Before.

You can create fun and function into any space whether it’s big or small.

To create a space for herself, this homeowner turned an ordinary closet storing clothes into a craft center.  She started out by removing all of the excess items so she would have a clean slate to start with.  Once everything was removed, she painted with a light blue color all of the closet’s interior walls and also underneath the closet’s upper storage shelf that creates a ceiling to her craft center.  From her local discount store, she purchased inexpensive baskets and hooks that she used to create vertical storage for her craft supplies such as stamps and punches.  To add extra lighting, she mounted small lights onto the back wall of the closet which can easily be turned on by plugging them into an outlet in the room where the closet is located.  To create a desk, she used bookcases she already had and placed them on opposite sides of the closet.  For the desk top, she purchased a piece of wood to fit the space and stained it to match the existing bookcases.  To cover up the storage area above the workspace, some inexpensive fabric was purchased.  A simple pocket was sewn to house a spring rod to hold the curtain in its place and conceal items that are stored above.  To create some fun and function into the space, she created a memo center and a ribbon holder.  You will need the following supplies, which can be purchased at your local discount store, to create these two projects.

To create the memo center, you will need the following supplies:

fabric, art canvas, ribbon, flower jewelry accessory, sticker letters, upholstery stapler, fabric glue & a plate holder

1.    Cover the canvas with the fabric and use your stapler to secure it onto the back of the canvas frame.

2.    Attach the ribbon onto the front of the canvas using the fabric glue and secure with staples onto the back of the canvas frame.

3.    Glue your flower accessory onto the canvas and let it dry for about 30 minutes.

4.    Using your letter stickers, spell out your phrase and place anywhere onto the canvas you wish.

5.    Proudly display your finished memo center using the plate stand.

This project is really easy.  The hardest part is gluing the flower jewelry accessory onto the canvas.  You will need to use a lot of glue and allow extra time for it to dry.

To create the ribbon holder, you will need the following supplies:

round wooden disk, dowel rod (12-16 inches), wooden spools, wooden caps, wood glue, paint & paint brush

1.    Glue the wooden spool onto the base and allow a few minutes to dry.

2.    Glue the dowel rod into the wooden spool and allow a few minutes to dry.

3.    Top off the dowel rod with the cap by using some of the wood glue and allow a few minutes to dry.

4.    Once everything is securely glued together, paint the ribbon holder whatever color scheme you wish.

As with the first project, this one is really simple as well.  The hardest part about this project is just the patience in waiting for the glue to dry.

Remember, you can always find a little place for yourself no matter how small the space.

Carleigh Carmichael is a local writer who’s philosophy is “Why buy it for more when you can make it for less?”.