In a world of full-blown technology addiction and lives structured around work rather than play, few things can be more fulfilling than a little hands-on crafting or a trip to nature. But any passionate crafter and hobbyist will tell you a hobby is far more than just a simple pastime. No matter what form it takes, hobbies can nurture our creative side, feed our soul, bring mindfulness into our lives, boost our overall health, and help us grow as a person. So, it's not hard to see why we deem our little craft nook or room a sacred place. That said, there's probably nothing that can crush creativity, motivation, and exhilaration quite as much as clutter and chaos in our personal sanctuary. If keeping your space neat is a bit of a problem area for you, like for many crafters, we give you some valuable tips for better hobby organization and storage.

Go back to square one

Do you wish to be completely thorough in organizing your hobby room? If yes, then clearing the space and starting from there may be the best approach. And by this, we don't mean just getting rid of your old materials, patterns you don't intend to complete, and leftover bits of projects. We're talking blank canvases, bare bones, and that sort of thing. Completely emptying the space allows you to look at the area through a fresh pair of eyes, which is vital for the following step.

Get building

Now that you've got everything out of the space, it's time to start planning the area and get building. If you're short on space, perhaps the most practical solution for better hobby organization and storage is to choose an empty wall to dedicate to shelving units. Shelves and cubbies can be customized according to your needs and the area's available space. It should give you plenty of space to store your tools, supplies, and other equipment in one place but also free up some floor space and the rest of the room for your actual work.

You can also opt for some hook and panel wall storage for holding all kinds of smaller items. For example, if you're designing a home gym, these work wonderfully for hanging jump ropes or resistance bands. Or, if you're setting up a sewing room, you can hang your pattern collection for display.

Other than wall storage, we've seen lots of crafters resort to a customized table or desk. The top serves as their primary workspace, whereas built-in storage drawers add the convenience of setting up the supplies right under the work surface, thus providing easy access to the most-used items.

Organize tools by craft

How do you categorize your tools and supplies when everything is crammed into random boxes or cluttering your work surface? Although a quick Google search will uncover a sea of organizing methods touted by expert crafters, organizing by craft, such as scrapbooking, painting, sewing, knitting, etc., is probably the most prevalent one. This allows crafters to whip out whatever they might need in one fell swoop. But, in the end, there is no one right way to do this. Perhaps the best thing you can do for yourself is store things in categories that make sense to you. Of course, you can always tweak your system later. So, if you want to do some experimenting with the categories, go for it.

Find everything a home

After you've gathered your tools and supplies and organized them by category, it's time to move on to the next step. Assigning a designated spot for everything may be one of the most important guidelines for effective hobby organization and storage.

While sorting the items for your current crafts, odds are your subcategories emerged as well. Now you know what you want to store. So, let this guide you as you head out to the local shop to purchase some storage solutions like Tupperware, baskets, and clear bins, as well as some organizers.

Then, start sorting the contents of each category into those smaller categories, placing your items into storage containers. For instance, if you're sorting out your knitting supplies, you would have categories like these: needles, yarn, patterns, notions, works in progress. Also, suppose you need to store and keep your camping equipment safe. Make sure to purchase bins in different sizes because you'll need bigger totes for things such as tents, chairs, hammocks, and other large camping gear. In contrast, you'd need smaller totes for items like water filters, first aid kits, and hammocks.

Don’t save things “just in case”

At this point, it's essential to include a little decluttering session. While in the sorting stage, keep a lookout for anything that no longer tickles your fancy. This could consist of supplies for the crafts or a craft you no longer do. Got it? Now kiss it goodbye. Throw it away, give it away, or sell it. Sure, it might feel painful at first, but once you've pared down to the essentials, you'll feel light as a feather – and your craft room organization will too.

Emphasize functionality and accessibility

You probably won't use your hobby area only for storing your supplies and equipment but for actual work. So, think about how your ideal space would look like, not only in terms of aesthetics but functionality as well. Consider what you might need to include in it to make it work for you. Here are some ideas:

Establish your central command area. A good rule is to establish an area where you get your crafting done. Doing so will help you avoid spreading your projects and supplies all over the house. A simple desk or table will work well.
Store frequently-used items in plain sight. Keep the containers and baskets of your frequently-used items close to your workspace and in plain sight. There are few things more frustrating than having to stop in the middle of your crafting process to look for that ever-elusive pair of scissors.
Use bins without lids. This way, you won’t find yourself stacking items on top of bins instead of opening them and putting items away. This is, of course, unless you plan on stacking bins on top of one another, which is necessary sometimes.
Think about portability. Creating kits of supplies for specific projects will make it easy for you to move from room to room, from inside to your backyard, as well as to leave the house for group projects and clubs.
Label everything. Labeling is a huge game-changer when it comes to organizing your hobby room or storage successfully. It makes both finding items and putting them away easy.
Leave extra space. Inevitably, craft supplies of any serious crafter grow exponentially over time. Regardless of how much of a minimalist you strive to be, it’s going to happen. So, do yourself a solid and remember to leave some extra space for those supplies heading your way.

Establish some ground rules for neatness

Congrats! You've successfully conquered the craft catastrophe that once was. From now on, you just have to make sure to keep it that way for more than a few hours. This may not be so easy, given you're using the space regularly, but it is crucial for better hobby organization and storage that remains in top shape. For starters, try setting a daily 5-minute tidy timer. The reason this method is so effective is that five minutes isn't at all long – so you'll stay motivated. Still, it's long enough for you to make a significant difference in your hobby room before the time is up. However, it's hardly a cure-all. So, you will need a better plan. True craft addicts might consider scheduling a deep-clean day once a week, whereas those who are only popping in the room once or twice a month could schedule it once a month.