My Minimalism Journey, Studio, tierneycreates

Tiny Studio Tips

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

I love seeing where people to create and in case you would like to see where I create, I have added a page to my blog tierneycreates Studio Tour where I will post photos of the latest version of my tiny little tierneycreates studio. More on this later in this post.

As part of my ongoing journey to curate my life (see post category: My Minimalism Journey ), I am working on letting go of more of my crafting related magazines.

Studios Magazine

I have a stash of Cloth Paper Scissors STUDIOS magazine from 2008 – 2014 (magazine is no longer in publication). This publication featured “artist studio porn”: essays and articles about professional and hobby artists’ studios, tips on designing and organizing your studio, and endless photos of studio layouts. The tagline for the magazine was “inspiration & ideas for your art and craft space”.

There are so many online resources (aka Pinterest) on studio organization ideas, I do not need these magazines. I can let them go, donate them to my beloved local Humane Society Thrift Shop and let them go to someone else to enjoy.

But, I wanted to read through each one, one more time, before donating them.

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Working though re-reading the pile with my tea each morning

When I got to the Winter 2010 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors STUDIOS magazine I noticed it featured a collection of tips by various crafters/artists on small space tips.

Recently I re-organized by studio to try and make the best of the small space. I thought I would share some of my favorite tips from this issue from the various studio tours in case my readers find them useful.

Small Studio Tips

In Her Shoes by Catherine Thursby

  1. Get a space of your own, even if it has to be small
  2. Make it personal to encourage your creativity
  3. Have a place “off-site” to keep bulky or seldom used materials

Snowman Season by Sue Pelletier

  1. In a narrow space, set up tables end to end so you can have several projects going at once
  2. A dartboard makes a graphic yet compact inspiration board
  3. Remember that if you want studio space badly enough, you will find a way

The Glitter Fairy by Laurie Davis

  1. Use shelves with cubbies to hold and display rubber stamps
  2. Use under-the-counter space as much as possible
  3. Use stackable containers to hold small items

In a Nutshell – A small space dedicated to creativity by Janice Avellana

  1. Keep supplies out in the open so the work is ready when you are
  2. Disguise a small, open studio behind a tall bookcase
  3. For flexible organization, use painted pegboard

Room of Requirement by Liza Julien

  1. Maximize small space by going vertical with ladder-style shelving
  2. Store papers suspended from pant hangers on a wooden dowel
  3. Install hooks on table legs, the sides of shelving – anywhere that’s handy and out of the way

Studio in the Sky by Victoria Grobels

  1. Store supplies in baskets hung from the ceiling
  2. Make your worktable an inspiration board, too, by slipping photos under a clear, plastic mat
  3. Make a small space seem bigger by positioning it near a beautiful view

The Love Shack by Roberta Philbrick

  1. Use “regular” furniture to hold art supplies
  2. Color-coordinated caddies keep small items organized, portable, and attractive
  3. A glass-topped table cleans up easily and looks polished in a small living/creating space

Strategic Design by Michelle Spaw

  1. For an eclectic approach to organizing, try using non-conventional items such as stackable trays, bento boxes, and takeout-style containers
  2. Removing the doors to your closet is as strong incentive to keep it tidy. Because the contents are always visible, you will be motivated to maintain order and curb the clutter
  3. When purchasing storage boxes, think of color and pattern as a way to identify what you’re storing

Beaddazzled by Linda Dolack

  1. Glue a sample of what’s in a drawer to the front so you can find and retrieve the object quickly
  2. Use simple skirting to hide clutter stored below counters
  3. Install shelving above windows to hold books and display art work out of the way

Where Whimsy Reigns by Elizabeth Holcombe Fedorko

  1. Use collectibles as storage containers that can be displayed
  2. Attach a folding table to the wall: pull it up to work, down to put it out of the way
  3. No matter how small your space, make room for pets!

As you will see on my page tierneycreates Studio Tour I followed Ms. Fedorko’s tip #3 and made room for pets (well actually my manager Sassy the Highly Opinionated Miniature Schnauzer):

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Sassy hanging out in “cave”

If you have a small studio like I do (or a dream larger studio) I hope you find some of these tips useful!

 

Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

25 thoughts on “Tiny Studio Tips”

  3. Awesome tips! I have doors on my sewing room closet and can testify that when you open the doors, it’s not pretty! It’s fun to see where people create, thanks for sharing your space with us!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Thank you for sharing these tips! My studio is the room over our 2 car garage. It seems quite large, but because of the roofline it has small space challenges. I like reading about your journey toward minimalism. I am encouraged to part with more supplies that I will never have time to use.

    I have been using vintage pottery and hand thrown pottery to store things for years. It is wonderful when the things I love also have a purpose around the house. I have plenty of room for pets, but not until we get past the dumpster diving puppy stage. 😦

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    1. Dumpster Diving Puppy – ha! Puppies are saved because they are so darn adorable – it lets them get away with so much. That sounds like a nice space you have and I love the idea of using pottery as decorative storage!

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  5. Thank you for curating this useful collection of small space tips! I really like the idea of shelving above windows; it always looks fantastic in the pics I’ve seen. I often struggle to cut back and make a system to house all my yarn, books, and other craft supplies in what amounts to about 400-ish sq ft per/person of living space! (and enjoy looking at ‘tiny houses’ for ideas).

    I love the set up of your studio, and how it makes room for a dog cave. You are fully equipped and so very well-organized! Thanks for the work space inspiration. 🙂

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post, I hated to let all those great tips go with my magazine donation, so this way I have them saved in a blog post! Yes dog cave very important – I do not want angry or impatient schnauzers staring at me while I try to craft 🙂

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  6. Thank so for sharing the wonderful tips! I have a space off in our family room but it is so cluttered right now I haven’t been able to use the space. I mostly end up using our dining table for projects. I really need to go through and sell/donate some of my supplies. I have way too many craft interests and must decide what I really want to continue. Paper crafts, jewelry, painting… yada, yada, yada.

    🙂 BTW, what a darling puppy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Glad you like the tips and that is good you have a space and I am sure you will get it uncluttered and usable again (think all the fun you could have in the space). Thanks for reading and Sassy is a cute pup 🙂

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