with this since I cant get out as often. I can’t tell you the number of times I have shopped with Sara via messenger or FaceTime. But back to the project.
This new unit stores all of my fabric, paints, sewing machine, cutting tools, thread, extra sewing/quilting supplies, markers, color pencils, paint brushes, tape, glues, paper for crafts, laminator, and ribbon. I am in Crafty Girl Heaven. Cue the mystical music now. All for about $330. That is a huge savings compared to the $1,000 and up cost. See Honey–I really do save us money.
This unit is in our family room/playroom and I keep a table up except for when the grands come over. Now it’s functional on a whole new level and our Living Room belongs to everyone again. Organization Problem #249 Solved–I so made up that number, but I’m sure I’ve solved that many or more in my lifetime.
This is amazing!! I don’t sew but I paint and have a silhouette (and lots of vinyl) so I understand the struggle when you’ve taken over a section of the house!