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5 Tips for Decluttering Your Craft Space

Karen · Leave a Comment

Decluttering your craft space can certainly be stressful and frustrating. With an abundance of supplies of all different shapes and sizes, it can be hard to find a place to fit everything. Finding an organizational system that will help to keep your supplies in a confined space and out of the way is essential. Not only does decluttering help to open up your physical space but your own mental space as well. Your mind will be able to think beyond and produce more creativity within a decluttered space. If you’re struggling to maintain the disorganization in your own craft space, keep reading for some quick tips. 

tips for decluttering your craft space

Store Supplies Vertically

An insanely helpful tip in decluttering your craft space is to utilize your vertical space. This includes everything from multi-tiered storage carts to wall and door organizers. Storage carts are perfect for the crafter who needs to move around constantly. With the cart having many levels, it allows you to store a number of your everyday supplies without the cart taking up too much space. Wall organizers like metal grid panels can be used with separate hooks and baskets to attach to the grid. Then, you can store your smaller supplies like scissors, paints, ribbon, and pencils on the panel to keep them up and out of the way from your workspace.

Give Everything a Home

When decluttering, you want to make sure every item, big and small, has a designated place. You may have the perfect storage solution for large items like your sewing or Cricut machine but struggle to find a place for small paints and markers. On the other hand, if you are having issues storing the larger items, it’s still essential to give all your items a place to be stored. For your large machines and bulky supplies that are used less frequently, you can opt for large storage bins, boxes, or baskets. They can be tucked away easily at the bottom of a closet or under a desk. For smaller items, desk organizers are perfect. Everything from a small desk tray to drawer units can fit on any workspace desk to help keep small supplies contained in your space. You can use wall space to add shelves, too.

Color Coding

Color coding can be extremely efficient when you’re decluttering because it helps you to sort all of your items and maintain a system to keep them organized.

“Color coding is such an easy and vibrant way to store your craft supplies! Dividing up your materials into specific colored bins will allow you to know what is in each container, causing less stress and more crafts made!” – Yajaira Enriquez, Associate Product Designer at Michaels

 Like Enriquez, many of us creatives work better with color and visuals. For example, you can implement color coding for your paper supplies in your crafting space. Try using clear, flat containers and fill each container with 1 color of paper. This will help you to keep your papers sorted and you can avoid sifting through all your papers to look for a particular color. Instead, you’ll be able to see from across the room exactly where each color of paper is. Also with a colorful organization system, you are much more likely to stick to it and avoid clutter later on.

Unconventional Storage

When decluttering your space as a crafter, don’t be afraid to get creative with your storage solutions as well. There are hundreds of storage options available that are outside of what you typically think of for craft storage. Just to name a few, jars and mugs are easy and perfect to use as a pencil holder. Spice racks and Keurig K-Cup racks can be great for storing your small buttons and pins. Even the rail of an old crib can be mounted vertically on a wall to hang a store fabric. Not every traditional craft storage solution will work for your space so get inventive with your storage options.

Donate!

While all these decluttering tips and solutions can be helpful, you also want to make sure that you are honest with yourself about what you need, and don’t need. When you begin decluttering, sort out the items that you can give away or throw out. You’ll be surprised by how many of your supplies you haven’t used or don’t need. Simple supplies like fabric and sewing machines can be extremely helpful to others if you choose to donate them. You’ll be giving to those who need it and decluttering your own space at the same time.

 

With these tips, decluttering can be a simple task. You’ll no longer have to waste time maneuvering around your clutter and instead, you can spend more time crafting. Take your time and really decide what organization options will be ideal for your space. Comment below which tip was most helpful to you!

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Filed Under: Projects

Three Memory Bears

Karen · 3 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I get a small commission. Thank you for supporting me. 

I was asked to make some Memory Bears for a customer. She had some clothing that belonged to a deceased loved one, and wanted the bears made out of them. I wish I had taken a photo of the three lightweight jackets she sent me before I cut them up. They were beautiful. It took me two weeks to be able to put scissors to the jackets, because they were that pretty. This project took me a lot longer than it should have to do. First, I my chronic pain flared up, and would not allow me to sit at my sewing machine long enough to accomplish anything. Then, my eyes started hurting and were hard to keep open. Did you know that if you have Rosacea, that it can get into your eyes? I had no idea! My eye doctor gave me some medicated eye drops that helped. Finally, when summer was almost over, I was able to get in there long enough to make these adorable bears.

memory bears
These memory bears turned out really cute.

I made the green bear first. The fabric used was almost too stretchy. It seemed to take more stuffing than I have ever stuffed into a bear to fatten him up, but at last, he was able to sit up all by himself. Then I had to find the right buttons to use for the eyes. (Don’t worry, these bears are for adults, not babies.) Here he is before he got his eyes and nose:

memory bear
Little bear, where are your eyes and nose??

Next, I made the purple bear. The fabric for this one was not as stretchy, but it had a very interesting texture. It was had to cut and hard to sew because of all the textures but he did turn out really nice. He is a unique bear for sure.

memory bears
This little bear is quite interesting because of the texture fabric.

The last memory bear is made from fabric that is reversible. Because it is reversible, it made it hard to sew as well. Every seam had doubled fabric due to it being a two ply type of material. I think he was the hardest one to sew. On top of that, even though I marked and measured twice before I started to sew his head on, it came out being turned to the side, like he was perpetually looking over his shoulder! I had to get out my trusty seam ripper and take his head off, not once, but TWICE! I was very frustrated with this one but finally, he came together and turned out looking pretty good.

memory bear 4
Oh, this little memory bear did not have his head on straight! It took ripping it off twice to get it right!

These little guys have been shipped to their new home in Florida. The customer messaged me the other day and told me they arrived and are so cute! If you would like to have a Memory Bear made from clothing that belonged to your loved one, leave a comment or email me at fabgrandma@gmail.com. I sell them for $35 each, you provide the article of clothing from which it is made and pay shipping both ways. I have two different patterns for teddy bears, which I can send pics of if you decide you want a bear (or bears) made. I stuff them with poly fiber fill and use buttons for eyes and felt for the nose.

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Filed Under: Crafts, Projects, Sewing

Cricut and Sewing Go Together So Well

Karen · Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on affiliate links and make a purchase, I receive a commission for referring you to the merchant. Thank you for shopping my links.

Cricut iron on vinyl
Ruffled Mermaid T-Shirt I  made for the little girl next door. 

I have been making these cute ruffled t-shirts with a mermaid iron on lately. They are so cute for little girls, and so easy to make. I have a Cricut Explore that I won in a giveaway several years ago. It took me over two years to take the Cricut out of the box and start using it. I was sort of afraid of it, because I did not know it was so easy to use. Now I use it all the time. 

Cricut vinyl iron on
Pink ruffled T-shirt with no iron on.

The first ruffled T-shirt I made did not have an iron on on it. I just sewed on the ruffles, and was done. Then, I took it to Southern Charm & Gifts to sell it. One day, Sharon, the owner of the shop, called me and asked me if I could put an iron on on a shirt that a customer bought. I said I would do it and when I went to pick it up, I found out that the person who bought it was my neighbor! My friend and I laughed about that so  much. After that, I have been putting iron ons on just about every shirt I have made. 

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a paint party in town. I met some ladies that live near me. We were talking, and I told them that I make things to sell at Southern Charm & Gifts in Tallapoosa. One of them asked me to make a T-shirt with ruffles and a mermaid iron on. Here is what I made for her yesterday:

Cricut vinyl iron on
Ruffled T-shirt with mermaid iron on.

I messed it up so bad when I was sewing on the ruffles, so I had to sit and pick out all the threads with a seam ripper to take off three rows of ruffles and a trim. Y’all know how much I hate that dang seam ripper! The next morning, I sewed all the ruffles and trim back on, and ironed on the mermaid. I think the shirt looks really cute. 

mermaid svg file
This mermaid svg file is so cute!

This is a close up of the mermaid cut from an svg file using my Cricut Explorer. It looks really complicated, but it is easy to cut, and then easy to pick out the pieces, or weed, the vinyl. The little girls around here love mermaids. 

ruffles on the t-shirt
Close up of the ruffles and trim on the T-shirt.

On the first couple of T-shirts I  made like this, I made my own ruffles. That was a pain in the you know what! After that, I found a group on Facebook where you can buy fabric, trims, lace, ruffles, and all kinds of sewing related supplies at deep discounts from other people who sew. They are looking to destash their supplies of fabric and other stuff. These ruffles were some that I bought from that group. They were so much easier to handle and sew, that I don’t think I will ever make another ruffle. That ribbon trim was just perfect to finish off the top row of ruffles. 

I am selling these shirts, if you would like one. I can get the shirts in sizes from 6 months to 4T and from size 5 to size 10, in white, red, pink, purple, green, yellow or black. The iron on can be either a mermaid or a unicorn. Please send me an email if you would like to have one made for your child or grandchild. 

Check out these great Cricut promotions, good until 9/18/2018:

$15 off Cricut EasyPress™ bundles with code EASY15. Valid 9/12-9/18.

Fabric Sale! Score 30% off with code FAB30. Valid 9/12-9/18.

Accessories Sale! 30% off with code ACCESSORY30. Valid 9/12-9/18.

Cutting Materials Sale! Snag 30% off with code CUTTING30. Valid 9/12-9/18.

OH, and get FREE Economy Shipping on orders $99+ to US and Canada. Use code FREESHIP9 through 9/30/2018!!

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Filed Under: Sewing

Crafty Me! Some Things I Have Made Lately

Karen · 1 Comment

I have been spending a lot of time in my sewing room in the last couple of months. A new shop opened in town, Southern Charm Gifts & More. They sell hand made items on consignment. I took some samples of the things I make to show them, and I was accepted as a vendor. It has been so fun getting back into sewing. Here are some of the things I have made:

 

Pink ruffled t-shirt

I have been making these cute t-shirts. I add three rows of ruffles to the bottom of the shirt for a sassy look. Little girls love them!

On this purple T-shirt, I added three rows of ruffles and three rows of lace, and an iron on vinyl mermaid that I cut with my Cricut. So cute!

We had a Christmas in July event at the shop last month. I made these little crossbody bags in a pretty Christmas print fabric. 

This hobby horse was also made for the Christmas in July event. I used to make these years ago when i was going to craft shows. They sold pretty good at the shows. 

I’ve been playing with my Cricut a lot. The nativity scene above is iron on vinyl on wood that has been painted white. 

I found this cut file of an alien abduction and just had to make a shirt with it. Unfortunately, the shirt did not fit the person I made it for, so it is for sale if anyone wants it. Size Large, $18. Just email me at fabgrandma@gmail.com if you would like to buy it. 

I made two of these Keep Calm Sloth On shirts. The other one was the same color iron on done on a lavendar t-shirt. They both turned out great. 

I made this t-shirt for my grandson, Parker, for his fifth birthday. He loved it. 

Christmas Corner Banner

I made the banner for the new Christmas Corner at Southern Charm & Gifts. After the Christmas in July event, the owner decided to create a spot in the store where she could have a year round Christmas display. I think that this will be a popular area of the store. What do you think? 

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Filed Under: Projects, Sewing

Crafty Day

Karen · 1 Comment

I have been feeling pretty good lately, so I have been able to spend quite a bit of time in my sewing room. Here are some of the craft projects for spring that I have been doing. There is a consignment craft shop in Tallapoosa, about eight miles from my house. I have a few things in there for sale. The shop is in the process of moving to a better location, with better parking, and a larger space. The grand opening for the new location of Southern Charm & Gifts is March 15th, and I want to have more things in there to sell. 

Yesterday I took a T-shirt with ruffles to put in the shop, and they loved it. Unfortunately, I did not take of picture of it before I took it up there. I’ll take a picture next time I go. I made a similar one today, using a pink size 2T shirt. 

hand made crafts
The Pink Ruffled T Shirt.

I made some T Shirts with iron-ons for Easter and St. Patrick’s day. However, there is already someone who is selling iron on T Shirts so they could not take any of my Easter shirts. They did take the ones for St. Patrick’s Day though. 

Happy Easter T-Shirt. This one is for sale.

 

Hanging with my peeps T-shirt. Size adult XL $16.00

 

Pinch Proof child’s shirt. This is for sale at Southern Charm & Gifts in Tallapoosa on Head Street.

 

Too Cute To Pinch. This is also for sale at Southern Charm & Gifts in Tallapoosa.

 

I made this one for my grandson, Parker for his 5th birthday. That’s his last name on the back of the shirt with the number 5.

 

This adorable shirt is one I made for a friend’s child for their 5th birthday. It says “Her Royal Fiveness” in pink and gold.

 

The last thing I made is a onesie with a iron on tie, and matching blue seersucker shorts. So cute!

I have some more things in the works. I hope I get them all finished by the 15th. I want to have a lot of hand made items in the store for the grand opening. 

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Filed Under: Projects

A Little Sewing Project: A Tote Bag For My Trip To Colorado

Karen · 1 Comment

I am loving this zebra fabric.

Yes! I’m going to Denver Colorado on Wednesday to visit my daughter, Becca. My son, Seth, is going with me, and Fabgrandpa is staying home to take care of the kitties. I decided to make myself a new tote bag to take with me on the trip. 

The Ethel Bag

I found a free download pattern at Swoon Sewing Patterns. The Ethel Bag was exactly what I was looking for. I did make a couple of changes to my bag: I increased the length of the handles by six inches, because I like a shoulder bag. I added a loop and button closure because this is an open bag, and I wanted a closure since I would be travelling with the bag. I also added Pellon 70 stiff interfacing because I like a really substantial bag. Other than those changes, the bag is cut to the pattern instructions. 

Finished bag Except for the button, which I don’t have yet.

The bag has two pockets on the outside, and two pockets on the inside. The extra stiff interfacing makes this bag stand up by itself, which I like. The longer handles give this bag a drop that I like, and allow me to wear it as a cross body bag if I choose to. It’s large enough to hold all the necessities, including my prescription medications, my insulin and diabetes supplies, wet wipes, lip balm, a snack or two, and my iPad, without being too large to fit under the seat in front of me on the plane. 

The Ethel Bag in Zebra print.

 

The inside: The lining has the zebra print at the bottom.

 

My bag shown with the pattern.

I think I did a good job on this bag, and finished it up in two days. If you make according to the pattern instructions, you can probably finish one in an afternoon. What do you think of my version of the bag?

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Filed Under: Sewing

Crafty Me: Drawstring Bag Sewing Project

Karen · 2 Comments

You might remember that I found a consignment shop in Tallapoosa, Southern Charm and Gifts, about 8 miles from me, that sells crafts made by local people. I took some of my items over there in February and they loved them, and let me join as a crafter. On Saturday, I got a call from the store, telling me that they had a customer in there who was looking for someone to make a drawstring bag for her husband to use to take his medications with him when he goes to the doctor. Doctors always ask you to bring in all your prescription medications when you go to your appointments. 

drawstring bag
This is the pattern I bought–it has lots of different sizes included.

She said she did not want any floral or girly fabrics in it. We discussed sizes and prices. When I hung up, I had my first custom order from the shop! Whooo hoooo! 

drawstring bag
This is the drawstring bag. It’s not finished yet, but close.

It just so happens that the week before that, I had bought a pattern for a drawstring bag, because I wanted to see how to make them, and because I think that style of bag can be used for lots of things, and they should be a good selling item. 

drawstring bag.
The inside of the bag. I tried to use some manly looking fabrics.

Today I printed off my pattern and got to work on this project. I got it almost finished, all except for the drawstring and some hand work. I think it will be a nice bag for a man to tote meds in. What do you think? I’ll show the finished bag soon. 

drawstring bag
The bag has a squared bottom.

 

The drawstring will go through the shorter gray part of the bag.

 

A close up of the outside fabric for the drawstring bag.

 

Wednesday AIM Link Party
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Filed Under: Sewing

Fabric.com: The Place To Shop For Spring And Summer Fabrics

Karen · Leave a Comment

Get ready for Easter with these cute fabrics! Fabric.com has so many to choose from, but this is my favorite: fabric.com

If you love fabric as much as I do, then you don’t think of them as being a spring or a summer fabric. You just love them because they are prestty. But this winter has been so unseasonably warm that we are all ready for summer! Shop your favorite styles at Fabric.com to bring warmth and sunshine inside! Redecorate your pool house, start a nautical-themed project, design summer dresses for the family and more.

 
Shop all prints here, or check out our favorites below.
 
Art Gallery Morning Walk Jersey Knit Wispy Daybreak Aura
This cream print brings a bohemian vibe to any project. Sew leggings, jumpers, aprons and more with the nature-inspired fabric. It’s 95% cotton and 5% Spandex, making it a little stretchy for additional comfort.
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Art Gallery Skopelos Jersey Knit Paparounes Crimson
This lightweight cotton jersey knit fabric is perfect for t-shirts, summer lounge shorts, leggings, children’s clothes and more. Use this print to create a mother-daughter look that’s perfect for summertime beach photos.
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Amy Butler Love Bliss Bouquet Teal
This bright floral fabric has hints of lime, magenta, white and peach on a teal background. The vibrant fabric is perfect for outdoor cushions or a beach cover up. Grab a similar print from the same artists with the Tumble Roses Pink fabric.
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Kaffe Fassett Collective 2012 Cactus Dahlias Red
Bring green, blue, pink, hot orange, red and maroon into your next quilting project or DIY project. The fabric is lightweight, 100% cotton and can be machine-washed in cold water, making it a good choice for blankets or apparel projects.
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Filed Under: Fabric, MIsc

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