Some of my favorite organizational ideas...

Last week, I shared some amazing ideas for beautiful crafting areas that are well organized, functional, and comfortable. Of course, not all of us can afford to go out and purchase furniture or specialty containers to create designer looks. Like so many, I live on a very tight budget and would much rather spend my small crafting allowance on supplies rather than storage. So, being creative, I look around my home and see what I can make or recycle.

One of my favorite way to store loose beads - everything from tiny seed beads to larger beads - is to recycle glass jars. As we finish off a jar of pickles, mayo, maraschino cherries, or whatever we have in jars, I start the process of making them storage containers. I rinse them immediately, run them through the dishwasher, and then soak in a sink filled with hot soapy water to remove the last adhesive residue and odor. Once they are dry, they are ready to be filled and stacked on a shelf.

Speaking of shelves, one of the centerpieces of my craft room is an antique kitchen cupboard given to me by my mother-in-law. I couldn't use the piece in my kitchen, so it makes great storage for my paper crafting supplies. Take a look around your house and find furniture you already have that can be moved to your craft area. 

If you don't have a room and do most of your crafting at the dining room table, being able to keep your supplies organized and packed away is vital. I love my clear plastic totes, particularly the ones for shoes. They stack easily, keep things organized fairly well, are inexpensive and can be gotten in multiple sizes.

Organization can be difficult to maintain, but it is so important in order to keep your crafting area functioning and you happy. That being said, it's also important to remember that organization doesn't have to expensive. Get those creative ideas flowing and get organized. Please share some of your favorite organizational ideas.