My studio space looks like, well, you look at it and decide...

***Warning, the post you are about to read shows my disasterous, and fully unadulterated workspace in all it's horrific offensiveness. Proceed with caution and, please, watch your step!***

I recently commented on another blogger's (Linda from A La Carte) post about organization that my basement (aka my studio) looked like I opened the door, threw in a grenade and then closed it quick.

I am not joking. It has quickly gone from a semi-organized area to a catch-all for every outgrown toy, holiday decoration, appliance that only gets used on occasion and every single scrap of anything I think might be useful in a craft some day.


How on earth can I work like this? Well I'll tell you. I don't. I hunt and sift and scream and curse until I find everything I think I'll need and then I lug it upstairs to the dining room table. And then at dinner I haul it all off the table, onto the hearth until we've finished eating, move it back onto the table afterwards and this process repeats itself daily until the current project is finished. Then I dump it all back down in the basement.


Add to this productive routine (note sarcasm) the mess from Christmas as well as a massive exodus of stuff from the kids' room bound for Salvation Army and you get the images you see before you.


This was last weekend. It had been on my "to do list" since November. I kept saying "After all my holiday craft shows are over, I'll organize it." Finally, motivated by Linda's post here, I decided to begin clearing and sorting through the craft/toy store that threw up in my basement.

6 hours on Saturday and nearly 8 on Sunday, this is where I am at.

The Salvation Army load has been moved to one section of the basment that doesn't get much use.

The bins are all cleaned out, labelled properly and stacked as neat as is possible. PS- see those solid wood headboards? Picked those up for the boys' room while out thrifting yesterday for $50 for the pair including frames!

BTW, these clear vinyl envelopes are GREAT for storage totes. They don't peel off like tape does and unlike marking them directly with a sharpie, if you change the contents, you don't have to make a mess all over the bin with more sharpie, you just pull out the paper insert and make a new one.

I have a rectangle dining table in my garage that is going to go in this area so I can have more than one project going at once and leave it out without fear of the kids getting into anything.

(never fear my mid century loving pals, the table will not be used for anything messy and the dining chairs reside in my dining room with a larger table more appropriately sized for my family)
I also plan to put my grandmother's sewing machine in this area once Ed rewires it for me.


And on my actual studio side of the basement, I have:

Reclaimed my workbench.

(Mostly) cleared off the table where I do my jewelry sawing and filing. That giant white frame on the table is a repair job that causes my heart much anguish and will not be discussed at the present moment.


Created a tidy shipping supplies area.

Unearthed my light tent.

Left to do in this project is to clean and sort all the sea glass in these baskets on this bench. Which is no small feat. There has got to be 50 pounds of glass here, easy.

Once they're sorted, the jewelry grade pieces will join their brothers on this shelf.

In my dreams, I email DIY Network and enter my basement for that show "Run My Renovation" and let America come in and redesign all of this space for me, to include walls and a floor that are not made of cement and also to include an office area so I don't have to blog and run my shop from my kitchen.

But until then, at least I can find my pliers when I'm looking for them!

Linking up with the Purge Party at Goodbye, House! Hello, Home!