Ideas for Repurposing and More Links

I haven't shared any ideas recently for repurposing items for storage with character. I decided it would be a good idea to share a few things today.

Below is a wire basket on a stand. It is a sort of reproduction type basket I guess. When I saw this I knew it would be something that would work for a multitude of items in a studio. It would be great for holding yarn, rolls of paper, stuffing and other similar items for instance. But since I have begun my venture in crazy quilting and also do some pattern sewing, it occurred to me something similar would work to hold all those pieces of fabric scraps that pile up while a quilt is being cut and pieced together or a pattern or something similar is being cut. I don't know too many people that cut out the pieces of fabric needed and then immediately fold the scraps and put them away. Some sort of basket near your cutting table would help avoid that pile of scraps on the floor. This particular basket could be used to transport your fabrics to where you need them and then could be used to contain the scraps until you had time (and energy) to return them to where they belong. It wouldn't have to be this basket, but might be a wicker basket or box or even a laundry basket. Are there other possibilities you can think of for a similar container? What would you use it for?

I follow a lot of scrapbooking blogs and notice a lot of them have and use tons of ephemera, in the form of vintage post cards and old photographs as an example. I also know many of you use a similar item to those shown below to hold your precious papers. I wanted to include this however, since it may be obvious to some of us, it may not have occurred to others. This would be a great way to keep your favorites in view to help inspire your next project.

The ones shown here was designed to hold cards and photos. This just serves to remind you if you are searching for something with this function, don't forget to look in the antique and thrift stores. Maybe you'll find old baby crib springs or an old gate or even a screen door or window that would work perfect for holding those items. You may even want to remove the screen off the door or window and replace it with some wire or open metal mesh. With wire hooks you can purchase or even make yourself, you can convert any of these to hold jewelry, ribbons, yarn, floss or even tools. This would also work great for your inspiration board!

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Finally, I wanted to share some more links with you that relate to organizing...

Even if you don't design gift baskets, you may have some of the same issues as those that do. Check the following link out for some tips on reorganizing. As you read through it, think about how you can put some of these ideas to use in your studio.
http://forgiftbasket.com/extreme-makeover-increases-gift-basket-studio-profits/

Below is a link to an artist, Sheryl Hawkins, who just redid her studio because she just didn’t like to work in it. She finally figured out why and went about to reconfigure things. If you are uncomfortable in your studio and your not quite sure why, maybe reading this will help.
http://mermaidspalette.blogspot.com/2010/10/studio-makeover.html

Here’s another link to an artist, Lyn Belisle, who reorganized her studio. Click the link if you want to take a peak.
http://mythlyn.blogspot.com/2010/09/studio-organizing.html

Andrew Thornton gives some great tips directed at bead storage and tracking, but I think his tips may also help others such as crazy quilters, scrapbookers, etc. who want/need to track small purchases. Click the link below to go to his site and see what he has to say.
http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/2010/10/keeping-organized.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FcePb+%28Andrew+Thornton%29

Check out the link below for inspiration, especially if you have a lot of paints and various mediums to store. Teesha also did a fantastic job of personalizing her space. She has a lot of fun things on her blog, so be sure to check it out!
http://teeshascircus.blogspot.com/2010/09/re-organizing-again.html

Possibility for fabric or trim storage or any number of things!
http://ritamay-days.blogspot.com/2010/09/sofa-table-storage.html

As always, I would love to hear from you with your ideas and comments! I encourage you to email photos of your studio or a storage/organizing ideas to me and I will share them with others on my blog.

If you find any of the links helpful, I would appreciate your letting them know you found them through my blog. I hope you are all having a beautiful fall!

Connie