Organize Your Tools for a More Creative Space
Spring cleaning is one of the best feelings of the year. Whether you are coming out of a long, cold winter or a scorching summer, the in-between seasons of autumn and spring often feel like the perfect time to refresh our spaces and get organized. It is a chance to tidy up our tools, take stock of our supplies, and make space for future projects.
We thought it would be helpful to share some of our favourite ways to keep tools organized, easy to find, and ready for use. But remember, there is no single perfect way to organize a craft space. The best system is simply the one that helps you find what you need when you need it, allowing you to sit down and create when inspiration hits.
For the pictures in this post, we’ve included links to blog posts to highlight some of the most frequently used tools in our crafts that we may need to organize. Also, you will find a downloadable PDF at the end of this post, so you can record your tools and stash for quick reference. Throughout the year, we will share a free PDF each month to help you stay organized, whether that is for your goals, projects, or tools.
Boxes, Buckets & Bins
Making a box for each of your craft’s tools is a great way to stay organized. Of course, some tools are too big or too small. But keeping it all consolidated is key. If you have things scattered around your house, it will be hard to find them when you need them. Group things wherever possible.
After you have gathered your tools in storage containers or boxes, store them together in one place, such as a shelf or cabinet, preferably in the same room. When everything has a home, it becomes much easier to start a new project and tidy up when you are finished.
Needles & Hooks
Interchangeable needle sets usually come with their own cases, which is wonderful. But what about single hooks or loose needles? A small shoe box can keep everything together. You might also sort hooks and needles into small bags inside the box.
Keeping a printed list of the sizes and styles you own inside the box can be very helpful. If you often have several projects on the go, you can note which hook or needle is currently in use. Think of it like a library card system where each tool is signed out to a project.
Skirting & Scouring
Skirting requires enough space to spread out the fleece so you can remove unwanted sections and divide the fibre into usable piles. If you have a backyard, this can be a great place to work.
Paint pails are a great way to store your sorted fleece because they come in a variety of sizes, are inexpensive, air-tight, and stack well, making them great for staying organized. And when you are ready to scour, use paint pails not only to wash the fleece, but as storage containers for your scouring tools.
Portable Fibre Prep Station
We love the idea of a portable fibre preparation station. This might include hand carders, combs, a flicker, dowels, and a diz. Since fibre prep can be a bit messy, especially working with fleece, having a drop cloth can catch loose fibre, vegetable matter and debris while you work. Alternatively, many people like to work outside on a balcony or in the backyard. This is why a bin is so helpful. You can move this station wherever you need it easily.
Jars, Vases & Plant Pots
Not everything needs to be hidden away. Some things can be hidden in plain sight as decor. Now, we still recommend keeping these “decor pieces” near your other tools for that craft. No sense keeping your spindles on display in a fancy jar in your bedroom when you keep all your tools in the dining room and do all your spinning in the living room. Projects can be brought into any room, but try to keep all tools in the same place.
Daily Spinning Needs
Most of us do not move our spinning wheel from room to room. When we spin, we like to have a few small tools nearby, such as spinning oil, scissors, an orifice hook, and a wraps-per-inch tool. These items can easily be stored together in a small jar near your spinning wheel or e-spinner. If the wheel can accommodate it, some spinners use a small notions bag that hangs from the wheel.
Stylish Spindles
Spindles can quickly become a collection. Using a beautiful vase or even a fabric roll can keep them together and protected until you are ready to use them. You can also find some beautiful handmade stands at fibre festivals or on Etsy.
Weaving Tools with Height
Tools such as lease sticks, temples, pickup sticks, and stick shuttles can be quite long. A large plant pot or vase can be a fun and stylish way to store some of these tools upright. Some pots can also hold your boat shuttles!
Yarn, Fibre & Notions
Now, what about all the materials that get used up and need replenishing? Or the tiny notions that we always seem to lose. We have a few ideas for that too!
Cones & Bobbins
Many weaving yarns come on cones, which makes them easy to stack and display. Storing yarns of the same size together helps you quickly see what colours are available. If you have leftover shuttle bobbins filled with yarn, you might store them in a small bag or jar alongside the cones so you can easily see what is already wound.
Yarn & Fibre Storage
This can easily be its own conversation. Some people organize their stash by colour, fibre type, or yarn weight. If you would like more ideas, we explored this topic in our article A Fresh Start in Stash Organization, where our team shared how they organize their yarn from digital records to physical storage.
Stitch Markers & Other Notions
If your couch has not eaten them all, you probably have quite a collection of stitch markers in different sizes and styles. Small tools such as row counters, cable needles, stitch holders, scissors, and gauge rulers are easy to misplace.
Taking an afternoon to sort them can be a lifesaver. Small jewellery bags work well, or you could use a compartment organizer, such as a pill box. And don’t forget, you can tuck these little bags away with the needles or hooks, keeping it all together!
A Few Extra Ideas
Many of these ideas we discuss can apply to a variety of fibre arts. Here are some ideas that work across a few hobbies, which is especially helpful if you are multicraftual!
Digital Resources
Using sites like Ravelry or simple spreadsheets to keep track of the tools you own, materials in your stash, and project notes. Digital organization can be just as important as physical storage. Taking the time to tag or organize your PDFs can also save a great deal of time when you need to reference a pattern or resource later.
Physical Books & Project Notes
Keeping books grouped by craft makes them easier to browse for inspiration. It can also be helpful to keep a binder or folder for printed patterns and any project notes or samples you have made with the books, making all your paper references easy to find in one place.
Wet Finishing Shelf
Blocking tools do not necessarily need to live with your knitting or crochet supplies. It can be helpful to store these tools in the laundry area instead. Keeping blocking mats, pins, wires, and wool wash together in a bag or on a shelf makes it easy to gather everything when finishing a project.
If you weave, you might add an iron and ironing board/press, fringe twisters, and finishing brushes to this shelf. Keeping these items together can simplify the final stage of weaving projects. Spinners may also find it helpful to keep a couple of bowls and wool wash nearby for wet finishing and setting the twist on yarn.
A Winding & Plying Station
If you have the space, keeping a yarn swift, nostepinne, and ball winder set up together can save time when starting a project. You might also keep a niddy noddy, scale, and notebook nearby so you can re-skein yarn and record yardage or leftovers from finished projects.
Many of the same tools are useful for spinning. You might add a lazy kate, wraps-per-inch tool, angle tool, and tags for recording yarn details. And for weaving, you could include a bobbin winder. This type of station can also support other crafts such as punch needle, machine or CSM knitting.
If you have the space, a winding station can save time across multiple crafts.
Mending Basket
A small mending basket can be very useful for handmade items that need care. Include a tapestry needle, a darning mushroom, and a few small bags for leftover yarn. After finishing a project, wind off a small amount of yarn and store it in a labelled bag with the project name. Having the original yarn makes future mending much easier.
You may also want to include tools such as a sweater shaver or de-pilling tool to help keep your garments looking their best.
Resources
Trust us when we say we do not have all the answers. Many times we try a storage idea, use it for a few years, and then try something new. We often find fresh ideas in courses, workshops, and within our community.
School of SweetGeorgia
In many of our courses at the School of SweetGeorgia, we do not just talk about materials and techniques. We also explore storage, maintenance, and care. With more than 120 video-based courses spanning the crafts mentioned here and more, there are plenty of opportunities to discover helpful organizational tips.
SweetGeorgia + Co
A creative community can be incredibly helpful when learning a new craft. Seeing how others organize their tools and workspaces often sparks new ideas. Organization is something many of us revisit again and again as our tools and interests grow. We invite you to join the conversation at SweetGeorgia + Co and share how you organize your space and tools.
Final Thoughts
Many of us dream of a dedicated craft studio filled with workstations and shelves of supplies. In reality, most of us are creating within the spaces of our homes. And it can feel overwhelming on where to start. Before diving in, here are a few questions:
- Do you have a free and open space to create a craft area? Starting from scratch means fewer limitations and can be exciting to make a space your own!
- What space feels only a little messy and is easy to use? Beginning with somewhat manageable spaces gives a sense of accomplishment, and it is easier to move up from there.
- Is there a space you can use, but avoid using because of the disorganization? It can be very satisfying to conquer a space that desperately needs your attention.
- What projects can’t get started because you can’t access the tools? If a space is stopping you from crafting, getting past this hurdle can open your creative inspiration again by allowing you back to that craft.
With a bit of thoughtful organization, we can make these spaces more efficient and enjoyable to use. It helps us make the most of the tools and materials we already have. We can spend more time making and less time setting up, focusing on the things that bring us the most joy.
Download Our Organize Your Tools PDF
We have included a PDF with a few simple charts you can fill out for all your current tools and materials. This is a simple concept just to get you started. The more you use it, the more you will know what is important to you to record and what is not.
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