Your How-To Guide For Balancing Art Time With Everything Else

By Nicole Tinkham

If your head is spinning with all the things that you want to and have to do on a daily basis, I can totally relate. It’s tough to manage a family, the bills, a job, other responsibilities, and also time for yourself (like your art time). Sometimes it just doesn’t feel like there’s enough time in the day to get it all done, right? The good news is that managing your art time with everything else that’s going on is quite simple. It will take some organizing, prioritizing, planning and dedication but it’s certainly achievable. If I can make it all work in my life, I’m confident that you can too. Read on for your how-to guide for balancing art time with everything else.

1.    Have dedicated art space

The first thing you must do is separate your art space from your family or other space at home. This can be very difficult for the artist and I understand that but there’s a reason for it. As artists, we can easily get lost in our artwork. If there are art supplies throughout the house you’ll be tempted to work on your art and put other important things off. Or if you’re stressed out because you don’t have time for your art, it’s a constant reminder of what you’re not doing which can make you feel worse.

By keeping your art space separate, you won’t feel so scattered and you’ll actually be able to focus on one thing at a time. So how in the world are you supposed to keep your art stuff together and separate from everything else in your house?? I have a few suggestions..

First thing’s first, you must get organized. Gather similar supplies (all watercolor supplies, for example) and store them together. Donate anything you never use. Invest in or create the perfect storage solutions for your supplies and save space wherever you can. If you have an extra bedroom or basement area, this is perfect for your separate art room. If you do not have a separate room, you could put up a screen or room divider to create your own little space.

One thing you can’t control is the creative ideas that flow in at the most random moments. These ideas are good though! Carry a journal with you everywhere and jot down those ideas as they come. That way you’ll get the idea down on paper and out of your mind so you can move your focus onto other things.

2.    Set your priorities

Once your space is organized it’s time to set your priorities. Many people skip over this step when getting started in something new and are disappointed when they still aren’t happy. Sometimes adding more art time to your life can hurt you if you aren’t allowing enough time for other things that you care about.

For example, if you put family as your main priority and art as your secondary, this means your family comes first. Always. If you chose art over a family birthday party, you may not be very happy with your decision because you’re missing out on something important.

Take a look at every area of your life (career, hobbies, family, relationships, health, faith, and finances) and rank them in order of their importance to you. If an opportunity comes up that takes you away from your main priority it may not be ideal for you to go after. Prioritizing will help you in the next step, blocking time in your schedule to actually get more accomplished.

3.    Block time in your calendar

Whether you’re an organized person or not, you need to invest in a good planner! If you take a look at your calendar, you’ll discover a lot of time in your day. When you’re blocking time to do certain things, understand that this scheduled time will be focused and productive time to really get things done.

Start with your main priority and block out time for those things first. If your main priority is family, you may block time in for a family party or a planned dinner out. Move onto the next priority which may be your full time job. Block out the time you will be busy with that. Then move onto the next thing and keep going until your calendar is full (or nearly full – you’ll want to keep some time open to relax).

Tip: Color code your blocks of time to differentiate your priorities. Family events are green for example while art time is purple.

When planning your calendar, it’s a good idea to leave a little buffer room between activities and leave some down time to just relax! Block your time consistently every single week. Of course things will come up and alter your schedule but having an idea of how your week looks will really help keep your priorities in line.

4.    Have a chat with your friends and family

You are now on a mission. You will get more done and you’ll start having focused time in the areas that mean the most to you. This is huge! It’s time to sit down with the people closest to you and let them know your plan. Keeping them in the dark about what’s going on could confuse them (why is she locking herself in the art room from 6-7:30 pm and not talking to anyone?). Explain your goals and what you hope to accomplish with them. Make it clear what’s important to you and share your calendar with them so they know not to distract you during your art time or whatever else you have scheduled.

I hear from artists all the time who describe their art space and life as “organized chaos”. I completely understand how that works out for you because I can be the same way. However, when prioritizing my schedule and finding time for all the things I want to do, I find it very helpful to stay at least somewhat organized. Of course you don’t have to be perfect but when it comes to your planner, have things in order to keep you on track. That’s the biggest way I’ve seen improvement in my productivity.

I would love to know, will you be using these steps to balance your art time with all the other things you do? I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

12 Quick Tips For Creating An Art Portfolio

By Nicole Tinkham

If someone were to ask to see your art portfolio, what would your response be? Do you have one? Do you even know what the purpose of one is? If you’ve never heard of it, an art portfolio is basically a resume for artists used for a new job or when trying to get into an art gallery. And even if you don’t have plans for either, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the idea altogether. Aside from the professional use, art portfolios are also a nice reminder to yourself of how far you’ve come and a great way to show off your work to friends and family. Let’s face it; you rarely have your artwork readily available to show samples of. This can help! Whether you’re doing it just for you or you have something in particular you’ll need one for, read on for 12 quick tips for creating an art portfolio.

1.    Best work only. We know how difficult it is to eliminate some things from your art portfolio (although, it is really awesome that you love your own work so much!) but limit your portfolio to your best work only. This is your first impression so set your artwork standards high. Choose 10-20 of your best pieces to feature.

2.    Consider placement. Start off with one of your top pieces and end with a bang as well. All of the work you display will be your best put pick the best of the best to start and finish with.

3.    Artwork must be complete. It may be tempting to throw a work in progress in there that you’re really proud of but when it comes to your art portfolio, make sure all pieces are complete. Incomplete pieces are unprofessional and show that you don’t finish what you start.

4.    Work on it often. Chances are, you need to put together an art portfolio for a new job or to get into an art gallery. Once those things are accomplished, don’t just forget about your portfolio. Keep working on it and making changes. You never know when you may need it again.

5.    Don’t try too hard. You want your art portfolio to be an accurate overview of you and your artwork. Loosen up and be yourself! Trying too hard to give them what you think they want is just lying to them and yourself.

6.    Remember the details. Every single piece in your art portfolio needs to be labeled with the title, medium, and date.

7.    Make everything flow. You’ll want to show your best work and a variety of different pieces but you also need to make sure all artwork makes sense together.

8.    Get a little help. Ask fellow artists which pieces they think should go in your art portfolio. Make sure you choose people who will give you their honest opinion and remember to not become discouraged with criticism.

9.    Read the requirements. If you’re putting together your art portfolio for a specific purpose, make sure to read over any guidelines and requirements.

10.    Be organized. We know the struggle of organization and we typically say everyone is different when it comes to this and that’s ok. But when it comes to your art portfolio, organization is a must. Make sure your artwork is matted, straight, and looks presentable.

11.    Focus on the work. Your art portfolio can be unique and a little different but don’t go too overboard and take away from the most important part, the artwork. Highlight art rather than take away from it. Remember that!

12.    Take photos. Any large pieces that cannot fit in your art portfolio should be included in a photo. Must be taken at a professional-like level with proper lighting.

The first time you put your art portfolio together, it does not have to be perfect. This is so important to remember because striving for perfection could keep you from starting it altogether. Art portfolios are meant to be adjusted as you go. You’ll be adding new work as you improve and taking old work out. Really, the more you’re changing up your art portfolio, the better. This means you’re growing as an artist. So take a good look at all of your artwork and just start piecing it together. Have fun with it and review these 12 quick tips for creating an artist portfolio so you know you’re on the right track.

Tell us, do you have an art portfolio that’s up to date??

5 Planner Hacks That Will Change Your Life

By Nicole Tinkham

It’s the beginning of a new year and if you’re gearing up to make the most of it, you probably purchased a brand new planner and you’re ready to go. Maybe planning and staying organized last year didn’t work out so well or maybe you’re just totally new to this. In either case, we understand the struggle of organization. It can be completely overwhelming looking at a book full of tasks that need to be done. Or maybe you forget to open up your planner altogether which makes having one pretty pointless. Don’t worry; we have 5 planner hacks that will change your life and help keep you organized throughout the whole year.

1.    Don’t include everything

There’s two types of people in the world; those who don’t (or rarely) write important things down and those who write every single little thing down. They key is to find that sweet spot. You have to write some things down but jotting down too much just becomes overwhelming. If there’s something you do on a daily basis without much thought, it doesn’t need to go in your planner. For example, you’ll want to have your dentist appointments marked down in your planner but it’s not necessary to schedule time to brush your teeth every day. You should hopefully be in the habit of doing that daily already.

2.    Plan to plan

We know you want to use your planner and stay organized but the problem normally lies in something as simple as forgetting to sit down and plan. You just need to get in the habit of doing so consistently. Schedule time to sit down and plan for the day, week, and month. It may only take you 15 minutes but it won’t get done unless you plan on getting it done. So how exactly do you plan to plan? We recommend setting an alarm to go off on your phone as a reminder. You should also schedule things into your planner at the same time every day. So for example, you can plan your day at 9:00AM daily, plan for your week every Sunday at 9:00AM and schedule for the month on the 1st of every month at 9:00AM. The more consistent your timing is, the easier it is to form the habit of getting it done.

3.    Use only one planner

If you think having one planner is difficult to keep up with, you’ll drive yourself bonkers with multiple books. Sometimes it may seem like a good idea to separate your home life from your career to-dos but we advise against that. You’ll find yourself flipping back and forth between the two planners which will only make the process more confusing. Plus this is exactly why colorful highlighters, pens and washi tape were invented. Instead of using a whole different book, color-code your tasks to keep them separate but all in the same spot.

4.    Personalize it

Your planner is a very personal thing and should be treated as so. It’s important to choose a planner that will suit your needs. For example, if you do a lot of traveling, a compact planner may be perfect so you can easily take it everywhere with you. But if you take a lot of notes, a larger planner may be ideal for you so you have enough room to write. Get a planner that’s your own personal style. Fall in love with it so you can love using it. Also consider a bullet journal for total customization.

5.    Physically check things off your list

Checking a task (any task, big or small) is so incredibly satisfying. It’s so satisfying that it actually pumps you up for the next task on your list. That being said, actually check off or cross out completed tasks. Oh and don’t stress over the tasks that don’t get completed. You can just move these over to a later date or make a separate list of these tasks to be completed whenever you have the extra time. Remember that you can only do your best so don’t beat yourself up over what doesn’t get done.

Make this year the year you don’t give up all hope on your planner! We know it’s not easy following a planner consistently. It takes some time to plan everything out and it’s so easy to forget to open it up and get planning. But once you’re on a roll with doing it, it’ll become much easier and planning ahead makes everything else easier too. You don’t have to be a super organized person to make a planner work for you. Just keep it simple, be consistent and don’t put too much in it.

Have you had success with your planner? Let us know your top tips in the comments below!

Everything You Need To Know About Bullet Journaling And Keeping Your Life Organized

By Nicole Tinkham

There’s a new cooler way to keep track of your happenings! Go ahead and ditch that non creative planner and jump on board with us as we discover the craze of the year, bullet journaling. Having a creative mind doesn’t mean you have an excuse to be unorganized. We’ll show you how you can be artsy and still have everything in order through a journaling/planning technique that can change your life. Read on for everything you need to know about bullet journaling and keeping your life organized.

What it is

Put simply, a bullet journal is a customizable to-do list, journal, planner, organizer, calendar and note taker all in one book. With this type of journal you can create your own pages which allow it to work with you and your schedule rather than you having to fit your priorities into a pre-made planner like we’re used to doing. Before you get all crazy with your notes and ideas, know that your bullet journal should be super structured and there’s a reason for that. It’s designed for you to be productive, keep up with reaching your goals, and weed out the unimportant tasks that can hold you back. Not everyone is a structured person and that’s fine. Your journal should have at least some structure but you can also make it your own.

Why you should try it

Not all planners will suit your needs. Have you ever bought a planner that doesn’t provide enough room to write the tasks and appointments you need to? Or maybe the planner is too big when you’d really like something smaller. Or maybe you’d like to track something (like a food journal) that a typical planner doesn’t allow for. This is why you need a bullet journal for total customization!

For the creative thinkers who don’t like structure but also need to get organized, this is for you. It’s perfectly acceptable to doodle in a bullet journal. In fact, it’s highly encouraged. You can make it your own and it’s a fun way to get used to organization in your life.

So many times we think having a different list for everything helps us stay organized when in reality, it just stresses us out even more. Think about it. You have your grocery list, your to-do list, your brainstorm of creative ideas list, and more. Having all these different types of lists everywhere can be distracting. With a bullet journal it’s all right there in one notebook making your life easier.

You can set goals for yourself and actually make them happen. Since you can customize this journal, you can include your big goals and areas that you need to work on and fill them in daily. Having your goals and tasks clearly written will keep them in the front your mind so you can achieve them.

You can be totally unique and artsy! Add some color, doodles, fancy handwriting, fun washi tape, and more. This seriously takes planners to the next level.

Every day can be organized differently and you can change things up as needed. You can’t do that with other planners. You won’t get bored and you’ll discover new and better ways to staying organized.

You can add in a habit tracker to help you stay on track with good habits. It’s simple too! Every day you do something right, you fill in a square for the day. This will show your consistency, where you need to improve, and will help you get better at doing that habit. This is especially helpful to visual people who like to actually see their progress on paper.

You can put in as much time as you want. You can set up your day in just 2 minutes or you could spend more time reflecting and jotting down each detail. You can make it super simple but most people like to spend some more time on it and make it look nice too.

You don’t need any fancy supplies, unless you want them! All you really need is a grid journal and a pen. Colorful pens, highlighters, stickers, and other embellishments are just an added bonus.

Different ways to do it

There are two ways to go about bullet journaling: Setting it up 100% yourself as we’ve talked about or purchasing one with premade pages.

It may sound like the premade books go against everything we’ve said about customizing your own journal but hear us out. If there’s a specific goal you have in mind, there may be a journal out there to help you reach that goal specifically. For example, we’ve seen nutrition bullet journals that are set up to plan for meals as well as other things. Even if you go with this option, it won’t be like a typical planner. These are creatively designed and provide you with what you should need to achieve your goals.

If you take the DIY route, all you’ll nead is a gridded journal (in any type and size) and a pen. You’ll be writing everything out yourself but you can use the guidelines below for marking tasks to help you stay organized.

Simple dot = Task
X = Task complete
> = Task Migrated
< = Task Scheduled
O = Events
– = Notes
* = Gives task priority
! = Creative idea/inspiration
An eye drawing = Further research required

You’ll also want to leave a few pages in the beginning of your journal open for the index which is what brings everything together. You’ll have to number your journal pages which can be time consuming but it’s definitely worth it in the end. As you work through your book, simply add topics to your index and indicate which page number they are on.

Top tips

•    Create a weekly log where you brain dump all the things you want to get done for the week but not sure which days you’ll do them.

•    Break your days up into time periods. Several tasks don’t feel so daunting when they’re grouped by time and importance.

•    Separate your events in a creative way with doodles or washi tape.

•    Include your reading and movie wish list into a to-do list

•    Get a quality notebook that you absolutely love. We recommend Moleskine.

•    Use a ruler to help you create straight lines.

•    Use planner stencils to help you create fun shapes.

•    Use colorful page flags to help you easily find the page you need.

•    Create a “waiting on” list. This is great for when you place an order for something and are waiting for it to be delivered. Be sure to include the arrival date so you can track it!

•    Have a section to set monthly and weekly goals.

•    Create fun themes by doodling around your lists.

•    Log your memories. Jot down certain words that remind you of a particular event or doodle it.

•    Include a gratitude section.

•    Have fun with your headers on each page. Learn new creative lettering and just have fun with it.

•    Develop a planning routine. Sit down to plan each month, week, and day. Take the time to do this and in the end you’ll be more organized and will actually save yourself time.

Still don’t think bullet journaling is for you? We DARE YOU to give it a try just for a month or two. We totally believe in the power of keeping goals organized and how fun you can make this normally boring task if you do it right. We think bullet journaling will blow your mind! It’s totally different than anything you’ve ever seen before.  Give it a try and be sure to let us know how it goes!

4 Simple Steps To Staying Motivated

By Nicole Tinkham

I’m the kind of person who never gives up. People ask me all the time how I stay so motivated and consistent and I never really know how to answer them. I’ve been reading a ton of personal development books over the past couple years so I guess all of that information has been somehow absorbed in my brain and now it just comes naturally. But I really took some time to think about how I got to where I am today. The first thing I did was set a goal for myself. I set a big goal. One goal that would make the other things I hoped and dreamed for in my life become my reality. Then I created a plan, took action, and never stopped. I have many systems that I follow to keep my life organized and on track but here are 5 simple steps to staying motivated that will help you get started.

1.    Set a goal

Write down your biggest goal and have a vision of it. Include every detail down to the places you’ll vacation when you make more money to travel or the flooring in your dream house. How does achieving your goal make you feel? You’re no longer dreaming. You are now PLANNING your future.

2.    Know your why

Next you should make a list of reasons why you want to achieve your goal. At least one thing on your list must have an emotional connection.  This is the one thing that will keep you going when you want to give up. It’s the one thing that makes it worth fighting for.

3.    Create small tasks

Now you want to take your big goal and write out all the things that must be done in order to achieve that goal. By breaking your goal down into smaller chunks, you can actually start taking action by putting these things on your daily to-do this. You’ll feel so accomplished checking those off your list every day knowing that you’re one step closer to reaching your goal.

4.    Work on yourself

When things get ugly, you have to take a step back and focus on yourself again. As we get so involved in what we’re doing to reach our goals, we can easily get lost. Things start to become more difficult and we lose our momentum. When all you want to do is give up, revisit your why. Maybe things have changed and you need to now take a different route. That’s perfectly fine. The important thing is to get your focus back. Read some personal development books or listen to some podcasts to help you gain a positive mindset moving forward.

Remember that you are not a failure when plans change. You’re just learning more about yourself and who you want to be. The time spent working on one goal just to have it morph into something else is never wasted time! The important thing is that you always continue moving forward. Things may come up in life and slow you down but never let these things hold you back.

Top 6 Tricks For Making Room To Create

By Nicole Tinkham

We’ve heard countless stories of artists using their KITCHENS as an art studio. As comical as it may seem to work this way, it’s not very practical. An artist needs (and deserves) a designated area to create. Not only is having an art room or area to create convenient but it can also help the artist stay organized, get the creative juices flowing, become focused and productive, and eliminate distractions. Plus it’ll keep the frustration of family members at bay. For some reason non-artists just don’t seem to understand the struggle of having so many different supplies and no place to put them! We know you’re looking for a solution to finally have the space to create and we’re hoping we can help without you having to buy a second house just for your art supplies! Here are our top 6 tricks for making room to create.

1.    Choose the space

Before we even begin, we already know what you’re saying (or thinking). You don’t have space to work on your art, right? That’s the whole reason why you’re reading this blog! But hear us out. You may not have the space now but we can possibly change that. Close your eyes and imagine that your house or apartment is completely empty. Every bedroom, living room, and closet has absolutely nothing in it. You are working with a blank slate. Where would you put your art room? Is there a certain room with fabulous windows? A huge closet? Really think about this.

Also think outside the box. If turning a full room into an art room isn’t possible, what about part of the room? What about splitting your living room in half? You can achieve this with room dividers or a curtain. Do you have an area outside where you can work on your art? A lanai or porch? Be sure to think of every possible way you can make this work.

Be sure the space provides enough room. You need at least room for an art table or easel and for you to walk around. We’ll go over how to save space by getting organized next but for now just make sure you have enough room for the basics.

2.    Get organized

Now that you have your space picked out, it’s time to move onto the next phase: organizing. Keep in mind that this whole process takes time and the getting organized part will most likely be your largest, most difficult and time consuming task. You’ll be going through ALL of your art supplies one at a time and placing them in one of the following piles.

Pile #1: Keep- These are the things you don’t have to think twice about. You use these things fairly regularly and they absolutely need to be in your art space no matter what.

Pile #2: Give away- These are the things that are perfectly fine to use but you have no use for them. Maybe you’ve been collecting fun yarn but never picked up knitting. Or started a collection of buttons for projects but never once touched them. We know how difficult it is to get rid of these so don’t let them go to waste! Think about your artsy friends. Could they get use out of your give away items? Could you donate them to a school? Giving them a good home should put your mind at ease.

Pile #3: Trash- These are items that really can’t be used for much. Torn paper, too small to use scrap fabric, and empty paint tubes need to be thrown out.

When you have some items that you know you should get rid of but have a hard time parting with, remember what you’re doing this for. Getting organized and clearing the clutter will allow you more space to create your work area. It will all be worth it when you’re finished.

Here are a few resources that can help STORE your art supplies:

3 Creative things to do with scrap fabric
How to organize art paper in 4 easy steps
6 Ways to Transform your Craft Room into a Workable Space

3.    Rolling art cart

A mobile cart is KEY for when you don’t have much room to work with. Look for a small cart (so it doesn’t get in the way) with shelves or drawers. You can load it up with all the supplies you need for a project (say oil painting essentials) and when you aren’t working on that project anymore, just roll it away! It can either go off to the side or in a closet. This prevents you from having massive cabinets and storage for everything. Of course not everything will fit on your art cart which is why we’ll also explain how you can make the most of wall and closet space.

4.    Wall and closet space

Why do we love wall and closet storage? Because it doesn’t take up extra room in your work area! The closet can be a great way to store scrap fabric as you can hang it from pant hangers and keep them nice and organized. You can also use over the door shoe organizers to store smaller supplies. Shelving units are another option for a closet. Whatever you choose, be sure it aligns with the supplies you have.

When it comes to the wall, pegboards work wonders for hanging scissors and various bins and cups (which can store smaller supplies). Another little trick we love is using a magnetic strip (like the kind used to hang knives in the kitchen) to hang anything metal like scissors. Floating shelves also provide storage without taking up floor space.

5.    Minimal furniture

When trying to save space, you’ll want to stay away from bulky furniture. This includes large bookcases, file cabinets, and big heavy desks. Think about what you absolutely need in order to create. Do you work on an easel or desk? Do you normally create large pieces or small? If you need a large flat work area, look for a desk or table you can easily move out of the way if you need to. You may be able to find one that you can adjust and make smaller for when you aren’t working on a large project. Many artists have a stool in their art room as opposed to a bulky chair and that’s great. A stool can easily be moved or slid under a desk to make more room when needed.

6.    Art bins for projects

If you’re working on a few different projects at once all with many different pieces and supplies involved, we suggest using plastic bins to store all components of the project. This way you don’t have pieces of projects scattered around everywhere. When transitioning to the next project, simply place all the supplies you were using in the bin, set it aside or in the closet and move onto the next project. When you go back to that project, everything will be right there for you.

Artists face so many struggles but not having space to create shouldn’t hold you back. The tips in this blog may not solve all of your space issues but it could at least help. It takes a lot of time and thought to put together an art area that actually works for you. Don’t expect it to magically come together overnight. But the organization will be well worth it in the end. Not only will it give you more space but it’ll also give you an overview of what you actually have (bet you’ll find some things you forgot about!) as well as make it easier for you to find everything. Give it a try and let us know how it goes. Leave a COMMENT below and tell us a little about your art studio/area.

3 Creative things to do with scrap fabric

By Nicole Tinkham

My mom did a lot of quilting when I was younger and one of my favorite things to do was play dress up with her scrap fabric. There were pieces everywhere in every color, pattern and size imaginable! It was a dream land for a kid but looking back on it now, it was just plain chaos. If you too have fabric scraps hogging up all your craft room space, I completely understand the struggle. We’ve put together 3 creative things to do with scrap fabric including fun projects to use them for, repurposing, and storage ideas that work. Continue reading to finally get your scrap fabric under control.
1.    Get crafty!
Before tossing or throwing away old scrap pieces of fabric, take a look at this endless list of scrap fabric projects. The only problem with hanging on to scraps for future projects is you may never need that particular piece! Instead of waiting for the perfect project to come along, create a project specifically for that scrap piece. Make sense? Just use your imagination and get a little creative with it 🙂

2.    Repurpose it
Don’t think you’ll ever use that last little bit of orange flowered fabric?? That’s ok! Repurpose it into fabric twine instead. We’re sure you can find use for string. Here’s a tutorial on how it’s done.

3.    Store it
When you just don’t have a use for those scraps right now but can’t seem to part with them, store them. But don’t just throw them in a junk drawer. It’s time to really get organized. Here are a few ideas.

Drawers
There are many types of organizational drawer systems out there (check Walmart) that are perfect for storing scrap fabric. We like the clear plastic kind that allow you to see exactly what’s inside. Be sure to choose a size and style that works well with the amount of scraps you have.

Bins
Another way to store fabric scraps is in bins. As with the drawers, bins also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Remember to use what works best for YOU. See below for two of our favorites.

Mason jars
If you have some empty mason jars lying around and your scraps are small enough, why not store them in jars? Just be sure to group similar colors or patterns together to keep it organized.

File cabinet
File cabinets don’t always have to be for office use. Believe it or not, you can effectively organize scrap fabric in them too. Simply sort scraps out by color, texture, pattern, theme, or whatever system you come up with. Now place categorized scraps in hanging file folders. Be sure to label each file folder so you know exactly what’s in it. You may even want to staple both sides of the file folder halfway up to form a pocket so scraps don’t fall out.

Shoe organizer
Ever see those plastic shoe organizers that hang over the door and have numerous slots to hold shoes? Well those work PERFECTLY for storing fabric scraps. We love the fact that you can hang it right in the closet so it’s out of the way.

Wrapped around foam board
Here’s a nifty little trick we picked up from Pinterest that will make your life a whole lot easier. The main issue people have with scrap fabric is keeping it neat and tidy, right? With all the different shapes and sizes, it’s easy for scraps to have a mind of their own. To keep them in their place, wrap scraps around foam board (cut down to smaller pieces that work well for you). Hold fabric in place with a pin and store them however you’d like. You can even store them on a bookshelf at this point. This is just a great way to keep scraps nice and neat without having to fold them.

Whether you decide to use your scrap fabric for new projects, repurpose it, or store it for later the important thing is that you minimize clutter so you have more space to work in your craft room. Your friends and family members may try to convince you to just get rid of it all but as long as you’re doing one of these three things and keeping it organized, there’s no need to part ways with your beloved scraps!

We want to hear from you! If not fabric, what are you currently struggling with when it comes to organizing the art room? Let us know in the comments and it could be featured in the next blog.