I blogged for California Closets.  If you haven’t read my craft storage tips at their site, read on…..

As you begin to prepare for Halloween and fall, now is a good time to organize your craft supplies and take stock so you will be prepared as each holiday arrives.

Holiday crafting is more fun and you’ll feel more creative when your supplies are tidy and easy to find!

1. DESIGNATE A SPACE

Don’t have a designated space for your crafts? Consider cleaning out a closet or repurposing a piece of furniture near a good work space. As a last resort, utilize space under a bed with plastic bins or built-in drawers.

Or, design a custom storage system and work station.  Our chief organization officer, Ginny Snook Scott, uses her family room’s walk-in closet as a gift wrapping center.

2. ORGANIZE THE SPACE

To be able to really see what you have and how much, sort like items together (such as paper, labels, bows, or markers) and then again by color.  You’ll quickly see what you are missing and what you can stop buying.

When putting your tools into your new space, group similar gadgets together. For example, have one shelf for all of your writing implements and another shelf for adhesives.

3. ACCESSORIZE FOR BETTER STORAGE

The ultimate luxury is to have custom storage specific to your crafting tools built into a space. Once you have the appropriate shelving, drawers and specialty storage, you can easily control clutter with the right accessories for your tools.

For shelves, choose clear containers if you like to see what you have or decorative bins if you prefer tools to be hidden. Our favorite trick is to use slat walls to hang commonly-used tools, such as scissors, hole punchers and fasteners – easily accessible and decorative!

4. LABEL, LABEL, LABEL

Whichever style of bin you choose, don’t forget to label each of them so you can easily find what you need. This also lets little helpers lend a hand. You can even label each shelf or drawer with the element in that space.

Now that you have your tools organized, easy to see, and easy to use, let the crafting begin! What is your favorite type of craft? Do you have a unique storage system for your crafting tools?