When you're a thrift store, vintage loving fool like I am, your office or craft room tends to be decorated in your fun vintage finds. It's just nice to have that stuff around you. To inspire you.
But you also need plenty of storage to organize your crafting supplies and what-not, so why not use some of those thrift store finds as storage pieces.
Double duty is the name of the game!
This is Part 2 of my Home Office posts. Part 1, where I give you a tour of the space, can be found here - Home Office Decor: Vintage Style.
First, here is a list of some of my favorite vintage/thrift store pieces to organize with.
Home Office Organizing: Vintage Style Storage Pieces
- Picnic baskets
- Tins
- Suitcases
- Rotating Metal Bins
- Locker Baskets
- Wooden Crates
- Vintage Shelves or Dressers
Second, here is what I store in all my picnic baskets, tins and such in my office/craft room.
Home Office Organizing: What The Heck I Store In All That Stuff
Seriously, other than an occasional pillow cover, I hardly ever sew. Yet I have 3 picnic baskets full of fabric? I may need to rethink that.
I did use some plastic storage boxes for my childrens book because they are sort of fragile and for the paint and adhesives because they're sort of messy and/or smelly.
Yes, I have a lunchbox full of paper napkins. Don't judge.
OK, maybe you can judge, because at the dinner table I just grab a few paper towels to use as napkins. I save these pretty ones for "projects" that never seem to get "done".
The last storage piece would be these Industrial Rotating Bins I bought at Harbor Freight. I've had lots of different stuff in these bins over the last few years, but my favorite use is to corral little bits and bobs of craft supplies.
Now, even though I love how organized my office is NOW, it was not always this way.
CONFESSION TIME:
When I talked to you about purging and decluttering in my Kon Mari Method: For Thrift Store Shoppers post a few weeks ago I was lying.
Sort of.
I had done really well with Marie Kondo's book with 95% of the house, but I had been avoiding an entire room of my home. An entire room!!!
And yes, I know you're supposed to sort by category not room, but my office/craft room was avoided at all costs because I knew it was going to take some deep soul searching to get through this one. Some hard decisions had to be made. And I didn't want this whole room of vintage, thrift store goodness mixed with beloved crafting supplies to take down the whole KonMari Method before it even got started.
So I left this room for last and just started seriously purging and organizing my office area a few weeks ago.
I thought you might "enjoy" some BEFORE photos (actually they are sort of IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROCESS photos, since someone forgot to take true BEFORE photos). Sorry for the hideous and fuzzy cell phone photos.
and this
Egads!!!
Now, keep in mind this was mid-purge, where you throw everything into piles and sort the heck out of it. It didn't look quite this bad before the KonMari-ing started or I could be lying again.
And after a lot of sorting and holding things in my hand and asking myself if I really, really LOVED it and wanted it in my life forever and ever, I whittled the room down to a more manageable level.
Ah, so much more peaceful now!
So let's summarize:
- Using tons of vintage items to organize your office or craft room is fun and makes the whole process less painful
- Don't let your office or craft room get out of hand in the 1st place
- But if it does, don't be afraid to use the KonMari Method to snap it back into shape
And I also wanted to say THANK YOU for all the support and comments you left about my last post. I really can't tell you how much those comments, thoughts and prayers mean to me! Again, thank you so much for being there for me!!!
Part 1 of this series can be found here - Home Office Decor : Vintage Style.
And here is my post about the KonMari Method: For Thrift Store Shoppers
Kris @ Junk Chic Cottage
Wow Pam your creative space is so vintage sweet. Love how you used all the vintage storage.
Super cute and organized. Happy New Week.
Kris
Ann
Aha, so maybe you're not quite as perfect as I thought! Just kidding, I think you're great, but nice to know that you get a little overwhelmed like the rest of us. My number 3 kid just moved out last week so of course I was breathing down his neck with a paintbrush. I finally get an office/craft room/playhouse of my own! A fresh coat of buttercream paint is on the walls, now slowly and purposely moving in the vintage treasures. Thanks for lots of great ideas! Take care Pam! 🙂
Vickie
Now what in the world could you store in your big thermoses? Moonshine? hehe I'm so impressed with your organizational skills, Pam. And how much more pleasant to view vintage storage pieces than a bunch of Rubbermaid totes piled to the ceiling! So, do tell, have you missed anything you've gotten rid of? I can honestly say that I don't miss a single thing I sold or donated, and our garage is filling up with potential sale items once again. Pretty soon our voices will echo in our empty basement. Although I've been visiting the thrift store again.......
Pam
Back in the 90's I had quite the cow collection in my kitchen. Anything from a cow cookie jar, to cow canisters to a cow toaster cover (I have to admit my mother was much more into gifting me cows than I was into buying them for myself). So my old cow collection was part of what I donated to Goodwill. But then I went into one of my favorite local antique/farmhouse type shops the other day and saw my cow salt and pepper shakers being sold!!! And then all of a sudden I thought "I should have kept those"!!! Even though I hadn't used them in 10-15 years 🙂
I think that's the only thing I sort of regret giving away and I really forgot about regretting it until you just mentioned it!
Ann Peterson
Pam, I bet you were unaware that you have an alter ego living in South Texas! I, too, have a fetish for storing my craft items in old, vintage, curiosities! I frequent estate sales and in fact, this past week, bought a vintage wedding dress that is tulle and lace, on steroids, and also, don't really sew, but..... I can cut and glue. Of course, I don't have it stored in my craft room, but rather my married daughter's closet, since my hubby won't be going in there, for quite a while, until I can carve it up and put it inside of old hat boxes, perhaps? Love your blog, because it gives me warm, fuzzies all the time!
Pam
I cannot pass up a picnic basket at an estate sale for the life of me. They're always just a few dollars and so much cuter than Rubbermaid bins. BTW, I've seen people take the wedding dress lace and put it on journals. Sort of like very fancy notebooks made with other people's marital mistakes (assuming the dresses came from failed marriages of course 🙂 )
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
Such decorative ways to organize, Pam! Love the before and after photos, too.
That first photo is so awesome looking, it looks like a wonderful book cover...maybe you should make a e-book!
Pam
I've been thinking of writing an ebook, but then I never get around to starting one!
Patty Soriano
ohhhh, I REALLY need to organize my craft/junk room! You inspire me to do this. I love the use of a chest of drawers. I have two that need fixing up and they would be perfect for this. They don't take up much floor space, but they have tons of storage potential! Thanks, Pam!
Florence
Pam, thank God for the before photos! Now I know I'm not so bad...heehee. OK, I know it's mid-purge, but can I say, mine looks like that a lot of the time? I struggle to keep it neat. My projects are strewn all over the house. Great idea to use your vintage pieces for storage! I have a gigantic picnic basket that hardly has anything in it...gotta change that. And we're having company this weekend, so gotta go straighten everything again!
Pam
I LOVED your post on organizing your etsy/ebay office!!! When I sold on ebay my office was a MESS. And then when someone bought something I couldn't find it and then when I did find it I couldn't find the right sized box . . . May be part of the reason I quit selling on there 🙂
Shelley
love it!!
Diane
Wow Pam, a beautiful transformation! And amazing inspiration and motivation for me to get a move on! Thank you for that, truly! I have to dig through tons and tons of stuff to get to what I want, and often don't even find what I want, so I pretty much give up. Your ideas are brilliant! I usually pass by vintage baskets and tins, but no more. Storage can be pretty as well as functional! 'They' say borrowing ideas is a great form of flattery, so I am going to be flattering you by doing just that! I am also going to start looking for pretty napkins - mod podge/napkins/peat pots = cute little Easter baskets. Sounds fun to me! 🙂
Brenda Pruitt
Looks like you got that room purged and whittled down to size so it's manageable. It's never easy, is it?
Brenda
Penny
Pam - hoorah for you! You have really inspired me to keep going. This organizing can be time consuming and quite a chore. But, I don't know about you but when I get started I work like a fiend. Really - for me it is getting started. Love your vintage storage idea. About those napkins - I too have a "uge" collection. I found some clear acrylic napkin holder coasters where you just insert your own napkins favorites and after use, throw away. I CAN'T quit collecting napkins with funny sayings. Have many tens of tens of packages now. The acrylic idea is great - change for the season/holiday; they are totally useful as coasters and a great way to justify buying more! Teehee ... Hubs actually loves them too. Again, thanks for the continuing inspiration and God Bless.
Pam
I love that idea of the acrylic napkin coasters!!! I just checked Amazon and they have them. So now that I will have a legitimate use for my napkins, I can buy all that I want, right?
Penny
Pam - absolutely!!! I just love these - great for every day and also for company! My extensive collection of napkins are all on the humorous side and I get so many compliments/laughs when I use them. I would recommend getting two sets and hopefully the ones shown on Amazon also include the "coaster holder" (makes it easier to organize them). You may want to order two sets. Also, don't put them in the dishwasher as they will cloud up. Enjoy and hopefully you can photograph them when you get them for your blog. Love to see and thanks for your inspiration!
PS - I haven't gone to my therapy addiction class this week for napkins, pillows, candles, greeting cards ...... 🙂
Colleen
I love your style and your resourcefulness. Having an L-shaped workspace is genius! I'm going to have to copy that, among other ideas (picnic baskets, drawers made into shelves) when our remodeling is finished and I get my space back.
So glad to hear that your son is doing better. It's a scary time when our children are ill and we can only do so much to help them get well. Soldier on my friend!
Sue Pagels
I think I need to hire you 🙂 I have been collecting since I was a teen (40+ years) and between that and family and friends giving me items, having several antique booths (now are closed) I just have way too much stuff. I definitely need to down size and organize and I love all your storage ideas!
taryterre
Ignoring only one room makes you a saint, in my book, my dear. And i think it looked nice whatever you did with it.
Mary W Ferguson
Great job, I am working on all my stuff or junk LOL. One of these days I will get it done. IT's hard when your olden. I don't know where the time goes.
Mary
Gail Blain Peterson
Your dresser in this post is one that has been in our family for years. It was in my Mom & Dad's guest room, then in my sewing room and now my daughter has it. Great piece!!
Melinda
Looks great. Purging is hard and takes time but I thinks you did great.
You are not the only one that has pretty napkins stored away. So do I.
Hope your son is on the mend.
M : )
Vicki and Jenn 2 Bees in a Pod
Wow! This is truly inspiring. As lover's of vintage decor, thrift shopping and hoarding supplies we totally appreciate and can relate to "not knowing what to do with everything". You have found practical, beautiful and super creative solutions. Thanks for sharing. PS - love that foam brush holder!