Starting with shelves

For any space, especially a small one as I have, shelves are the alpha and the omega of organization.

Shelves are an easily obtainable addition to your creative space. They can be found (sometimes even for free) on Craig's List or Freecycle, but are absolutely worth purchasing.

I purchased mine at Staples they aren't the greatest quality, but they are inexpensive. These tall ones run about $50, but go on sale for 50

% off every other month or so. They

also deliver for free!

As you can see here, I have built shelves to utilize the dead space up above my work areas. I have shelves like this on both ends of my room. It is amazing how much storage space you can find if you really look, and get a bit creative.

Building this shelf cost me less than $40. It took a sheet of plywood, a couple of 2x4s, a few brackets and a handful of screws. For the 2 hours it took to put up, I have 35 square feet of "found" storage space. That is about $1 per square foot!

This is the second "found" space shelf that I have. It is above my sewing table. This is the hardest to get to shelf in my sewing room so it houses things I rarely use as well as holiday ornaments and other household items that have made their way into my sewing room.

If you look closely you can see that I even have storage boxes under my sewing table. They only take up the back half so that they don't get in my way when I sew.

I use the cork board behind my sewing table to put photos that give me inspiration, quotes and order notes. At the moment it has a bunch of my girls' artwork which I always get inspiration from.

***Random tips to stay organized***

Get a cheap kitchen timer and set it for 5 minutes before and after working, use that time to straighten your work space. You'll be amazed at the difference those 10 minutes make, especially as they add up!

Put up a dry erase white board, I got mine at Office Depot for $4. Use it to keep track of stuff you are low on, phone calls you need to make etc.

Clean when you are in a bad mood. Seriously if I'm really grumpy I clean out closets and drawers, I'll throw away or donate completely useless items I would have kept if I hadn't been in such a foul mood.

Keep a garbage can within reach, and DON'T be afraid to use it!