Organize Your Sewing Room
Get tips for organizing your sewing room. Find fresh ideas for storing your fabric stash and organizing your quilting supplies.
Spread Out [1]
If you have a large space, use a corner desk and long tables that can serve as cutting and sewing space. Make sure to use the wall space to store magazines, patterns, and other supplies.
Flexible Workspace [2]
A rolling cart can provide a sturdy work space. Add a piece of durable plywood to restaurant-style metal shelving to make a portable cutting station.
Smart Storage [3]
A small kitchen island makes a useful craft cart. Store magazines and patterns in boxes, fabric in a wire basket, and hide small quilting notions behind a door. Post notes and inspiration on a bulletin board surface inside the door.
Easy Access [4]
For easy access, stash fabric for current projects in tiered wire baskets on your cutting surface.
Close at Hand [5]
When you’re auditioning fabrics for an upcoming project, keep it in a basket on or near your sewing space for quick reference. Store magazines and patterns in wall-mounted wire racks.
Stacked Storage [6]
Store cotton or wool fat quarters on shelves. Arrange these 18x22-inch fabric pieces by color or fabric line.
Tucked Away [7]
Transform a cabinet into a self-contained storage area. Store fabric, rickrack, and embellishments on one shelf and your sewing machine on another to keep supplies out of sight (but not out of mind!).
Contain Clutter [8]
Eliminate clutter by stashing fabric and quilting supplies in an armoire. Hang fabric swatches and inspiration from the doors, and use upper shelving for organizing fat quarters and boxes containing quilting notions.
Get Crafty [9]
For inconspicuous storage, hang a piece of pegboard on the inside of a closet door to organize your craft supplies. Add a bar to store ribbon and small baskets to hold rulers, scissors, and marking tools.
Pop of Red [10]
Use pegboard and small buckets as functional decor. Eliminate cutter by stashing marking tools, thread, and other small quilting notions in cute painted, wooden, or metal containers.
Categorize Supplies [11]
Use tabs that coordinate with your decor to label contents of cabinets and boxes. This makes it easy to find quilting supplies and to return them to the proper places.
Arrange by Use [12]
Label and stack boxes of notions you rarely use on top shelves, keeping items that you use often at arm’s reach.
Functional and Decorative [13]
Stash rickrack, ribbon, and other embellishments in clear jars. Display the filled jars on a shelf for touches of color.
Grab at Ease [14]
Display ribbon in soda straw dispensers. It’s easy to retrieve ribbon—just pull up on the lid!
Coordinated Colors [15]
Organize buttons by color and store them in transparent, matching containers. Hide the jars in a pullout drawer to minimize clutter.
Recycle and Reuse [16]
Collect buttons and other tiny notions in various clear glass jars. You can sort buttons by size and shape, keeping vintage buttons in one type of jar and everyday buttons in another.
Use Vintage Pieces [17]
Store buttons, pins, and other small quilting supplies in decorative containers, such as antique muffin tins.
Clever Details [18]
Hit the hardware store for useful storage containers. The small drawers meant for nails make great receptacles for embroidery thread. Create labels for the small drawers.
Small-scale Storage [19]
Organize rickrack, thread, and other small quilting supplies in small plastic bins from a hardware or craft store. Many organizers that are for tools or other hardware items can easily accommodate sewing supplies.
Portable Storage [20]
A toolbox has compartments that are perfect for storing sewing supplies. Include fabric so you can sew on the go.
Secured Suitcase [21]
An old suitcase can hold a variety of small quilting supplies. Look for a suitcase with small pockets (or create you own) on each side to keep supplies in place.
Get Creative [22]
Store ribbon on a vintage wire rack. Scour vintage shops and flea markets to find other creative ways to display ribbon, trims, and fabric.
Visualize [23]
Tack small bulletin boards over your work space to keep photos and swatches of inspiration within sight.
Smart Use of Space [24]
Fashion a pullout ironing board or use a tabletop ironing board for light pressing tasks. Smaller ironing boards take up less space when they’re not in use.