Featuring guest authors; crafting tips and projects; recipes from food editor and sleuthing sidekick Cloris McWerther; and decorating, travel, fashion, health, beauty, and finance tips from the rest of the American Woman editors.

Note: This site uses Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST BLOGGER DANIELLE HEGEDUS ON CREATING THE PERFECT CRAFT ROOM

Today we’re joined by Danielle Hegedus of Modernize.com who shares some tips for creating the perfect craft room.

Renovating Your Spare Room Into the Ultimate Craft Haven

If you’re a serious crafter, you know that it can be a space-demanding hobby, especially if you like to hoard materials for “just in case”. But it’s probably for this very same reason that you know crafting is totally worth it! Beyond the joy that you get from creating your own custom artwork to sell or gift to loved ones, or designing your own jewelry instead of paying outrageous prices at a big box store, crafting is also good for your health!  Studies have shown that crafting affords you many of the same health benefits as meditation and yoga, including decreased anxiety, improved mental acumen, and increased ability to deal with stress—just to name a few!

This means that not only can you indulge your crafting habit guilt-free, but you should also ramp it up—it’s an investment in your health, after all! So if you’ve been on the fence about renovating your home’s spare room into an ultimate craft haven, now’s the time for go for it—and these tips will ensure that you make the most of your space.
First, Get Organized!
Whether you make jewelry, knit, or scrapbook, most crafting hobbies require a lot of supplies. To maximize your time in your craft room, you need to minimize distractions and get organized. Keep an ongoing inventory of your supplies—a list that’s accessible by a mobile device means you’ll be able to add something as soon as you think of it, whether you’re knee deep in a project or away from home.

Next, organize your supplies by type, using baskets, shelving, binders—whatever works best for your medium. That way, if you feel like scrapbooking one morning, you can jump right in without a 15-minute search for that awesome leopard print washi tape that you can’t seem to find anywhere.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on your organization system, but make sure to give it some love. Paint shelves in bright, fun colors that you love but that may be too bold for the rest of your home. Experiment with decoupage to add vibrant images to plain, otherwise boring surfaces. Enhancing the decor of your organization system can be a fun craft project in itself!
Incorporate Artwork that Inspires You
Adding artwork to your craft room doesn’t have to be a pricey investment. Instead, it’s a great DIY opportunity to create one-of-a-kind artwork that truly reflects your personal style. Think about the patterns, fabrics, and color palettes that you love and frame them yourself to create a cool modern design aesthetic. Can’t decide between a chevron or a beehive print? Don’t be afraid to embrace mixed media. Not only is it very much in style right now, but this is your space to highlight everything that inspires your work, so go ahead and place a plaid print next to a polka dot one to create a fun whimsical vibe, or drape some deep purple velvet around the room to add an element of drama. There are no rules in this room, and that’s exactly what will inspire your most creative work.
Shine a Light on Your Great Work
It’s important to ensure the lighting in your craft room is high quality to make it an appealing space in which you actively want to spend time, but also to prevent eyestrain. In addition to natural light from open windows, add lamps to warm up your space and help ease the pressure on your eyes when you’re working on the intricate details of a project.
Make Room for Friends and Family to Join in the Fun
One of the most fun parts of crafting is sharing the activity, and the items you create, with loved ones. When setting up your craft room, think about ways to accommodate more crafters. If your space is large, why not opt for a sizable table with comfortable chairs to give all your girlfriends the space (and back support) they need for a fun girls’ night of jewelry making? If your space is smaller, make use of the walls to install foldaway table surfaces (similar to a Murphy bed or an ironing board) to give you extra space when you have company that doesn’t monopolize precious square footage in the room.

However you decide to set up your new craft room, we hope that you’ll feel empowered to make the room your own. At Modernize, we’re passionate about helping homeowners fall in love with every room of their home, and a personalized craft room is the perfect place to start. Create a space that reflects your personal style and allows your imagination to run wild. Your projects, and your mental health, will definitely reflect this loving investment that you’ve made in yourself!

No comments: