Oh yeah, me too. Here I am sitting in the largest bedroom in my house all for myself with all my stuff and not even having enough room. It seems the bigger your roomk, the more things you will buy just because you have the room to store it.
@@astrids1203 I hear ya! The entire living space in my studio apartment, excluding kitchen and bath, 238 sq, feet is dedicated to art stuff and I have been wanting to swap the twin bed for a futon to create more space! Guess I better consider tightening things up a bit!😆
I really enjoy watching your videos. I like how you use boxes, desk organizers, letter organizer to hold your ephemera. Such good use of your space. Thank you!
Just 30 seconds in, and I must say…my favorite craft space is on top of the stove (electric) in the kitchen. And from where I’m looking…you have 2 appliances with clear, flat, wide-open “crafting areas”. Lol. (It could have something to do with that convenient overhead lighting too) can’t wait to see more…..🤍🤍🤍
It is always amazing to me to see where people do their crafting you have done an amazing job with the space you have. I do think that being Mobile by standing up more areas are easily available to you. I think that you have done a wonderful job with the space you have. I also appreciated that you showed me the process of your collaging. I am doing your collage challenge for the first time this year and I think it is very good practice for me to learn how to be better at collaging in addition to having a lot of fun. I made the sweetest little book to do it in and I'm having so much fun. Thank you for your Channel
Thank you for sharing this. I'm relatively new to collaging and have already amassed a lot of paper. This will help me get to grips with it and maybe thin it out some what. You are probably my main inspiration so thank you so much for doing these videos
Thank you for the blank sketch book idea. I might try that with items I want to travel with or with my sticker flakes since I don't have many of those.
Love your crafting area. I literally have a space as big as a dinner plate. My “stuff” is in four reusable grocery bags (makes it easy to take when we house/dog sit). We live in a very small house, so I love being able to craft on a dining room table. Thanks for sharing.
You’ve made such good use of your space! I love the idea of putting special ephemera in a book in order to easily find it. I have some albums with clear pocket pages left over from when I did “Project Life” scrapbooking. I think they would work perfectly for storing special postcards and ephemera. I do think there’s something about the perspective of standing over your work. I like standing at my desk while I create even though I have a chair
You have given me something of great value: the realization that ALL my papers and ephemera do not have to be around my workspace at all times. Luckily, we have a couple of empty bins in our basement storage room. This week, I wil randomly select manageable amounts to array on the sidearm of my desk, then will put all the excess away in the basement. Wil follow your example: when I get bored with the contents of a box: exchange it for a new handful from a bin. Thanks for this great video, Margarete.
Thank you for inviting us into your space and for all the storage suggestions. Keeping my ephemera under control is an on going challenge, yet I have no trouble collecting more! Maybe I should stand more while creating, I think it definitely gives a different perspective.
My storage is ever changing. I like the fact that you have yours just in one small area. My supplies are slowly taking over my own house. I need to think a little more minimal. 🐞 Namaste 🥰
I made the daunting switch from random storing papers to storing all my paper ephemera by color. All my pink papers in one place, all beige, all florals, etc. I did this because that's the way I journal, glue, and use my items. I like to color coordinate. For me it saves me time. After I did this however I noticed that I started to micro manage the stash by size. The very small items in a different place than the bigger papers. I work on mini sizes of journals, junk journals, and mini glue books. I started the size madness I think when I found 2 French Larousse mini dictionaries 4.5" by 3". One is my altered journal and the other is my mini glue book which I plan to journal in too. I'm fairly new to this craft.
File cabinets for storing papers work great. My husband found ( on Marketplace for $50) a huge, almost new, fantastic desk and "office cupboard" with a total of 7 file drawers (large size) in which I store everything mostly by color. I am so blessed! I have a 2 section kitchen where I craft. He put up an extra cupboard and I have color- coordinated my storage boxes which hide all my materials. My computer and printer sit on top of my desk which is covered in heavy clear plastic from the Walmart sewing department. I also have to store some fabric, lace and artificial florals in my bedroom because we have a very small house. I have no desire to move, so I decided to get rid of as much "other stuff" as possible. Each week I carry out more stuff, which feels great! I get so much pleasure out of crafting that my art stuff will go last... maybe after I leave this world!😇
Thank you for sharing your space with us. I also have a tiny space of one and a half metres by one metre. I learned that when you horde stuff it kills your creativity. I do not make masses of ephemera. I love to make each thing in each journal from the start. Of course I don’t have space to store it. 😂 i learned to make do with basic tools, and do not miss all the fancy tools. I have one or a few fancy 😊 tools. 😂😂
M, I love the idea of the glued post it note on the back of ephemera. I've been cutting a lot of images from magazines and separated them into categories and then placed them into page protectors. The smaller bits get lost, so I'll use that post it idea for the unique tiny images. Thanks a bunch. I think I've watched all your videos now. Your voice is soothing & calm. Rather zen even. Take care for now. T
Thank you so much for get tutorial and multiple ideas. Your location brings up questions for like; what do you do with laundry dust, how do you clean and work around moisture??? Blessings. 👏👏🤗🤗
No problems with moisture. Maybe because we come in and out of the door, there is lots of air circulation. Dust? Not a problem. I do vacuum regularly, though 😉💙👍🏼
Oh my goodness! You’ve inspired m in MANY ways but the concept 💡of standing (and keeping you more mobile) while doing your collage work is great. I do my best work with one item at a time and in short bursts of time. And I now realize it’s time to make my supplies more accessible and ‘at hand’.
Yep, exactly so. Lots of people arrange things once and then that's it. Things don't change much. But I find that you have to constantly reassess to make sure things are working for you in the places that you have them 😉👍🏼💙
Thank you! This was incredibly helpful to me! Just last night I was sorting my collage ephemera into plastic sandwich bags, and knew right away I wasn't going to be happy with that system. The bags slid around too much and were floppy. So frustrating. The box organizers you showed are perfect. I'll be looking for those immediately! (Also, you're the one who inspired me to try doing collage again, after a long hiatus! I'm really enjoying it. Thanks!)
Amazing use of your space! I stand too and I DO have a place to sit! If you don't have one, pick up an Anti Fatigue Kitchen Mat - they are not very expensive and they come in really cute designs. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the craft room tour! I need organization to find my things because I have so much and really need visibility for easy(ier) access. One thing I found that helped is having a shoe hanger on the back of a door in my studio to hold papers, fabric pieces, etc.
Your space is awesome. You've done such a creative job with your work space. I store a lot of my ephemera in folders and my larger paper in hanging file folders. I don't find either to be super convenient but as you said ... one must organize for what works in the space we have. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and your work space. ❤
This video has been so helpful! I just started doing junk journals in July. Before that I was collecting things. Amazing amounts of stuff! Then I started to try to organize it. I was a clean and simple card maker for 15 years so I had all the tools and cardstock. Since July I have been trying to beat all of this stuff into submission. Lol. It’s getting better. I’m really loving the process. Thank you for sharing your space with us and all of the wonderful tips. Hugs, treen 💕💕💕
Awesome video.... Very helpful and makes me realize where did i go wrong when it comes to sorting and organizing my papers... Wrong way of how i do storage also.... Thank you so much...
Thank you for sharing and inspiring. My one takeaway is that if crafting is important to us, we can always organize a space to work! I once crafted out of my front hall coat closet. We put in a table top that was on a hinge and I could drop it down to hang guest coats if we needed (never did). My husband added an electric outlet and shelves, so I had lighting and storage. It was a lot of fun!
great ideas, Margarete! I'm in the process of digging out/ purging/ reorganizing my filming corner and am switching up how I store my ephemera. I've learned binders do not work for my small hands (and sometimes arthritis). I'm a flipper. I need to flip through things. I think finding the storage style that works best for you is the biggest hurdle and often requires trial and error. Creative Blessings!
This is so funny. At first I was like, that looks like my laundry room. And, when we moved in our house I looked at the laundry room and said, that’s a lot of wasted cupboard space. Yep, it now holds my books and junk journal supplies!
I was in a sitting study for a medical report and turns out that sitting for long periods of time is bad for overall health. The longer you do stand will add years to your life expectancy. Love your workspace and will do some of your ideas for organizing. Thanks ❣️
Thanks for sharing your space in the tiny house. Still able to create, I’ve heard you say if your stuck on a collage, step away and then come back for a new perspective! Perfect
Magarete I have a corner in my bedroom....it was designated for a sitting area, but now I have my craft stuff all around me. I have my desk and a white fold up table. and I think I can get more done. You are so inspiring to me for journaling....It is a new craft for me and have been gathering different ephemera for the last couple of months and really enjoying putting all together on paper...Thanks so much !!!
Thank you so much for sharing your creative space. I do have a small space and hardly ever sit down, I just find placements are easier to see standing, maybe it gives us more energy.
Thank you for sharing your space and organization systems. Everything is handy.....a benefit of small spaces. I do have a stool at my table, but stand 90% of the time.
Just discovered your channel. I love your creative space, and your collages are beautiful! I’m an amateur junk journaler so I found your storage ideas very helpful! Thank you!
Wow! So useful!! I like the idea of storing ephemera based on sizes. I originally categorized mine, which I think is good, but I miss the sort of mishmash of things to look through. So, maybe I will pull out some bigger pieces by size, and then keep the small focal point images in categories? Sorry, thinking out loud!! Your manner and style of presentation makes it very easy for me to absorb and learn. Thank you for this vid!! xo
So glad you've got some ideas to play with, Loree! Yes, experiment and see what works. After a few months ask yourself again if it's working for you. Keep on changing things up until you find a system that works. 👍🏼 💜
Good stuff! Great use of your space. I have one of this three tiered rolling carts you can get at Michaels or Joanne's and several plastic baskets from Dollar Tree, TJ Max and Bealls that I put different size papers in and stack them atop each other and keep them in the rolling cart. Those go in the top tier. One tier is for large papers that I use for collage - that's the middle tier. The bottom tier is for extra supplies and sticker books. I have two scrapbook storage containers that house all my inks, pens, gluesticks, scissors, etc. I have stamps in a box in my craft room closet that I can select from. The cart and storage containers move about easily wherever I choose to work. It's working pretty well so far.
So nice to see you in your crafting space. There is really not much we need to get started and create. And organizing and reorganizing is something that I frequently do. To much stuff there and my creative brain can't work. Goodnideas to see in this video. Edith 🙋🏻♀️
So many great ideas, thanks! Especially like the nesting boxes, and the desktop organizing products. My favorite though are the narrow shelves where you store rubber stamps so they are visible and easily accessible. I have mine stored in small to medium sized plastic storage boxes which are stacked and it's very frustrating trying to find what I'm looking for. I don't think I have a space for the narrow shelves so would appreciate any other suggestions for storing rubber stamps. Thanks for a great video and all the ideas! 🙂
The area where I craft has either bookshelves (which are full) or windows, so no wall space there, unfortunately 😕 Maybe I could clear some space on a bookshelf...
Margarete: your space is amazing. Such organization. Many of your videos look like they are videoed in a different area. Is that true? Also, I noticed when I collage, although sitting down, I still get up and move around. I think it is a good thing to move and not sit for long periods of time. Carol from California
I rarely work in my craft room I sit in the living room in my recliner and have my stuff in baskets hidden behind our furniture and my tools are in a lil table with a lamp on it, I’d probably get more done if I actually went in my craft room 😂
I use the stackable box method and zip type oversized envelopes for digital pages. I now also say no to buying every supply out there. It’s too exhausting; paper and glue is my jam
I used clear plastic file folders to put pieces together that I plan to make a collage with but may be waiting for additional pieces. I do analog collage that is a little weird but it works for me. I also use large clear plastic envelopes for items I may have fussy cut ✂️ or weather backgrounds or birds . These are pieces I will use in the near future. The birds I will use later are in a binder similar to what you showed. The plastic envelopes and folders are then put in the plastic storage box from the dollar tree. I do enjoy going through my images but I like to keep pieces I know that I will use in upcoming works and have a space of separated categories for future use. I periodically go through and offer what I want to discard to friends. If they don't want them I will make a master board or tags if time permits. If not I discard. I have too much to keep a scrap box plus I fear I would be a hoarder so I have to be disciplined to get rid of excess.
I have too much stuff - to understand that your imagination and collage talent can be done in the space you have is humbling. I am trying to downsize, but I do that by cutting out pictures from hundreds of magazines, which also need room!
When we had to move a few years ago I lost my craft room. I have a desk in the corner of my bedroom now but haven’t been doing any crafting because all my “things” are in boxes in the basement and I feel without my things around me I can’t craft. Thank you for showing me a small space is all I need! I’m excited to re-organize my area and my thinking and get back to doing what I love and have missed so much! ♥️
Your organization is inspiring. You have so much packed into a small space--and have supplies and tools at hand at all times--and are free to create. Great job!
Excellent tutorial and AWESOME quiet background music.... I store my ephemera in TOO MANY places in around my studio. 1) In plastic A4 envelopes by category in the largest section of a Busy Box' (The Container Store) with casters, 2) clear acrylic stadium from a closing art studio, 3) drawers and shelves in a found short cabinet that I put in the largest section of a Busy Box (I bought 3 from the Container Store a decade ago), 4) in three 6-drawer Rubbermaid carts. Removed the casters, duct taped the sides together into 1 18-drawer unit. The n I put that on top of 2 metal industrial-style kitchen carts (with extending drawers and shelve) that my hubby made a wood top for. I could roll all 18+ drawers around - if I wanted to. But they're stationary in my dining/music room turned craft studio. There's all my 12" scrapbook paper in divided accordion folders on industrial shelving adjacent to the 18-drawer unit. (I'm trying to make most of my craft studio looks like Tim Holtz's industrial-themed/steampunk studio. My room has narrow paths for walking, but I can find everything. I even taught my hubby how to find stuff (stapler, binder clips, duct tape, yardstick, etc.) in the room. tfs!
I am blown away seeing your space after watching so many of your videos and HOW MUCH you create. Thank you for this. When I see someone so productive I imagine them in the perfect HUGE space that has all the latest Ikea storage desks, table, cubbies, etc. I've had to ask myself lately do you want to craft or deal with stuff? The more space (not that I have a huge space, but I do have. a designated small room), the more stuff, the more stuff, the more one has to organize, track, store, sort, etc. it gets to be too much and the less time actually crafting. I find nesting baskets (large/med/two small, from Big Lots, $12) and gallon-sized Ziplock bags to be my best friend when it comes to storage and sorting. I use the nesting baskets to hold all the components of a certain project, so everything is all together in one place. I use the Zip bags to collect stuff for each project as I go (before I actually start and they go to the nesting baskets). I have zips for my color glue book stuff, various journals I've on the never-ending list, my themed projects...I've started buying zip bags by the gross. lol. Another thing I've found incredibly helpful are accordion file boxes (the kind for bills, that fit letter sized pages in easily) I use that size for my digikits and another to hold all my stencils and smaller ones come in very handy for small images like fussy cuts (clear ones like coupon organizers or those cheap "brag books" photo albums, great for storing small things like stamps, bits and bobs...
Someone said it in another comment that the more things you have, the harder it is to create. I agree with that idea. I, too, don't want to become the curator of a bunch of stuff. I want to actually USE things to create. That's what I'm always thinking about. I'm glad you're experimenting and coming up with solutions for storing items. Keep at it! 😉❤️👏🏼
Thank you Margarete for another video that helps explain your process. I am amazed at how you create such lovely collages in your small space. More is not always better and often is a deterent in creating. If you have more space it is to easy to fill it up resulting in frustration in knowing where to begin, to many choices. You have given me much to think about. Your organization is lovely. Enjoyed seeing you create, it never gets old. I store my most used stamps in a mound on a vintage silver trays on my desk, they are always within reach and lovely to look at.
Finally! Someone with a small space like me! My space is identical to yours. Though I have a chair because I fall easily. But I did a makeshift area in a small corner. One thing that I noticed about you, you don’t have much out at one time. I tend to want to pull out way too much, quickly creating a huge mess, limiting how much space I have to work, and becoming overwhelmed with too many potentials. I also like some of your storage ideas. They make more sense to my situation. Thank you for sharing, I am always eager to hear about storage ideas or organizing ideas specifically for a small space! 🤗❤️ Tamara
When you mentioned that you were "tired" of some of your papers because you look at them so much, I realized that I had the same problem. Not in a bad way, just needed to change out some of the supplies. Helps a lot.
I love this video, thank you for sharing!!! Firstly, I always my crafting standing up...we are twins!!!!😂 I just don't know how ladies SIT and craft? I've seen an English lady who possibly has even less space than you or about the same and she has boxes etc from floor to ceiling. Have you got room for a shelf above the door? Another lady I saw sits on the carpet/floor, crosslegged, with stuff in a semicircle around her and crafts like that. Have no idea how she stores stuff. Your video is very refreshing because you DON'T have a studio type room, nor every shade of everything from ink pads to door knobs. Thus, you really create. I think we get addicted to buying anything we see and then have no idea what we've got, or when or how we are going to use it. Thank you again. Best wishes for you crafting, with love from New Zealand. 🥰🥰🥰
Thanks so much for your comments! It's so interesting to learn how others are in their environments when they create. Luckily I have some big cabinets where I can store things. I do need to downsize, though.
I used two cameras. I had my big Canon M50, and then my iPhone inside of a SmallRig "cage" that was placed on a tripod. I used that to get closeups of my desk. Hope that helps. 👍🏻
